Improving environmental performance

There are many methods employed to improve the environmental performance of technological companies. In the Rio Declaration on Environment in June 1992, Principle 16 states that:

Principle 16 – National authorities should endeavour to promote the internalisation of environmental costs and the use of economic instruments, taking into account the approach that the polluter should, in principle, bear the cost of pollution, with due regard to the public interest and without distorting international trade and investment.

The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (1992)

This is an important principle improving environmental performance as it can be used to assess different processes or products.

Examples of the ‘polluter pays’ principle to help the environment include the Landfill Tax and the Climate Change Levy in the United Kingdom. Another is the noise charges for airlines using airports, which are imposed by many countries such as the Netherlands, France, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, the UK and Japan.

Pause and reflect

Reflect on the legislative pressure on environmental impact in your country. Can you think of a couple of such examples?

You may want to make a short note in your Personal Journal about legislative pressure on environmental impact.