Environmental Policy and the Global Corporation

Abstract

It is evident to any thinking person today that environment is an important area of public policy. Environment has wide support throughout the world as demonstrated by the large attendance and interest in the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro in June,1992 Attendance at this conference and parallel non-governmental events totalled 35,000 people, with 106 heads of state participating in the Earth Summit. The 9,000 journalists in Rio for the meeting exceeded the total attendance at the previous conference in Stockholm some 20 years before (Brown, 1993). The term "environment" is quite inclusive and encompasses land. water and air resources. flora and fauna. and ecosystems formed by biological organisms and their habitats. Environmental policy also has an important geographic component. There gar global issues such as the greenhouse effect. ozone depletion. acid rain. deforestation. and depletion of ocean fisheries. There are transboundary. national and local issues. e.g .. air and water pollution. solid and hazardous waste management. fish and wildlife management. and protection of scenic and recreation areas.Environmental policy now focuses not just on correcting the mistakes of the past by abatement of air and water pollution, but striving to design and build an economic system that is environmentally sustainable. Briefly. in the words of the World Commission on Environment and Development (Brown. 1993). a policy of sustainable development calls for social. economic and political progress to meet " ... the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." So the emphasis in environmental policy is shifting toward a planning perspective. and perhaps appropriately. it is through strategic planning that the global corporation can best come to terms with environmental policy.