Module -5

Environmental concerns and corporation

Module overview
History of environmentalism Environmental preservation - Role of stakeholders International issues Sustainable development Costs & benefits of environmental regulation Industrial pollution Role of corporate in environmental management Waste management and pollution control Key strategies for prevention of pollution Environmental audit Laws governing environment

Introduction
Corporation have a stake in preserving the environment and the ecology for posterity. There is a clear appreciation today than ever before that environmental quality is an important desideratum in the social and economic development of nations

History of environmentalism
As early as the turn of the 20th century, the importance of natural resource conservation led to the establishment of national parks by teddy Roosevelt's administration. Later, during the human health risks posed by pollution raised much concern in 1960s The concept of environmentalism evolved as attitudes about human impacts on air, water, forests and other aspects of the environment

History of environmentalism
Public protest of air and water pollution led to the passing of many environmental laws by the US congress and to the creation of the environmental protection agency

Environmental preservation: Role of stakeholders

Preservation of a healthy environment and ecological balances is everybodys concern. To promote environmental awareness among the people we need the help of different stakeholders to achieve such environmental preservation These stakeholders are
The public The media Environmental groups Corporations Government

Public opinion
It is crucial to the resolution of environmental issues in a democratic society. Pubic has the power to support interest groups, elect and lobby officials, pay taxes, work for companies, buy products and support or reject policies. The effects of pro-environment public sentiment are evident in many business and govt sectors

The media
News publication, journals, television and radio are the source of information to the public on environmental issues Positive news about the environment has received considerably less attention than negative news in recent years. Media wields considerable influence over public perception of environmental groups, corporations and the govt. It is important for business to play a proactive role in information dissemination

Environmental groups
Environmental advocacy groups have evolved considerably from the liberal, anti-business, anti-govt periphery of past decades. While some radical groups do remain, many moderate or conservative groups are cooperating with business and govt. The role of some groups is shifting from merely bringing attention to environmental issues to working to solve problems

Corporations
Corporations had been known in the past to be traditionally unsympathetic to environmental problems Pressure from environmentalists and regulatory legislation many companies have altered their stance and innovated their policies. Voluntary business initiatives promote pollution prevention by improving efficiency in production.

Government
Effective environmental policy has been obstructed by many factors- inadequate scientific knowledge, budgetary deficiency and conflict b/w disparate interests. The electoral cycle and public emphasis on a sound economy force environmental issues into a political arena which does not always lend itself to timely decision making The environmental protection agency often has difficulty improving environmental quality when its activities are perceived to hurt the economy

International issues
It include cross boundary pollution, common area resources and economic development World wide recognition of an ecological crisis has moved the global environment higher on the international agenda The united nations conference on environment and sustainable development in 1992 was a major breakthrough for environmentalists World leaders address problems such as ozone depletion and common area resources.

Sustainable development
A very significant concept underlying international and domestic environmental policy is sustainable development Its goal is to ensure that the natural resource needs of the present are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

Costs and benefits of environmental regulation

It is criticized as being too costly for business Strict environment regulations may enhance a countrys competitiveness by fostering innovation Many economists feel that environmental regulations raise the price of inputs, putting business at a competitive disadvantage

Industrial pollution
The road from Ahmadabad to Mumbai runs through the rulers of Gujarat proudly refer as golden corridor of chemical industries. Also known as cancer corridor or toxic corridor

Industrial pollution
Casual laborers wash themselves in an irrigation canal after a day at a dye factory in Vapi industrial estate. Such laborers have routine complaints of nausea, skin rashes, burning sensation, digestive tract problems, respiratory tract problems and other longterm diseases. They are the Red Men of the Golden Corridor. . 70% of Gujarat's water is contaminated by industrial pollution

Pollution Facts
According to research conducted by the World Health Organization, around 2.4 million people die every year because of air pollution. In India, air pollution is believed to cause 527,700 fatalities a year. Engine exhaust (diesel and gas) contains more than 40 hazardous air pollutants. Emissions from vehicles are producing around 70% of the air pollution. There are about 500 million cars on the planet and by 2030, that number is expected to double to 1 billion cars.

Pollution Facts
Under standard Indian driving conditions, a standard petrol-vehicle is expected to emit over 8000 grams of carbon dioxide per day while travelling. For a usual commuter that amounts to over 1.92 tones of carbon dioxide emitted annually by a single vehicle. Bacteria born because of industries dumping their waste in water bodies are responsible for causing of about 250 million water borne diseases annually. Due to these diseases 5 to 10 million deaths are occurring every year.

Pollution Facts
An estimated 14 billion pounds of trash, much of it plastic, is dumped in the world's oceans every year. At present, India has 70 million hectares of forest cover. But 40% of that cover is sadly, 'open degraded forest'. Combined with industrial runoff, the garbage thrown into the Yamuna totals over 3 billion liters of waste per day. Vapi in Gujarat and Sukinda in Orrisa is among the world's top 10 most polluted places, according to the Blacksmith Institute, a New York-based nonprofit group

Pollution Facts
Air pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuels like coal and diesel has contributed to a worrisome slowdown in rice harvest growth in India in the past two decades. Bangalore holds the title of being the asthma capital of the country. Studies estimate that 10 per cent of Bangalore's 60 lakh population and over 50 per cent of its children below 18 years suffer from air pollution- related ailments.

Role of corporate in environmental management

Industry is creator of wealth, employment, trade and technology, controlling and deploying tremendous amount of human and financial resources for economic value addition. According to Brundtland commission is producing seven times more goods as compared to 1950s and several times more waste. Global warming, depletion of ozone layer, increased health problems are result of rapid industrialization.

Role of corporate in environmental management

Role of corporate business has extended from beyond producing goods or creating jobs and act positively towards improvement of quality of environment. A better choice of technology both preventive and curative, can reduce damage to environment already done and prevent further damage

 Environmental damage through industrial activity can be of the foll 2 types

Depletion of natural resources Degradation of natural resources

Waste management and pollution control

Depletion of natural resources

Excessive use leads to the reduction in natural resources that are extracted /used in the production of other goods, such as minerals, fossils fuels etc. These resources are non-renewable. Once extracted cannot be replaced

A picture of the Udachnaya pipe, an open-pit diamond mine in Siberia. An example of a non-renewable natural resource.

Degradation of natural resources

Refers to the deterioration of the quality of the environment. All pollution creates waste and pollution through process of manufacturing and degrade air, soil, water quality and pose health hazards.

Key strategies for industrial pollution prevention

A systematic waste reduction audit Material balance Economic balance Identifying waste reduction Use newer, cleaner technologies Life cycle assessment

Environmental audit
Environmental audits provide an in0depth review of the company processes and progress in realizing long term strategic goals. Audit program can generate various benefits for the org
Problems can be corrected before they are too large to fix Opportunities can be identified for cutting costs through measures such as waste Minimization and recycling Insurance costs can be reduced Emp can be persuaded and motivated to take environmental issues seriously Corporate image can be improved

Laws governing environment

The duty of citizens entails that everyone is bound to protect and improve the natural environment of the country including forests, lakes and wild life. The environment protection act 1986, provides protection and improvement of environment and for matters connected therein. The act was the result of India's participation in the conference on human environment held at Stockholm in 1972

Laws governing environment

There are other acts also enacted in India relating to environmental issues such as
Water (prevention and control of pollution) act, 1974 Air (prevention and control of pollution) act, 1981 Factories amendment act, 1987

End of module-5

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