11.2 Solving impacts?
While dependencies are evident, to date much of the focus of organisations has been on managing environmental impacts upon the natural environment. Organisations are offering and claiming solutions to resolve these impacts to negate the effects of their own or other organisations’ activities. The term ‘solution’ has become increasingly commonplace among a wide range of business organisations. Environmental examples include Oran Environmental Solutions [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] , Grounded Environmental Solutions, ESG Environmental Solutions Group, Tire International Environmental Solutions and Certified Environmental Solutions.
You may be asking why the concern about the terms ‘solving’ or ‘solution’. Surely it is harmless enough and just part of advertising claims to help an organisation gain business? At one level this is reasonable enough – particularly as ‘solution’ tends to be more prevalent in business type organisations.
At another level, it is deeply concerning. This is because solution is, in large part, the antithesis of management. As this free course is focused on management, the following example might help.