It's discouraging to hear in the media and when researching, that most companies have major flaws in sourcing, business model etc. I want to support businesses that care and I'm worried that although NGO's go after some of our best players, not many people know that and may be turned off by the negative attention and critiques of the businesses. Despite this, I understand now that only businesses that do care, that are making promises, are being held accountable in this way and are being persuaded to do better by this press.
I envision a better educated consumer that researches the companies they consume from and that understands that companies that are being held accountable are among the best "actors" compared to those that don't even care enough to make promises. I also hope to hold companies that don't care accountable with unwaveringly and strongly enforced laws. Much like companies should have to care, our government should have to care, specifically, about these companies. It needs to start with our government 1. being made aware of company flaws and unsustainability (group/individual public action, calling out corporations and calling on the government in the media, sending letters and calling about these issues) and 2. specifying laws that do not permit loopholes for companies and that enforce sustainable sourcing, packaging, marketing and more.
Hi Amy, I agree with you that it can be confusing to have only companies that are making an effort to make changes that are more so being scrutinized about keeping these promises. I believe that all companies should be held accountable to revisiting their business model and reevaluate their where they are sourcing their materials from.
I have a complicated take on the position Dr. Chan presented in class. Asking for corporate accountability means you are held to your own standards. Many other companies do not have to go through the effort on the fact that they have not ask themselves to be scrutinized. We need NGOs that are unbiased from corporate sway and unfunded by industries to ensure accountability is uniform for all corporations.
Totally agree. While it's true that billionaires have a disproportionate amount of power compared to the average citizen, each one of us should take some personal responsibility about where we put our money. Consumer education is paramour, and even if it may be difficult, we should always try to support companies whose values we align with.
Hi Amy, I agree with you that consumers should be more educated consumer and research the companies they are consuming from. However, I also think that brings the attention more on the consumer to act when larger company action is what could make the significant difference. However, I do think that a good way to implement what you said could be to make this a part of our school ciriculum so that student from a young age are taught about mindful consumption.
Hi Amy, I really like the reflection you've had in this post. We definitely need to start thinking twice about what it means for an NGO to put a company under the microscope and label them as bad actors. This course is teaching me a lot about how most issues are much more complex than any petition or campaign could be capable of communicating. It's clear that more research is needed from everyone in general in order to understand these issues on a deeper level and make decisions based on our values only after this research has been done.
I agree, Patagonia is always under some sort of controversy given their transparency in doing business. Even them, they still maintain their business model which is respectable. It's interesting to take a step back and realize that other companies producing outerwear (Arcteryx, TNF, Columbia) are silent on supply chain and environmental issues and manage to fly under the radar most of the time.
It's so bittersweet to find out your favourite brand is actually problematic :(( but you're right, not every company can be perfect in every domain and bad press is definitely still good because it can bring attention to the things they are doing right! at the end of the day, education and transparency about their practices can definitely help consumers make more informed choices
While the businesses that produce and market products need to be held responsible, we need to be held responsible for what we consume too. We are all guilty of buying things without doing some research about where they came from and the impact it has on the environment. We cannot point fingers at others without pointing at ourselves too.
Great points! While a lot of responsibility needs to be put on governments and corporations, some onus must be put on the consumer as well. It's definitely not the only resource out there, but lately I've been using this website https://goodonyou.eco/ to search up brands before I buy from them to get a better understanding of their ethical and environmental impact.
Hi Amy,
Totally agree with your post, I think its really important and also a huge responsibility of us, consumers, to also spend the time researching in the businesses we want to support. We need to have empathy and understand that some businesses do indeed care but it is a struggle, like the struggle we individually experience ourselves, to become more sustainable. Legal loophole are also a really important topic that the government should address to further contribute to more sustainability in our world!
Hi Amy- I totally agree, that businesses not only have to, but should care! Specifying laws to prevent loopholes is definitely a big one that we have to pay more attention to.
Great post Amy! I agree that what we are hearing in the media is pretty discouraging :(