Corporate citizenship

Corporate social responsibility, also known as corporate citizenship, has been adopted by businesses. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a form of corporate self-regulation incorporated into a business model that allows an organization to track and ensure that all of its operations comply with rules, ethics, and both national and international regulations. Companies are engaged in practices that go over and beyond enforcement and regulatory provisions in order to partake in activities that are not in their best interests. Despite the fact that the company is set up to make money for the founders, the entities are interested in certain social goods. General Electric is a market leader in this region. Corporate social responsibility is aimed at increasing shareholder trust through positive impact on the environment through clean technology, green building, and alternative energy. General Electric is socially responsible for promoting the welfare of the employees through observing human rights.

Environment

General Electric has been in business for over 100 years, and it has been a leading manufacturing and technology company driving innovation in a variety of sectors. General Electric started to dabble in more sustainable technologies several years ago. The company is focused on boosting stakeholders engagement and communication with various groups on different issues concerning community work, human right, and corporate governance. General Electric has promised to get rid of the supply chain of conflict minerals it has been obtaining from the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is reported that the armed forces in the Republic of Congo reap a substantial amount of money from the extraction of the minerals supplied to General Electric. The move by the company was intended to solidify its ethical standards by helping smaller smelters. The company has joined hands with non-governmental organizations such as Global e-Sustainability Initiative. Under its banner, GE Sustainability, the company acknowledges that energy and climate represent significant challenges facing business entities due to the increased demand for energy. (“Energy And Climate - GE Sustainability”, n.p) The development of individual and corporations rely on power, and General Electric focuses on the provision of cleaner and productive solution of energy to its clients. General Electric is utilizing Ecomagination growth strategy to enhance resource productivity and at the same time ensure that it reduces environmental impact on a global scale by offering commercial solutions to the clients and its operations. The company is investing in cleaner technologies and business innovation. Carbon dioxide emission is harmful to the environment and affects the ozone layer. To deal with the issues of emissions the company is developing solutions necessary for economic growth and at the same time decreasing the emission and water usage. General Electric is committed to reducing the environmental impact on its operations. Collaboration with other like-minded people in the conservation of the environment is a strategy employed by GE to enable it tackles the toughest environmental challenges to ensure sustainability development of the environment.

The sustainable system developed by the company focuses on four main areas namely water, energy and climate, transpiration socially and environmentally lending and accessible health care. The company has adopted the Paris Agreement (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) and aims at reducing the greenhouse gas emission. General Electric has been a contributor to the climate policy discussion, and through its Ecomagination initiative, the company has managed to develop renewable and lower-emitting technologies. The plans drawn up by the corporation aims at promoting both the lowering of carbon emission and sustainable economic growth. As a portion of its corporate social responsibility, General Electric is striving to offer reliable and affordable energy that is environmental friendly for sustainable economic growth.

Alternative Energy

General Electric is concerned about the provision of alternative energy, for without energy it is impossible for a country or a company to develop. A country enjoying sufficient modern energy develops socially, economically and offers the opportunity to improve lives of the inhabitants. However, use of fossil fuels has far-reaching environmental consequence due to the amount of carbon dioxide emitted. To this effect, General Electric has developed policies to ensure that there is the reduction of carbon emission. The workers of the firm are encouraged to be innovative and propose ways that new energy can be tapped as well as finding a solution to the greenhouse gas menace. General Electronic supports policies that encourage the reduction of greenhouse gas emission without jeopardizing energy security, and it also encourages adoption of cleaner technologies and energy efficiency. The commitment of the company towards ensuring there is alternative energy that is environmentally friendly extends to rewarding research and development, innovation and private risk-taking.

