Global Citizens Assignment

Leo Oberschmidt

12/2/22

Principles of Management

Dr. MacAuley
Table of Contents

3 Executive Summary

5 Introduction

5 Goal Summary

6 Company Overview

7 Recommendations

8 Recommendation

9 Conclusion

10 Work Cited
Executive Summary

Alphabet Inc.
Overview

The company’s headquarters is based in Mountain View, California. Alphabet Inc. is a

global technology company. Google is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. Within google itself, there

are things such as google maps, ads, gmail, google chrome, youtube, and many more. Google

also offers products like their Google Pixel Phone, Google Nest, smart watches, and more. The

company has a global presence across the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

Problem Summary

Climate change refers to the change in our ecosystem, usually caused by humans. What is

mainly talked about is the change in weather and temperature. For example, global temperatures

rose 1.98 degrees fahrenheit in the last 100 years (NOAA, 2020). Although, climate change goes

beyond that with other issues such as sea levels rising, and increases in natural disasters. Climate

change is a global issue, and its aspects are seen everywhere. Some communities are impacted

more than others.

Alphabet Inc has a sustainability plan built to improve the health of our planet. They have

decarbonized their energy. By 2030, they will operate on carbon-free energy everywhere

(Google, 2022).While designing products, they think of ways to reduce waste and pollution.

“We’re committed to maximizing our reuse of finite resources across all operations, products,

and supply chains – while empowering others to do the same” (Google, 2022). Google has also

stated they are dedicated to replenishing more water than they consume by 2030. They are

striving for improved water quality, security, and replenishing the ecosystem’s health in the

communities they operate in.

 The main target audience for climate change are the government officials and

representatives.This includes the Department of Environment and Greening, Urban Planning,

Public Health, and Sustainable Development/Procurement offices. It can also be individuals such

as policy makers, political representatives, community leaders, to anyone who cares about our

earth.

Every solution to climate change is available to us right now. Progress will be made if we

shift our behavior, and how we make and consume energy. Any individual can make

eco-friendly decisions and be wary of their actions. We can reduce waste and use our resources

smarter. There are many renewable and non-renewable sources of energy that are all more

beneficial for our environment than fossil fuels. Also, reducing carbon emissions and

deforestation would limit greenhouse gas emissions and slow down climate change.

Solution Summary

Solar energy is the best renewable energy for our now and future. It is much more

efficient than any other renewable resource, it is easy to implement, and it comes with few

negatives. Also, in the long term it is the best option for climate change.

Market Analysis

The global solar panel market size is estimated to be around $197 billion.According to

Precedence Research, “the global solar power market size is expected to be worth around US$

368.63 billion by 2030”(2022).

Key Next Steps

Google works with many small companies to give them opportunities to make long-term

impacts. With their stance on sustainability, I believe changing to solar energy and investing into
powering cities and communities across the world would be extremely beneficial in the fight

against climate change.

Introduction

Climate Change is one of our generation’s greatest problems. Scientific research has

backed up the increase in global temperatures, rising sea levels, and ocean acidification. Google

is very involved in global sustainability and they have the experts, funding, as well as the

advanced technology to make a difference.

Goal Summary

Climate Change is expected to affect our planet in a multitude of ways. It is expected to

impact our water supply and its security, food security, as well as energy. 3rd world countries and

countries that are poorly developed will struggle with climate change the most. Due to a lack of

resources, they will be the least prepared to cope with climate change and its effects on their

social, economic, and natural systems. In 1992, the “Rio Adoption” brought in the UN

Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This was the beginning of a global response to

climate change. The goal of the convention was to have a course of action to mitigate and

stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations. Greenhouse gasses are dangerous to our environment

and interfere with the climate change plans. The UNFCCC went into effect in 1994, and has

close to 200 parties involved. In December 2015, the Paris Agreement was signed as an

international agreement with the intent to limit global temperature rise below 2 degrees celsius.

