| The Next Level of Environmental Protection: Business Strategies and Government Policies Converging on Sustainability |
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bridges vol. 17, April 2008 / Feature Article by Alan D. Hecht Introduction The ability to understand current risks and pressures and predict new ones is a prerequisite for developing successful sustainable business strategies and supportive government policies. More important is the role of government in taking an active role in shaping the future. Today the future business-government landscape seems clearer than at any time in the past: a good opportunity for business and government to shape the future, rather than react to it. Climate change is only one of many pressures that affect overall business strategies and public policies. The following discussion highlights a broad range of social and environmental goals, including biomass and clean energy, access to safe water and sanitation, protection from chemical toxics, and protection of ecosystem services. Sustainable development fosters policies that integrate environmental, economic, and social values in decision making. From a business perspective, sustainable development favors an approach based on capturing system dynamics, building resilient and adaptive systems, anticipating and managing variability and risk, and making a profit. Sustainable development reflects not the trade-off between business and the environment but the synergy between them. As discussed, the movement toward sustainable development is inevitable and has important implications for EPA research, regulations, and policies that together suggest that the next level of environmental protection will be created not just by disincentives to pollute, but also by the positive economic benefits of sustainability. Access to the full article is free, but requires you to register. Registration is simple and quick – all we need is your name and a valid e-mail address. We appreciate your interest in bridges. |