The alternative energy supported by General Electric include the use of natural gas for electricity generation and transportation purposes. The motive of encouraging the use of natural gas is its environmentally friendly nature since it is cost friendly. The gas is affordable and can reduce carbon and other emissions in power generation thereby ensuring economic growth and reliable electricity to clients. The company believes that shale gas can be extracted in an environmentally responsible manner and minimize risks to ground water and surface water and in this way it would reduce the fugitive emission of methane. General Electric advocates for the use of low-carbon energy technology to avoid reliance on fuel for electricity and power generation. Renewable energy such as hydro, wind and energy should be utilized for power generation. Responsible use of nuclear technology and natural gas is encouraged by the company since the companies, and individual consumers aim it at offering the reliable and flexible generation of energy for use. The commitment of the enterprise to ensure that the alternative energy is feasible is demonstrated by its willingness to continue working with other countries as they build their climate strategies. Intersegment in new and upgraded technologies is what is required by institutions and consumers to meet the requirements of the Paris Agreement; GE is concerned with promoting policies that help in reduction of carbon emission through the application of essential technology and deployment of technological advancement. The company declared that it would continue its energy treasure hunt process. The company reported that since it initiated the Ecomagination Treasure hunt in 2006, it has implemented more than 2000 energy efficient and greenhouse gas projects. It is also estimated that the expected helped save close to $ 400million and had reduced greenhouse gas emission by more than 4metric tons. In the year 2015, GE completed 30 projects that optimize energy use across the globe, and it saves almost $ 1 million. The company also utilizes Brilliant Factory initiative to optimize power consumption in South Carolina. The initiative has helped the company reduce consumption of energy and preservation of the environment through use, re-use, and recycling of materials to the fullest extent possible

Human Rights

General Electric is a member of United Nations Global Compact and abides by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) also the International Labor Organizations (ILO). The company is committed to respecting human rights as well as ensuring the employee respect fellow workers. The company has incorporated into the contractual terms with its suppliers and subcontractors. General Electric conducts a year-long investigation to make sure that it has not engaged the services of a child, the study also aims at verifying that there is no forced labor or any form of discrimination to the employees, suppliers or subcontractors. The company that ensures that a report is prepared indicating whether there has been an infringement of this right or not for the past one year guarantees the right to expression. To ensure that it keeps its mandate of corporate social responsibility the company has signed a charter with its over four thousand suppliers about abiding by the provisions of Universal Declaration of human rights. The particular aspects that the firm has emphasized with the suppliers are that it should not engage in child labor services, environment, health and safety of the employees and other stakeholders. The providers should adhere to the code of conduct of conduct of GE Group.

The adoption of the Human Rights Commission of the United Nation Guiding Principles and Business in 2012, the company has experienced a broad agreement on the human rights framework. The multinational entity like GE Group has the duty to ensure that its employees, suppliers and all other stakeholders rights are respected. The company has set robust programs to enable it to fulfill the responsibility to respect human rights. General Electric is concerned about the issue of human trafficking, and it acknowledges it as a challenge. In most instances, female are subjected to human trafficking. The Group has established policies and procedures regarding child labor, freedom of association, discrimination, and association. GE prohibits sex trafficking as it falls within the confines of human trafficking. General Electric has adopted an addendum to its Fair Employment Practices policy concerning the issue of human trafficking. The company is educating the suppliers and other stakeholders on what constitutes human trafficking. It also works hand in hand with them to correct program for non-compliance.

Clean Technology

General Electric, is undertaking its mandate to be a responsible corporate in improving the living standards of the people. The company has adopted technology in activities to minimize expansion of the greenhouse gas effect. GE is dealing with power generation technologies as well as other technological prowess to ensure that the clients get the best services and right. The company reported that Ecomagination is a new technique that brings new discipline and accountability on market and product delivery by the firm. Some of the clean technology embraced by GE includes the predix that increases energy and material efficiency and reduction of greenhouse gas across the industries, and the Ecomagination App is developed to ensure that the consumers are well informed at all times. The company to make sure that there is energy for its consumers utilizes the digital windfall. General Electric is managing a great digital wind farm, this is aimed at offering an alternative o power consumption and that the company is utilizing the industrial internet. A digital network deals with connecting, collecting and analyzing machine data. There is a high demand for electricity, and the company is aware of the needs that are driving the need for more cutting-edge technology to produce clean power. The Alstom Power, a program of GE Group, is offering an innovative solution to the issue of technology facing the country. The technology has ensured that there is cutting of Carbon dioxide emission.

