Are Multinational Companies Cause of Climate Change or Solution to it? (Essay Sample)

Are Multinational Companies A Cause Of Climate Change Or A Solution To It?
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Are Multinational Companies A Cause Of Climate Change Or A Solution To It?
Multinational companies are major contributors to climate change. Majority of these companies are involved in environmental pollution either through their products, raw materials, or the stages of the product development, which contribute to climate change (Anglada, 2017). Various multinational companies from food industries, textile industries, car industries, and fossil fuel companies all contribute to climate change in one way or the other through their industrial activities and wastes. They primarily cause climate change through activities like carbon emissions and disposal of plastic waste to the environment.
Carbon Emissions
Carbon dioxide being a greenhouse gas absorbs the sun’s radiation thereby making the earth warmer in the process. The heating up of the planet due to the absorbed infrared radiation causes more water to evaporate thus warming the earth further and causing global warming (Lau et al., 2020). Considering the large global market served by these multinational companies, a large amount of fuel is required and used to generate the ever-needed power.
Since many multinational companies like Coca-Cola use fossil fuel as a major source of energy, the level of CO2 emission is high. Therefore, it means an equivalent increase in temperature would be witnessed and subsequent global warming (Lau et al., 2020). Most multinational companies also practice open emissions, which see them directing their wastes into the atmosphere, polluting the atmosphere with harmful wastes.
Other multinational petrochemical companies like Ineos and Shell also largely contribute to climate change. Their products such as petrol, diesel, paraffin, and fuel gas are known for their adverse effect on the environment and their contribution to climate change. Petrol, diesel, and fuel gas, which are majorly used by transport companies, release hydrocarbons and CO2 into the air during combustion, raising the atmospheric temperature causing global warming and other forms of climate change (Khan & Chang, 2018). With the rising demand for cars and motor devices, these fossil fuel companies continue to produce fuel products, destroying the environment and causing climate change.
Figure 1: CO2 Emission by Ineos Oil Facilities
Source: Greenpeace.org - https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/47293/coca-cola-its-time-to-stop-your-pollution-at-source/
Disposal of Plastic Wastes
Apart from carbon emission, plastic waste is the second leading environmental pollutant and climate change contributor. One of the largest multinational companies, Coca-Cola, is the leading producer of single-use plastic (Khan & Chang, 2018). Plastic is manufactured from polyethylene and ethyl products which are harmful to the environment due to their impact on climate. Plastic wastes release dangerous greenhouse gases, such as methane and ethylene, when heated by sunlight. With the high demand for Coca-Cola products and the large market it serves, the company produces more single-use plastics, which release gases that increase the temperature when heated, thereby perpetuating the cycle of climate change.
Figure 2: Coca Cola Plastic Waste on a beach in Mull, Scotland
Source: The Guardian - https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/07/coca-cola-pepsi-and-nestle-named-top-plastic-polluters-for-third-year-in-a-row&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwiYyt-4vbP0AhX3SvEDHd_UAjUQqa4BegQIBRAD&usg=AOvVaw18VL_foZUJ2sHtqLdYNz6X
It may be argued that multinational companies do not contribute to climate change due to their measures, such as the use of renewable energy to protect the environment. However