By Today's Moderator.
This is part of the opposition speech made at a recent Cambridge University debate on the motion that This House Believes Too Many Companies Are Only Paying Lip-Service to the Green Agenda. What are your opinions?
...As a follower of Friedman, I would argue that a company's sole purpose should be to maximise its returns for its shareholders. Whether a firm is "socially responsible" or not is therefore of no consequence whatsoever. Although companies should clearly follow the laws of the countries in which they operate, beyond this they have no other obligation to society. So beyond any government legislation concerning the green agenda, firms have no reason to concern themselves with the environment whatsoever. Their only job should be to make sure that their shareholders receive the highest possible returns...
...While I agree that as individuals in society, people have an obligation to be socially responsible, which includes respecting and protecting the environment and our planet, the green agenda is not something which companies should care about. I would therefore argue that instead of too few companies committing themselves to the green agenda, there are rather too many!
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/the-cambridge-union-society/this-house-believes-too-m_b_1918330.html
Click here for the debate result: http://twitter.com/cambridgeunion on 27 September.