This article is the first that I’ve read about the recent Volkswagen “clean diesel scandal”.

I’ve always thought diesel could be a way for people to drive in a more environmentally conscious fashion as the world waits for green technology to improve. For almost a decade, Volkswagen’s “clean diesel vehicles” championed that idea. Or, at least, it tricked the public into thinking that it did.

Clearly, deceiving the masses, breaking the law, and selfishly polluting the environment for profits is unethical. They have not released any other reason why they have fitted their vehicles with “defeat devices” besides wanting to get past emission tests.

However, I think business ethics isn’t the only issue revealed by this scandal. The US emissions testing system only tests vehicles in laboratory environments, doing artificial and predictable movements (read more about it here). Not only does this mean that test results can possibly be inaccurate, but also that the test can easily be gamed. The VW scandal is not just an issue about business ethics; it also reveals how governments may not be doing enough to keep businesses in line.

Meanwhile, as the fines and recall fees rack up for VW, it’s up to consumers and shareholders to reprimand them for their unethical practices by not buying their products.