Corporate Responsibility Energy Policy

Gracia Mahoney
May 18, 2017

Submitted as coursework for PH240, Stanford University, Fall 2016

Introduction

Fig. 1: A meeting room of the sort in which a corporation might discuss its energy policies. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Energy policy is fundamental to domestic growth and national security in the United States. The need to care for the earth's environment is vital to the country's national energy concerns. [1] Not only do the government and government run organizations need to prioritize energy policy, but corporate organizations must also consider their energy practices regarding clean energy, climate change, and their dependence on oil. [1] Important players must come together and meet at a table, similar to the one in Figure 1, to discuss these issues.

Corporate Responsibility Energy Policy

Companies must make new energy choices that reduce their contribution to global emissions and help the rest of the world toward an environmentally sustainable future. [1] Unfortunately policy making in the United States in recent years has neither not been strategic. Both public and private organizations must work together to create political and technological reform to transform American energy policy and sustainability. [1] The federal government has had trouble enforcing energy policy in the United States because many companies such as oil, utility, and transportation have powerful economic and political standing in the government such as giving strategic donations to political campaigns and special interest groups. [1] Companies abiding by energy conservation regulations are an essential part of social and economic policy. [2] Over recent years there has been an increase need to conserve energy since energy costs and major climate change effects have cause significant harm to the environment. [2] There has been increasing analysis and enforcement of energy regulations through pigouvian pollution taxes where policy makers and corporates are seeing the ever-growing importance of energy conservation.

Conclusion

With oil energy consumption accounting for two thirds of American energy production, there has been increased attention by corporate organizations on oil reduction and an increasing need for clean energy. [3] Politicians in Washington have taken action on energy policy, however, corporate organizations must comply with political reform in order to provide a safer and cleaner environment for years to come. [3]

© Gracia Mahoney. The author grants permission to copy, distribute and display this work in unaltered form, with attribution to the author, for noncommercial purposes only. All other rights, including commercial rights, are reserved to the author.

References

[1] T. E. Wirth, C. B. Gray and J. D. Podesta, "The Future of Energy Policy," Foreign Affairs 82, No. 4, 32 (July/August 2003).

[2] J. R. Ritchie and G. H. G. McDougall. "Designing and Marketing Consumer Energy Conservation Policies and Programs: Implications from a Decade of Research," J. Public Policy Mark. 4, 14 (1985).

[3] W. Sweet,"The Energy Policy Conundrum," in Great Decisions 2006, ed. by K. M. Rohan (Foreign Policy Association, 2006), pp. 33-42.