Combating Environmental Degradation through Diplomacy and Corporate Governance (Part 1)

Environmental degradation witnessed by communities and regions in most African countries is attributed to failure of governance in the sense of inadequately regulated corporate operations which has given room to the pursuit of profits maximization by corporations in disregard of the interests of the host communities and regions. The results are often manifested in communal expression of anger leading to the destruction of lives and property, endangering the security and unity of the affected nation in extreme cases. The paper seeks to proffer solutions to these national maladies and argues that soft power diplomacy reinforced by exemplary leadership could act as soothing balm to the pains of the aggrieved communities. It emphasizes that mandatory corporate social responsibility approach to the operations of companies would provide solutions to these intractable social and environmental challenges. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n20p202