The party has a plan called the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which

reaffirms their commitment in tackling climate change. Climate change is one of our generation’s

greatest problems. As long as climate charge persists as an issue, it will be detrimental to all

countries ability to achieve environmental sustainability. The main issues with climate change
are the significant rise in global temperatures, rising sea levels, ocean acidification, and many

other consequences. Many societies are in trouble with their sustainability and overall survival.

Low developed countries are at the highest risk as they do not have resources to cope with these

issues.

Natural disasters also increase due to climate change. Droughts are detrimental to food

production and our overall health. Floods have the potential to spread diseases and illnesses, as

well as harming our infrastructure and ecosystem. The impact climate change has had on our

health has proven to raise mortality and limit our available food resources. The impact climate

change has can be seen in any area in our world. However, the effects of climate change are not

universal throughout our nation and the world; even within a single city, different neighborhoods

or people may experience different effects. Underserved communities, who frequently have the

highest exposure to risks and the fewest resources to respond, become increasingly vulnerable as

a result of long-standing socioeconomic disparities.

Company Overview

Alphabet is an American technology company. It is a global company that has been

around since 2015. The company was founded by Google’s co-founders Larry Page and Sergey

Brin. Google is still around and brands like YouTube and Fitbit continue to fall under Google.

The aim of Alphabet is to separate all the companies that are subsidiaries of the large

corporation. Almost all companies owned by Alphabet now consider them their home company

now. Other than the companies already mentioned, the tech giants also own Android, Nest,

Calico, DeepMind, DoubleClick, Verily, Waze, and X Development. Google remains the largest

technology company under Alphabet, but the introduction of Alphabet has allowed all their

companies to focus on their individual core missions (Davies, 2022).

 One of Google’s core missions is their fight against climate change. Their mission

statement is “Accelerating climate action at Google and Beyond”(Google, 2022). Google

supports businesses whose focus is on our global ecosystem as a part of their Sustainable

Development Plan. By providing businesses with mentors, money, and advanced technology it is

creating a community of people focused on the cause. Impact is measured using a framework

based on the 17 SDGs of the UN. The initiative is not time-limited in order to help businesses in

their pursuit of large-scale, long-term impact. Google has the experts, funding, and technology to

make a difference in building a sustainable world.

Sustainability has always been one of Google's core values. Last year, Google announced

their campaign of zero emissions across all operations and supply chains. By 2030, they aim to

reduce absolute emissions by 50%. They also plan to “invest in nature-based and

technology-based carbon removal solutions to neutralize our remaining emissions” (Brandt,

2022). The steps they plan on taking are continuing their use of carbon-free energy, reducing

emissions with the value chain, and addressing the removal of carbon and other greenhouse gas

emissions. Google is committed to advancing sustainability and making progress on climate

action.

Recommendations

I have compared 3 different kinds of renewable energy. Hydropower can produce

electricity without emitting greenhouse gasses. It is produced at $0.85/kilowatt-hour(kwh) It is a

renewable source that does not limit water supply. Also, it produces healthy air as the power

plants don’t release pollutants. However, it does have environmental impacts. Dams and

reservoirs can cover people’s homes, agriculture, and important land. It also is hydro dependent,

which can cause instability. (Jensen, 2018).

 Another kind of energy I researched was nuclear energy. Nuclear energy is about

$1.70/kwh. The positives include carbon free electricity, high power output, and an overall

reliable source of energy. It also is one of the most expensive energy resources. Although nuclear

energy is said to have a small land footprint, that argument ignores the large footprint of the

mines required for a nuclear power plant. Also, once a mine is depleted, it is finished forever. In

other words, it isn’t a renewable source of energy. It is kind of like the analogy of giving a man a

fish, versus teaching him how to fish. The man will be fed, but he doesn’t know how to continue

to catch fish. In the short term, there will be success. In the long term teaching the man to fish,

or in this case using renewable energy, will pay off in the long term. What we do know is that

uranium mining permanently brings radiation-filled rocks to the surface, necessitating a great

deal of money and care to restore the land to its original condition. Countless thousands of acres

have been rendered unsafe for human settlement as a result of nuclear plant catastrophes like

Chernobyl and Fukushima (Nussey, 2020).

