Social Responsibility in Virgin Atlantic

Social Responsibility in Virgin Atlantic
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Social Responsibility in Virgin Atlantic             Social responsibility can be defined as an ethical framework that obligates an individual or an organization to act for the benefit of the entire society. Such actions help maintain a healthy balance between the economy and the ecosystems. Due to the high competition in the modern business environment, organizations are investing more in corporate social responsibility as a way of creating their brand and endearing it among the consumers (Herrera, 2015). This paper seeks to explore social responsibility within Virgin Atlantic.             Virgin Atlantic is a British airline headquartered in Crawley, United Kingdom. It has destinations in the Caribbean, North America, as well as the Middle East and Asia. Its fleet includes a mix of Boeing and Airbus aircraft. The company’s corporate social responsibility is named ‘Change is in the Air.’ The initiative is built on three pillars; environment, community investment, and sustainable design and buying. Since 2006, the company has been on a mission to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases through the reduction of aircraft weight and fuel consumption. In 2008, the airline volunteered a Boeing 747 to be used in an experiment to test the viability of biofuels as an alternative fuel. As a result of these efforts, the company has reduced the total aircraft carbon emissions by approximately 20% since 2007. The company has also partnered with another company, LanzaTech, in an attempt to develop low carbon fuels to be used in the future (Virgin Atlantic, 2017).             Carbon emissions by automobiles have slightly reduced in recent years. However, the rapid growth of the aviation industry has countered this positive effect. Moreover, carbon emissions from air travel...