Cleaner Production should be a compulsory class in business studies

At least, the financial benefits in business decision making alone, let alone, the environmental benefits, should be understood by all business students, just like all business students learn basic micro & macro economics, contract law, basic accounting and management etc. The returns on investments in cleaner production are often a lot faster than the ROI for investing in say people, technology, new marketing initiatives.
E.g. Case Study: Cleaner Production in Printed Circuit Manufacture
The audit team undertook pollution investigation, assessment and technical and economic feasibility analysis and generated 14 options for pollution prevention and minimization of copper concentration in the waste water. 12 options, were implemented.
*Consumption of metal materials (copper laminates and anode, etc. decreased by 9.4%;
*Water consumption reduced by 21% and waste water generation by 5,300 tons/year;
*The amount of copper contained in waste water was decreased by 139kg;
*The economic savings were RMB 0.3 million (US$35,000 approx)annually. More egs click here. Next step would be teaching potential managers how to ensure such systems are managed well to be maintained for ongoing future financial and environmental benefits. The environmental benefits have an ROI beyond just the economic savings mentioned above. They reduce risk of retalliation from communities, local governments, NGOs etc for pollution, as well as provide a firm with an opportunity to market their product at a slight premium for their better environmental management (if the marketing is managed carefully).

Business IS environmental protection

Quote from great interview: "I am founder and chair of Interface, Inc.I used to think that my job didn't have anything to do with the environment. Then I realized that my job, as well as everyone else's job, impacts the environment in some way. And now advocating for sustainability has become my No. 1 responsibility.
..from Day One, sustainability has saved us money, not cost us. And it has earned us a tremendous amount of good will from our customers, something that cannot be measured or duplicated. And now, 10 years later, even the analysts are finally "getting it"."
Q:If you could institute by fiat one environmental reform, what would it be?
A:Tax shifts -- tax a barrel of oil, tax pollution, and reduce income taxes. To some that seems radical, but think about the absurdity of our current tax system and it begins to make sense.
Q:What's one thing the environmental movement is doing particularly well?
A: The environmental community is accumulating the wisdom amazingly well -- we know everything we need to know -- but what we aren't doing particularly well is communicating it to everyone in a way that inspires action. The Bible calls that keeping your light under a bushel -- it's a song I learned in Sunday School growing up that has a lot of relevance to me.
Q:What important environmental issue is frequently overlooked?
A: We take for granted our ability to just go get in an automobile and go somewhere. Personal transportation is so pervasive, as Americans we don't think about the cumulative damage we do. We also do some mundane things that cumulatively have a huge effect -- leaving your computer or television on, for example. Even the power that television uses when it's off is huge -- and something we never think about. There is so much that we take for granted. "
The Interface story here. Related reading here.

Key issues with regard to sustainable development in China.

ONE. What do you think are the key issues with regard to sustainable development in China?
Depends on the firm and the industry:
1. Air Emissions (currently includes such opportunities as to apply for CDM (cleaner development mechanism) credits)
2. Labour Standards (including related health and safety conditions in manufacturing, mining, even service industries)
3. Land acquisition and resettlement (the most relevant for community relations and CSR)
4. Waste Water Emissions Management
5. Waste Management and Recycling
6. Corporate Governance improvements which will allow the above to be dealt with transparently and effectively, and create a 'level playing field' for international and Chinese companies (currently international companies get tax credits which local chinese companies don't).

TWO: Corporate SD Events/Networks in China
-China MNC HSE industry organisations and networks, such as for the Chemicals, and energy industries.
-The CBLF, the China Business Leaders Forum of the UK based IBLF, although in 2005 this body has chosen to focus on corporate governance issues, despite it's UK parent IBLFs wider SD coverage.
-The EUCCC CSR workgroup and CDM (Clean Development Mechanism) workgroups
-The British Council Guangzhou CSR workgroup
-AIESEC SD and CSR events on top Chinese campuses
-Ethical Corporation CSR meeting HK 2006
-AMCHAM Shanghai and Guangzhou EHS and Environment Forum events
-Chinese environmental NGO events.
-Chatham House Sustainable Development and Energy Conference in Beijing summer 2005.
-The CBCSD, the China Business Council for Sustainable Development of the WBCSD, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