My final recommendation is solar energy. Solar energy costs about $0.07/kwh. Solar

energy is a renewable resource, reduces electricity bills, has low maintenance costs, and our

technologically advanced society is beneficial to making this a possibility. Because it is

renewable, in the long term it will outperform any other source of energy. Nearly every source of

energy began as solar power. Solar panels convert sunlight into electricity quicker and more

efficiently than any other energy source. If we were to put solar panels in the Mojave desert, that

would be twice the land needed to power the entire country of America.

Recommendation

I believe solar energy is the best solution to climate change. It is a renewable source of

energy, it is more efficient than any other source of energy, and in the long term, it is best for our
environment and society. Nuclear energy could work, but the dangers of radiation exposure is

extremely scary, and the cost of power plants are high. As well, hydro energy does not seem as

efficient as water security is already an issue climate change presents. The possibility of

pollutants affecting our water supply, and affecting our nearby areas of land, is a risk I’m not

going to take.

Conclusion

Climate change is a serious issue we have to deal with. It causes many issues in our world

today, and without action soon, it will get worse. Action must be taken and with my

recommendation of implementing solar panels and converting to solar energy, I think change will

happen.
 Work Cited

Our commitment to sustainability. Google Sustainability. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2,

2022, from https://sustainability.google/commitments/

Plc, G. D. (n.d.). Alphabet Inc company Profile - Alphabet Inc Overview. GlobalData.

Retrieved December 2, 2022, from

https://www.globaldata.com/company-profile/alphabet-inc/#:~:text=Alphabet%20Inc%20(

Alphabet)%2C%20the,cloud%2C%20 chrome%2C%20and%20YouTube

Climate change impacts. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (n.d.).

Retrieved December 2, 2022, from

https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/climate/climate-change-impacts

What are the solutions to climate change? Greenpeace UK. (2022, July 29). Retrieved

December 2, 2022, from

https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/challenges/climate-change/solutions-climate-change/

United Nations. (n.d.). Goal 13 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs. United

Nations. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal13

April 20, 2022 M. D. (2022, July 13). How you can stop global warming. NRDC.

Retrieved December 2, 2022, from

https://www.nrdc.org/stories/how-you-can-stop-global-warming
 10 ways you can fight climate change. Green America. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2022,

from https://www.greenamerica.org/your-green-life/10-ways-you-can-fight-climate-change

Nussey, B. (2021, September 9). When it comes to land impact, does solar, wind, nuclear, coal,

or natural gas have the smallest footprint? Freeing Energy. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from

https://www.freeingenergy.com/land-usage-comparison-solar-wind-hydro-coal-nuclear/

Nunez, C. (2021, May 3). Global warming solutions. Environment. Retrieved December 2, 2022,

from

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/global-warming-solutions#:~:text=For

%20 example%2C%20 improvements%20to%20

energy,trapping%20heat%20on%20the%20planet.

Jensen, A. (2021, July 22). Examining the pros and cons of Hydropower.

Manufacturing.net. Retrieved December 2, 2022, from

https://www.manufacturing.net/chemical-processing/article/13245967/examining-the-pros-

and-cons-of-hydropower#:~:text=India%2C%20and%20China.-,Hydropower%20has%20t

he%20ability%20to%20generate%20electricity%20without%20emitting%20greenhouse,di

minished%20recreational%20benefits%20of%20rivers.

https://www.energysage.com/about-clean-energy/nuclear-energy/pros-and-cons-nuclear-en

ergy/

Advantages & Disadvantages of Solar Energy. GreenMatch. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2,

2022, from

https://www.greenmatch.co.uk/blog/2014/08/5-advantages-and-5-disadvantages-of-solar-en

ergy