Environmental commitment

Communication is a process that must take place in both an inwards and outwards direction. Anyone who wants to sell organic products must convey their own environmental commitment to the consumer. 

Success stories of the implementation of P2 in industries pave the way for more organizations to try P2 options and undertake changes and demonstrate environmental commitment and responsible stewardship. 

For some time, and particularly since the Rio Conference in 1992, the UNEP has realised that it is fundamentally important to engage the financial community in the environmental debate if the ultimate objective of sustainable development is to be achieved. In this respect, a key step was to introduce the Financial Services Initiative on the Environment, the aim being to integrate environmental considerations into all aspects of the financial sector s operations. A core part of this initiative was to foster endorsement of both the UNEP Statement by Financial Institutions on the Environment and Sustainable Development , and the Statement of Environmental Commitment by the Insurance Industry , both of which commit signatories to incorporating environmentally sound practices into their operations. 

On an average basis, the worldwide catalyst disposal is considerable it may reach over 12.000 ton/year in the United States [8] and over 10.000 ton/year in Europe [9], with a recycling level below 30% wt. On the other hand, some 10.000 ton/year are discarded without any treatment (basically in the undeveloped countries, in clandestine dumps, without any security criterium), thus leading to an environmental commitment within a short time [10]. The main examples of commonly discarded catalysts are hydrotreating, hydrogenation and cracking ones. 

Data in this Table clearly show that the thermal treatment must be very drastic to be effective. The preoxidation conditions must ensure full insolubility of all components of the spent catalyst, not only just after the process, but also along time, in order to prevent any environmental commitment in the future. 

The questionnaire showed a strong environmental commitment among the personnel, which was strengthened by the study. No indication of lack of time for source separation or any lack of top management commitment was found. The reactions to the study were very positive. This was confirmed by the fact that the hospital wards actively proceeded with source separation of their packaging waste after the study. 

The attitudes to Pharmacia Upjohn became more positive during the study", says Bengt Mattson, Pharmacia Upjohn - Corporate Environment Safety. "This shows that making environmental commitments gives serious pay-back in terms of good-will. The very close collaboration with the hospital personnel also helped us to identify possible improvements in our products and systems. Another important conclusion from the study was that the nurses felt they lack information and knowledge on environmental issues. This should therefore be one of our contributions in these collaborative efforts."... 

In the expanded plant it is intended to dramatically reduce the volume of acid water generated in the gas purification section as part of CPM s environmental commitment to its long-term zero effluent target. 

Henriques, I. and P. Sadorsky, 1999. The relationship between environmental commitment and managerial perceptions of stakeholder importance. Academy of Management Journal 42, 87-99. 

Chemical Manufacturers Association Code. In 1988, the Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA) adopted an initiative called Responsible Care A PubHc Commitment (33). Members of the CMA commit themselves, as an obligation of membership, to improving performance in response to pubHc concerns about the impact of chemicals on health, safety, and environmental quaUty. 

In Europe, government poficies (ca 1995) ate calling for a steadily increasing commitment to wiad power. Combiaed, the European programs call for the iastaHation of at least 4000 MW by the twenty-first century, a level that would dominate world production. Environmental concerns are the iacentives behind Europe s wiad targets. With over 2000 MW of wiad power already iastaHed, Europe is well oa its way to acbieving its goal. 

Once the options have been clearly defined it will be necessary to carry out a cost-benefit analysis of each option. This has two main objectives. First, the overall cost of the project will need to be assessed to determine whether or not it is financially viable and, second, to ensure that those who will be required to incur expenditure are fully aware of the commitment needed. The financial benefits to users of the waters for recreation, fisheries, navigation, etc., are relatively easy to determine, but monetary valuation of the environmental benefits such as conservation and general amenity will be more difficult to define. As yet this aspect of the cost-benefit analysis has not been fully developed in the UK. Having determined a range of options and costs for eutrophication control in a particular catchment, consultation on the details of the Action plan with all those involved is needed before any plan can be implemented. 

Although not as informative as past performance measures or hard evidence of good programs, the existence of a company policy stating a candidate toller s commitment to health, safety and environmental responsibility should be determined. These policies, typically signed and displayed prominently in the facility, help ensure management and company executives are fully aware of their commitment to workers and the public. 

Do not comply with the health and safety standards of your industry Do not comply with the relevant environmental regulations Do not have a system to assure the quality of supplies Are not committed to continuous improvement Are financially unstable... 

A No. As the Chairman said in a recent interview-and I will repeat now-it is our intention to continually improve performance. However, it is unrealistic to believe that we could achieve a zero accident or emission standard tomorrow. Even if it were theoretically achievable, the cost would be so large that we would bankrupt the company. We must maintain a balance between the benefits we achieve and the cost of achieving them. Let me also remind you that as a company we have made a commitment to abandon any business or technology where we consider the safety and environmental risks to be intolerable. 

Significant capital expenditure usually represents a substantial commitment of the resources of a business, both financially and in terms of man-hours. It is therefore incumbent upon management to ensure that proposals for such outlays receive proper and full consideration of all the relevant implications before implementation. Once policies as to levels of authorization and commitment are laid down, there should follow the formal appraisal of the financial effects of the proposal. These can be formulated only after detailed discussion with the appropriate departments as to all the physical, technical and environmental factors involved in making the final decision. There will also be brought into consideration, where pertinent, the marketing and sales effects. 

In keeping with its commitment to economically and environmentally responsible recycling, the American Plastics Council (APC) has a Web site feature that connects buyers and sellers of recycled plastics. The site, located at www.plasticsresource. com/recyding/marketsdb/index.phtinl allows users to select the type of plastic they want and a source location from which to obtain it. 

Committed to research and development Advanced in use of computers and computer controls Over 50% of the products are based on petroleum Best employee safety record among all major industries Criticized for many environmental problems... 

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