Dr. Haris Alibašić

Sustainable energy is defined as a sufficient measure for energy management undertaken by organizations to reduce energy usage, increase the use of renewable energy sources in operations to reduce operational costs, decrease the environmental impact of energy use, and impact society positively. The role of government is characterized by the ability to provide services to its constituents. As the societal paradigms shift, and sustainability gains new grounds and becomes an integral part of the organizational structure and function of the local and state governments, the issue of sustainable energy management as the system of good governance and cost control becomes more prevalent. State and local governments use sustainable energy policies to pursue long-term sustainability goals and enhance resilience and long-term strategies.

Based on the quadruple bottom line principles, sustainable procurement may be defined as acquiring materials and services using the most effective and efficient means and applying the significance of environmental, economic, social, and good governance. The ideals of sustainable procurement apply to both the public and private sectors with minor differences in approaches, goals, and outcomes. By default, sustainability incorporates the concept of value-added benefits to procurement, emphasizing the environmental and social benefits of sustainable purchasing of goods and services. In explaining the concept of sustainable procurement fully, the basic postulates and principles of purchasing it must be evaluated and understood. The acquisition is one of the core internal services inherent to almost any organization, in the public, private, and non-profit.

Ethics and sustainability are inseparable and integral to maintaining sustainable communities, and local governments should track and report outcomes related to ethics and integrity in their sustainability plans. By design, sustainability is an attempt by organizations to recognize and address the social, economic, environmental, and governance issues in strategic planning. Ethics may be intentionally included in the sustainability plan or a by-product of a deliberate strategy. Reid considered sustainability an ethical framework (p. 29). Climate change, social inequalities, increased poverty levels, income gap, lack of access to health care, inadequate housing, and energy crisis are among some of the most relevant issues facing communities and local governments.

Modern organizations design their systems using effective sustainability strategies to withstand external and internal pressures for maximum resiliency in dynamic environments, as defined by the threats of climate change, global warming, and growing existential economic, environmental, governance, and societal pressures. Public and private sector organizations face immense internal and external pressures in the contemporary world. Internal pressures include a broad range of challenges from demands from stakeholders exemplified through elected officials in the public sector and the politicization of the service delivery, requests for more efficient service delivery, and requirements from the diversified and skilled workforce. 

Climate change actions at the local government level have increased in recent years with the progressive rise in threats from extreme weather events and the lack of action by the national governments around the globe. The activities undertaken by local governments to counter the irreversible effects of climate change include climate action planning, climate mitigation, climate adaptation, climate preparedness, and resilience planning.

Corporate role in addressing climate change threats and resilience is a result of several direct and indirect factors, including but not limited to economic and financial interests, risk management, branding, and ethical responsibility and responsiveness to societal demands and global changes. Climate change is a proven scientific fact documented through thousands of peer-reviewed, meticulously compiled studies and reports indicating threats to the world. Climate change threatens the global economy and the current way of life, with the potential to affect all facets of life, from the social to the economic fabric of the worldwide society. Businesses as a core component of the social fabric, and businesswomen and businessmen play an integral role in being engaged on issues potentially.

In Unmasking Administrative Evil Adams and Balfour develop the concept of administrative evil in connection with the genocide perpetrated by Nazi Germany during World War II. While the evil – the pain, suffering, and death – that was inflicted on millions of Jews and others in the Holocaust was so horrific as to almost defy comprehension, it can be understood as facilitated by administrative evil. The administrative evil of the Holocaust is now unmasked (although much of it was masked at the time), and it can now be recognized as an instance of administrative evil because “the Nazis did it” and because it occurred well over 70 years ago. The Holocaust happened in a modernized society and a culture dominated by technical rationality and mainly within and by organizational roles driven by legitimated public policy. While the Holocaust was horrific and arguably without precedent in human history...

The Flint Water Crisis persisted despite residents’ protestations, and the crisis can be viewed through the lens of technical rationality across all levels of government (i.e., local, state, and federal). Technical rationality explains that the crisis was due to excessive reliance on professionals, neutral objectivity, and contextual indifference. These three factors combined to create an egregious example of environmental injustice in Flint, Michigan.