Intelligence cities is a program undertaken by the company using LED street light to connect, collect and use the data for industrial internet optimizing operations. The company is making money from the cost saved by utilization of clean technology in its activities, and the company has therefore been active in helping the needy in the society. It is reported that the firm contributed more than $ 171 million to the community and educational product. The company acknowledges the effort put by the residents of the places where it has set its base of operation. The company has established a couple of programs that are aimed at helping the members of the community, and they include the GE Foundation. The Foundation is committed to building the world that is better The focus of the Foundation is helping the people develop skills necessary to improve access to better health. Technological advancement in hospitals and other health facilities are a concern of the organization and also seeks fresh talent. Recruitment of people with exceptional talent and ideas is given to right apparatus to enable them to be innovative. This way, the Group gets new ideas on clean technology and how it should be utilized for the benefit of the company and the members of the public.

Fair Trade

General Electric dedicated to helping the developing countries in their endeavors to grow. The company partners with the government and non-governmental organizations to ensure that there is improved social and environmental standards. The company is exporting its commodities to the various developing countries and is promoting a greater investment in international trading through dialogue, transparency, and accountability. Staff and suppliers from the developing countries receive better terms from the company. Fair trade promotes distribution of wealth among nations. GE Group has been in operation for over 100 years; therefore, it is experienced in production and marketing of a range of products. Therefore, sharing its experience with developing countries as well as setting their base in these countries helps in enhancing international trade.

General Electric has engaged in poverty eradication through trade forms. The families and small business entities, especially in developing countries receive the boost of the Company. G E Group offers a variety of products; this makes it possible to determine the area it has to intervene to support a struggling business. The collaboration between the company and the business entity is for mutual benefit. In all its dealings, the spirit of transparency and accountability guides the enterprise. The company is liable to its shareholders and governments, and it is also expected to be transparent when handling matters of merging or helping a business entity in a foreign land. The management should find appropriate ways to ensure that the community or other stakeholders participate in the decision-making process that affects them. When the company is transparent, it ensures that relevant information is provided to all trading partners, employees, and other stakeholders. In its trading endeavor, GE Group trades with concerns for the social, economic and environmental wellbeing in mind. The company is concerned about the well-being of the marginalized small producer, and it does not maximize profit at their expense. The corporate is responsible for meeting the suppliers, employees and other concerned parties and ensure that it (GE Group) has kept part of its bargain. Payment of vendors on delivery in the timely manner and respecting terms of the contracts is a commitment of the company towards honoring its social responsibility.

Green Building

General Electric utilizes Ecomagination model for its growth strategy aimed at enhancing resource productivity and reduce political impact. Use of fossil fuel and other related materials to generate power causes air pollution. General Electric is committed to the reduction of environmental impacts resulting from commercial activities of the business entities through offering viable solutions. The General Electric Group is enhancing resource production and reduction of environment impact through its operations. This is achieved through investment in cleaner technology and business innovation. The company has conceived, designed and built its premises with a view toward minimizing the impact of the environment. Pollution of the environment is not the aim of the Group is to ensure that the employees and the community enjoy a conducive environment. The company offers an energy management strategy to track energy savings, setting goals and measuring current energy performance. The buildings are recognized as able to save energy and be environment-friendly due to the virtue of itself and not the materials used to construct. The operations taking placing in the building should be aimed at reduction of use of energy. The company through its Ecomagination imitative ahs managed to initiate an innovative lighting and electrical distribution products for the use by the company and the consumers. In lighting the buildings, the company has developed apparatus that are providing more light for fewer watts. In essence, this means that fewer natural resources are required to generate energy. In the long term, the power plant ends up producing more energy with less waste into the environment, and the company spends less in paying the electricity bill.

General Electric is dedicated to meet its ecological challenge through innovative technology and at the same time ensure that there is the reduction of economic and environmental costs of lighting without compromising the quality of product and illumination. According to the company, light energy can be saved by having electric lamps that detect the presence of the individual. The GE lighting control panel, for instance, deploys remotely operated circuit breaker and microprocessor. These helps a person determine the amount of light, when and where to use it. The company has developed various types of fluorescent lamps that it is using in its building and offers them for sale, these lamps and ballasts are environmentally preferable over the standard types of the lights.

Conclusion

General Electric has been involved in corporate social responsibility mainly on the environment, human rights, and alternative energy. The company encourages the use of alternative energy like gas so that to reduce the carbon dioxide produced by coal. The carbon produced is harmful to the environment, and GE is concerned about the environment for the current and future generation.

Work Cited

“Energy And Climate - GE Sustainability”. GE Sustainability, 2017, http://www.gesustainability.com/building-things-that-matter/energy-and-climate/.