Environmental Policy

 

The Environmental Policy

1. Introduction

Earlier the environment was mainly concerned of the solution of acute problems only within one individual country.  Nowadays almost the states recognize that pollution does not stop at the borderline and therefore global co-operation has to be intensified. In 1990 the European Council stated that:  "The Community must use more effectively its position of moral, economic and political authority to advance international efforts to solve global problems and to promote sustainable development and respect for the global commons."

The environmental question has now a great impact on governments and international organizations, but the effect is somewhat uncoordinated and unfocused. In three particular areas - the global atmosphere, the oceans, the world's weather systems - one saw the immediate need for common policy and coordinated actions.

 

Global issues relating to the environment and natural resources have now become so important that, up to year 2000, they could be a determinant of the ways in which international relations will develop economically, politically and in security terms. Major global environmental issues are climate change, ozone layer depletion, biodiversity loss, deforestation, acidification, water pollution, soil degradation and erosion.

Environmental problems do not follow any national borders, in many cases environmental problems are global and that is why they need global and sustainable solutions.  Sustainable development will not be achieved over the individual state alone, but it must be a first step for the individual state to safeguard the environment Accordingly all the companies and citizens composing the state should positively exert their utmost efforts to preserve the environment.

 

2. The Environment Policy of our company

Climate change, ozone layer depletion, biodiversity loss and deforestation are four major problems on global scale. The company shall try to use chemicals to the extent of a minimum level and to make a facility construction plan required for reprocessing chemical wastes. The climate change will pose a serious problem to the People’s Republic of China itself and to the whole world. In most of the China big cities the quality of the air will be alarmingly serious in the near future if we cannot stop or hinder the traffic-growth. According to a statistic over 1/5 of the carbon monoxide, which causes the weakening of the ozone layer, is originated from the exhaust gases of the motor vehicles. It is estimated that the amount of cars and truck-traffic in China is probably going to double in the next 10years. Emissions from many different human activities are dramatically increasing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, for instance carbon dioxide (because of the burning of fossil fuels in the energy sector, industry and transport) and methane(from agriculture and waste sites). Changes in the Earth's atmosphere are resulting in global warming, raising of sea levels, drought and desertification.

Therefore, our company will recommend our employees to use bicycles and utilize public transportation methods as possible as they can. With respect to the pollution, a real change will not occur if every one of the Republic’s people and every company will not change consumption patterns or production methods.

All of us shall earnestly try to promote a comprehensive environment policy with the goal of preserving the natural environment for the enjoyment of present and future generations while industries and citizens should continue to strive for "sustainable development" with as little "burden on the environment" as possible. Moreover, Some difficulties in preserving the environment should be conquered in advance with scientific knowledge.

 

The objectives of the Environmental Program cannot be met by action at one level alone. All levels of society including governments, regional and local authorities, non-governmental organizations, financial institutions, industries and individual citizens globally must share the responsibility. The development and protection of the environment requires a sharing of responsibilities.

Globalization offers a distinct way of tackling the world's problems. It is a vision that stresses unity and common cause, instead of leaving everyone minding their own business. However, the process of globalization of environmental policy must be started by a constituent member of the organization or community.

 

3. What can we as individuals and company as an organization do?

We would like to list some things that could be done or could be improved to protect the environment so as to serve as a start for action and behavior. Information and education is needed. The role of the company is seen as crucial in distributing and evaluating information about environmental issues. Information is required for us to change our behavior. The current patterns of our behavior and consumption are the real cause to environmental problems. As individuals we must recycle more. Our company uses already recycled material, but we will try to extend its use.

 

Our driving habits and our tourist behavior must be changed towards a more environmental caring way by positively using more public transport vehicles. The company should also have more power to press or motivate the lazy employee to comply with the environmental policy of the company.

 

4. Summary

No single nation alone or even a group of nations can solve the environmental problems of today. The environmental problems are global and they need global solutions. Our company environment policy is a step towards solving these problems together. More co-operation and co-ordination is needed between all levels in the organization. So far there has been little talk and too little actions, but we have to keep in mind that environmental problems cannot be solved overnight.

The company shall play an important part in the field of the environment considering that now the environmental policy is going to the right direction, what is greatly needed is more real actions and control mechanisms.