4 June 2013 marked the formal launch of the third generation of the Equator Principles (EP III) and the tenth anniversary of the EPs – enough reasons for evaluating the EPs initiative from an economic ethics and business ethics perspective. This chapter deals with the following questions: What...

As recent newspaper headlines show the topic of patents/patent laws is still heavily disputed. In this paper I will approach this topic from a theoretical-historical and history of economic thought-perspective. In this regard I will link the patent controversy of the nineteenth century with...

The paper gives an overview of primate research and the economic-ethical 'lessons'2 we can derive from it. In particular, it examines the complex, multi-faceted and partially conflicting nature of (non-) human primates. Our closest living relatives, the chimpanzees and bonobos, apparently walk...

This paper builds on Khan’s work on Amazon’s antitrust paradox by transferring her normative framework to Apple Inc. It explores the company’s anti-competitive business practices and main antitrust concerns, as well as the currently proposed reform measures. The paper argues that one of...

Climate change is not only one of the major (economic-)ethical issues of the 21st century; it is also an existential threat for many populations around the world. Yet, climate action and politics – both at the individual, corporate, and government levels – are oftentimes considered to be...

The paper discusses the relevance and ethical responsibilities of banks and other financial institutions in the context of climate change mitigation (and adaptation). It does so by analysing the status quo (i.e., business link between banks and the fossil fuel industry) – as well as the latest...

The paper presents a renewed Habermasian view on transnational multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) and assesses the institutional characteristics of the Equator Principles Association (EPA) from a deliberative democracy perspective. Habermas' work has been widely adopted in the academic...