Ethical considerations in global climate and environmental business practices
نویسندگان
1 Department of Educational and Psychological Sciences, Al-Turath University, Baghdad, Iraq.
2 Department of Accounting and Banking Sciences, Al-Mansour University, Baghdad, Iraq.
3 Department of Management, Al-Mamoon University, Baghdad, Iraq.
4 Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research Division, Kurdistan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Sanandaj, Iran.
5 Department of Business Administration, Al-Rafidain University, Baghdad, Iraq.
6 Madenat Alelem University College, Baghdad 10006, Iraq
7 Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research Division, Kurdistan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Sanandaj, Iran.
doi
10.22126/arww.2025.12359.1381چکیده
Multinational corporations, seeking to reconcile economic goals with environmental stewardship, have found themselves at the center of an engaging academic discourse; one that has increasingly examined the role of ethical governance in promoting corporate environmental sustainability. This study analyses whether ethical integration positively correlates with proxies of environmental performance, including greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions mitigation, waste reduction, energy efficiency, and renewable energy adoption. Using a mixed research design—comprising descriptive statistics, multiple regression analysis, and structural equation modelling (SEM)—we find that organizations with strong ethical frameworks achieve significantly better environmental outcomes. Specifically, the Ethical Integration Index (EII) shows astrong correlation with waste reduction (r = 0.72), GHG emissions reduction (r =0.68), and energy efficiency improvement (r = 0.66). Regression results further indicate that EII explains up to 76% of the variance in waste reduction and 71% inGHG mitigation. SEM analysis confirms both direct effects and indirect effects mediated by innovation (λ = 0.52, p < 0.01) and regulatory compliance (λ = 0.47, p < 0.01). These findings emphasize the crucial role of ethical decision-making indriving corporate environmental responsibility, suggesting that corporations should incorporate ethical governance into sustainability endeavors. The study offers actionable insights for corporate policymakers, environmental regulators, andsustainability practitioners concerned with long-term sustainability transformations.
