Sustainable Enterprise

Pre Reflection

In this pre reflection I will discuss my critical understanding of the carbon tax which intends to combat the sustainability issue of climate change. My stakeholder, academics and scientists is not directly affected by the carbon tax however the purpose of our input as being a stakeholder is to provide scientific and economic research and data on how the carbon tax will help alleviate climate change and increase global temperatures. The carbon tax for Australia has become social, economic and political debate since discussion arose in parliament early 2010 and is being introduced by the Gillard government July 1 2012 and within 3-5 years the carbon tax will become an emissions trading scheme (ETS). The driving force behind the carbon tax is to reduce man made climate changes including increases in global temperature, which correspond to increases in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The definition of a carbon tax is a tax placed on businesses that burn fossil fuels and emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The purpose is to increase monetary cost of greenhouse gas emissions so businesses will use renewable energy sources which are environmentally friendly. Substitutes include sunlight, wind, hydropower, and nuclear energy. These are all non-combustion energy sources and do not produce carbon dioxide as a by-product.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency sustainability is defined as “social and environmental practices that protect and enhance the human and natural resources needed by future generations to enjoy a quality of life equal to or greater than our own issue for today’s society”. Due to global population growth, production levels in all sectors and industries have had to maintain production at equilibrium in order to match supply with demand. This includes such things as food, clothing, technology, motor vehicles and fossil fuel. In order for today’s society to sustain non-renewable resources reserves such as fossil fuels which...