THREE. Business opportunities relative to sustainable development in China.
Recently the Chinese government has provided further encouragement for the development of business in cleaner energy areas through CDM and other mechanisms. Therefore, there currently exist in 2006 opportunities for UK companies to get involved in projects in the areas of wind power, Biomass, Solar, Clean coal and other. Furthermore, there will be more hydrodams built in 2006, although this may be controversial.
The World Bank, other lenders and Chinese cities and provinces are funding more waste related projects dealing with wastewater treatment systems, water and river clean up, and water provision, and there will likely be greater focus on cleaner water provision in 2006 due to the recent Heilongjiang chemical factory explosion and subsequent water pollution.
There are many projects occuring in the area of eco-tourism, although the quality and size vary.
Sustainable architecture and building development is on the increase and Beijing for example has brought in new programmes encouraging sustainable building. Any technologies which could support building which produces less dust may be greatly appreciated to help Beijing air quality in the build up to the 2008 Olympics.
The mining industry is moving to further cleaner techniques and safer production.
Chinese energy companies are talking about deeper offshore drilling, and more LNG pipeline projects. In all cases they are focussed on moving to cleaner exploration and energy usage techniques.
Vehicle emissions standards have been increased and there exist opportunities for companies with technologies which create cleaner vehicle production or lower emissions of vehicles. Cleaner buses are also being introduced across cities, as well as subways.
Organic farming is on the increase in China, although nascent. Environmentally friendly fish-farming techniques would also be utilised. Safer drinking water technologies may be attractive to the consumer markets.
There will likely be far greater focus in 2006 on all cleaner production methods for all manufacturing industries due to recent pollution protests. This would be particularly with regards to the chemicals industries, but any industry whose production technique produces chemical or other wastewater will likely be willing to consider cleaner production techniques.
Furthermore, China has introduced new regulations regarding chemical registration and there may be opportunities in this area, and with regards to new production techniques which allow firms to produce goods which do not require chemicals banned in europe under new regulations.
Finally, there is more focus being put on river clean up, and wetlands, and organisations who can support such developments may be able to assist local governments.


FOUR. How important is sustainable development to your work?
It is what we do, as well as something we personally care about passionately and are involved in any many ways beyond work. We believe Sustainable Development is not only important for our business and the long-term financial health of our clients businesses, but more importantly, is important for the world, and the peace, health and livelihood's of future generations.

FIVE. What do you think are the greatest challenges with regard to SD in China?
1. The varying degrees of, or lack of enforcement of environmental laws in particular, due to lack of resources or training of environmental protection bureau officials, or possibly corruption of these or other officials.
2. The heavy promotion of industries which provide jobs (due to the need to employ the large population of Chinese), such as the automobile industry, but have great negative environmental impacts, and haven't yet fully moved to environmentally friendly production techniques which could be utilised. Therefore, the challenge lies in implementing new business models which can employ lots of people, and creating economic models which create financial, environmental and labour win-win results for all to do so, such as an initiative where solar panels were put on the roofs of every building in Beijing for example, providing lots of jobs in production, sales, management and installation, and follow-up maintenance jobs. The challenge lies in applying new technologies on old economic and political structures and models.
3. The lack of awareness of the environmental impact of activities and educating consumers to select more environmentally friendly products and services.

Poor sales skills now won't mean our kids wont have a planet..but poor Environmental Management will.

...
K says: I mean ethical supply chain work.EHSS (Enviro, health, safety, social) conditions..
- says: You think anyone here cares about that?
K says: Yes. They are a tough cookie. It's improving though. More and more X companies doing ethical supply chain work though, but still mostly apparel.
- says: Even in Y.. was trying to really push my 10 person dept into a paperless office...every so often you'd get the idiot who would not set their print settings properly so print 200 sheets of rubbish that would need to be thrown out. X industry companies terrible @ environmental.
K says: Although not easy in China. The expertise and standards not here yet.
- says: Yeah, but you can argue that on so many careers/industries/fronts
K says: So many?
- says: I was having this discussion this morning with the laoban about our sales management!
K says: Yes...just a real shame in this area in particular. Although I guess we all have a lot to learn about China too....language, culture, food, gongfu...traditional things
- says: Yeah, but poor sales skills now won't mean our kids wont have a planet

Poor environmental management skills will. Learn environmental management with a reputable long distance qualification from Imperial College, London. Join WWF or Greenpeace as they push companies to manage their environmental impacts better. Move your pension or savings to a green/ethical investment fund.

Closing
- says: u blog?
K says:societalscan.nomadlife.org
- says:Who is this rohit talwar and why hasn't he interviewed me?!

Chinese Hybrids Coming

A number of environmentally-friendly hybrid cars are expected to be launched this year by Chinese car makers. The cars, that run on a mixture of electricity and fuel, will be launched by Dongfeng Motor, Chang'an Motor, Chery Auto and China FAW Group. The launches are in response to China's 11th Five-Year Programme from 2006 to 2010 to encourage more Chinese families to buy low-emission cars by 2010. This also extends to public transport and 20 hybrid-electric buses, designed and made by DFM, are already in service in Wuhan. -AccessAsia.

Women-watch your personal safety

A good friends sister has just been brought home from international travels after 2 men broke into her hotel room and raped her. I will buy one of these as soon as possible: http://www.personal-alarms.biz/

Please stay in safe hotels. She was not, on the advice of a fellow male backpacker who thought it would be fun to try the low-end part of town.

Fight back and explain to male friends/family if you need to be dropped home, stay in good hotels, live in safe housing...and otherwise look after your personal safety. Unfortunately Rape is Real.

It is important we constantly remind each other that this is real, and we need to be careful. Please tell other women you know who travel a lot and stay in hotels etc, alone.