Mentor/s
Prof. Khawaja Mamun
Participation Type
Poster
Abstract
Do companies go green for the good of the environment? Or do they push sustainability instead to make money from ecologically concerned consumers? This report investigates the relationship between the costs of green initiatives and increased sales specifically in the auto industry. It begins with a brief outline of the effects of increasing CO2 emissions and solid waste have on the environment, and how the auto industry contributes to each. Based on these environmental concerns, research was done on consumer feelings and buying habits, specifically in the electric vehicle market. To investigate the industry, the Volkswagen scandal of 2015 is cited to begin to understand why a company would lie about environmental initiatives, comparing government fines to potential losses in sales had they been transparent. Ford’s historical sales are compared to present as they announced their initiative to move to zero waste facilities. An interview with former Mercedes Benz CEO Steve Cannon provides insights to the conversations held by top management in developing and producing their new lines of electric and hybrid vehicles. From the research of the above companies, it is found that there is no “one size fits all” answer for the varying companies. Though all for-profit automakers, VW, Ford, and Mercedes-Benz have different approaches to sustainability. They all operate on a triple-bottom-line, meaning profits are a large part of their business model, for some it is their entire business model. The results found not only analyze trends in the auto industry, but demystify the “green” movement and the true impact it has on the environment.
College and Major available
Marketing
Location
Panel D: UC 106
Start Day/Time
4-21-2017 2:00 PM
End Day/Time
4-1-2017 3:15 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License.
Going and Making: Making the True Impact of "Green" in the Auto Industry
Panel D: UC 106
Do companies go green for the good of the environment? Or do they push sustainability instead to make money from ecologically concerned consumers? This report investigates the relationship between the costs of green initiatives and increased sales specifically in the auto industry. It begins with a brief outline of the effects of increasing CO2 emissions and solid waste have on the environment, and how the auto industry contributes to each. Based on these environmental concerns, research was done on consumer feelings and buying habits, specifically in the electric vehicle market. To investigate the industry, the Volkswagen scandal of 2015 is cited to begin to understand why a company would lie about environmental initiatives, comparing government fines to potential losses in sales had they been transparent. Ford’s historical sales are compared to present as they announced their initiative to move to zero waste facilities. An interview with former Mercedes Benz CEO Steve Cannon provides insights to the conversations held by top management in developing and producing their new lines of electric and hybrid vehicles. From the research of the above companies, it is found that there is no “one size fits all” answer for the varying companies. Though all for-profit automakers, VW, Ford, and Mercedes-Benz have different approaches to sustainability. They all operate on a triple-bottom-line, meaning profits are a large part of their business model, for some it is their entire business model. The results found not only analyze trends in the auto industry, but demystify the “green” movement and the true impact it has on the environment.
Students' Information
Honors Capstone for the Thomas More Honors Program at Sacred Heart University.