Role of Business in Environmental Protection

A shared responsibility, with business in the lead: Because environmental quality matters to everyone, protecting it is a collective responsibility. Government, business, consumers, workers and other members of society can each do something:

• Government can enact laws to ban hazardous products.
• Consumers, workers and members of society can avoid using products or doing things that are not environment-friendly.
• Business enterprises, however, should take the lead in finding their own solutions to environmental problems. It is the social responsibility of every business not only to check all sorts of pollution but also to protect environmental resources.

Why business is well placed to lead: Businesses are leading creators of wealth, employment, trade and technology and command huge financial, physical and human resources. They also have the know-how to tackle pollution with a preventive approach — controlling pollutants at the source. In many cases, pollution can be greatly reduced or even eliminated by modifying the production process, redesigning equipment, substituting poor-quality materials with better ones, or adopting other innovative approaches.

Specific steps a business can take for environmental protection:

• (i) A definite commitment by top management to create, maintain and develop a work culture for environmental protection and pollution prevention.
• (ii) Ensuring that this commitment is shared throughout the enterprise — across all divisions and by all employees.
• (iii) Developing clear-cut policies and programmes for purchasing good-quality raw materials, employing superior technology, using scientific techniques of waste disposal and treatment, and developing employee skills for pollution control.
• (iv) Complying with the laws and regulations enacted by the government for the prevention of pollution.
• (v) Participating in government programmes on managing hazardous substances, cleaning up polluted rivers, planting trees, and checking deforestation. …