DuckDuckGo have said that they make less money, because they use only the search term not other data/tracking.
But they still make money.
But they still make money.
As in, they have a duty to breach ethics for profit as long as it's legal.
Stupid concept which I wish we could abolish but that's the way the economy is currently setup.
A company’s management has a duty to shareholders to work on behalf of the shareholders and not on behalf of their own well being. That usually means profit because that’s what most shareholders own the company for, not for charity. But there is no particular duty to maximize it at all costs. Damage to reputation and legal risk and the like are real concerns.
If anything, it’s the self-interested managers violating their duty who cut the most corners and burn goodwill, in the name of hitting short term goals and chasing their bonus.
It's not much, and there's certainly room for considering ethics. In fact, you can do nearly anything that isn't actively repurposing part of the business for the directors' own use. For example, one of the landmark cases affirmed the Chicago Cubs' right to leave tons of money on the table because their president believed that baseball was a "day-time sport" and wouldn't install lights for night games.
Companies absolutely can be good environmental stewards and pay their workers well in the interests of making money.Just like they can donate to charity while still doing proper fiduciary duty.