Year: 2026
Type: dissertation
Abstract: This PhD research explores the ethical landscape of the environmental consultancy sector, focusing on how ethical principles are articulated, interpreted, and practiced. Originating from a master’s dissertation that asked, are consultancies ethical? The study evolved to examine whether the sector’s codes of conduct are fit for purpose. Four core research questions guided the inquiry, addressing code formulation, ethical judgment, profit tensions, and the role of professional bodies.A multi-method qualitative approach was employed, combining a PRISMA literature review, document analysis, surveys, and interviews. Scopus was used exclusively to ensure high-quality, peer-reviewed literature inclusion. Out of 190 sources, only four met the inclusion criteria, highlighting a gap in research addressing ethics in environmental consultancy. Codes of conduct from seven professional bodies and 34 consultancies were evaluated using six thematic categories. Most were found to be vague, symbolic, and lacking enforcement mechanisms.Primary data from experienced consultants and professional body representatives reinforced these findings. Participants highlighted that ethical practice is context-dependent and largely shaped by personal judgment, experience, and informal norms, particularly reputation, which was consistently cited as critical. Codes of conduct were often viewed as passive documents rather than active decision-making tools.The thesis concludes that while formal ethical frameworks exist, these frameworks are fragmented and underdeveloped. Real-world ethical decisions are guided less by codes and more by individual actions, organisational culture, and sectoral reputation. This research contributes new empirical insights and methodological tools to a largely underexplored area, calling for more harmonised, context-sensitive, and practitioner-informed approaches to addressing ethics in environmental consultancy.
Author: Abdelwahab, Omar
Language: English
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7204433874