Reference no: EM133022684

The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is the largest coral reef structure in the world and located along the east coast of Queensland, Australia. Since 1981 it is recognised as an UNESCO World Heritage Site for its natural beauty and ecological importance. Over the last few decades, however, economic developments and some major natural events along the Queensland coast have caused a range of problems that impact on the environmental quality of the GBR. Recent reports and news articles state that the outlook for the GBR moved from already 'poor' to 'very poor', which increased the call for urgent action, especially from environmental groups.

The main task of the assignment is to analyse the situation around the GBR from a business ethics perspective and to critically discuss using the 'tragedy of the commons' and ethical theories. Please see below task and questions that you need to address in your assignment. The case study assignment is organised into three parts, an analysis, a critical discussion, and recommendation and reflection.

QUESTIONS

As part of a critical discussion, address the following points:

Do businesses have a right to use the GBR's finite resources or impact on its environmental assets for the sake of economic success? Use ethical theory to justify your answer.