Today, by global warming effects and other environmental issues, a greater environmental attention seems necessary. In this regards, maybe to Identify of the best environmental practices and initiatives methods in projects and companies to get “A Green Awards” can be more effective than penalties and charging methods.
The Green Awards can be in different fields to improve the operational conditions, environmental conditions and minimize the impacts. The main categories can be as follow:
· Energy Efficiency, consumption, conservation and renewable energy.
· Greenhouse gas emissions.
· Air, water, land and noise pollution and risks.
· Environmental management and the project's impacts on wildlife.
· The solid and hazardous wastes.
· Improvement operational efficiency.
· Water and wastewater management and other liquid Effluents.
· Contamination and accidental Leaks.
· Social conflict.
Dear Turlough F. Guerin
Thank you for the answer. I am really curious about the subject. I described my points by adding some examples as you asked about "the reason for the question? Why The interest in green awards?, ... "
Nearly all the current methods in decreasing pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, Etc. are base on penalties and charging method, so why the problems not solved yet?
I think, the results of the same method in different regions can be different and never are the same and it might be because the cultural difference.
First example: The fly tipping and waste charging method have been used in several countries in Europe and the results show that it is a very effective method in reduce the waste materials and in increase of recycling, (Magrinho et al, 2006). Some countries in Asia such as South Korea from 1995 and Taiwan from 2002, also used the waste landfill charging method and it reduced the total waste about 30% in South Korea and about 40% in Taiwan, (EPD, 2007b).
But in Hong Kong, exactly the same method was not very successful and the rate was low, Why?
Maybe, in the above example, decreasing tax for the households with lower waste generation can be a better solution, than increasing penalties for the households with higher waste generation.
Second Example: For increase of motivation in an environmental subject, which one is better?
If for example, we use penalty for a company because of using old technology in the factory with higher air pollution, or if we try to solve the problem by Green Awards.
In the first situation, the manager can say this to the employee: The governments increased the penalties and puts your career in danger and we must decrease our employee numbers if the trend continue.
In the second case, the clusters and individual people in the same companies might try and even do research to solve the problem and win the Green Awards.
Therefore, for the penalties we are just pushing one person as the head with the negative forcing act, but in Green Awards we are pushing all employees positive force for winning the award.
In conclusion, how we can say "No" to Green awards? Maybe, the Green Awards can lead to a better result, since we already are feeling the failure of penalties and charging method in many area.
Best Regards
Pirouz
Prof Behrouz
I would agree with your opinion towards green awards which will be a thriving force for companies to keep up their environment clean with waste reduction. All the sectors you mentioned could be brought under 'zero waste discharge' (may it be gas, solid waste or liquid waste).
I think green awards will be very helpful towards the efforts of sustainability if they are based on real and solid initiatives (not only some soft skills or just publicizing some green ideas). Companies that can demonstrate sustainable efforts pave the road for others to follow and for society to believe.
Dear Turlough F. Guerin
Thank you for the answer. I am really curious about the subject. I described my points by adding some examples as you asked about "the reason for the question? Why The interest in green awards?, ... "
Nearly all the current methods in decreasing pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, Etc. are base on penalties and charging method, so why the problems not solved yet?
I think, the results of the same method in different regions can be different and never are the same and it might be because the cultural difference.
First example: The fly tipping and waste charging method have been used in several countries in Europe and the results show that it is a very effective method in reduce the waste materials and in increase of recycling, (Magrinho et al, 2006). Some countries in Asia such as South Korea from 1995 and Taiwan from 2002, also used the waste landfill charging method and it reduced the total waste about 30% in South Korea and about 40% in Taiwan, (EPD, 2007b).
But in Hong Kong, exactly the same method was not very successful and the rate was low, Why?
Maybe, in the above example, decreasing tax for the households with lower waste generation can be a better solution, than increasing penalties for the households with higher waste generation.
Second Example: For increase of motivation in an environmental subject, which one is better?
If for example, we use penalty for a company because of using old technology in the factory with higher air pollution, or if we try to solve the problem by Green Awards.
In the first situation, the manager can say this to the employee: The governments increased the penalties and puts your career in danger and we must decrease our employee numbers if the trend continue.
In the second case, the clusters and individual people in the same companies might try and even do research to solve the problem and win the Green Awards.
Therefore, for the penalties we are just pushing one person as the head with the negative forcing act, but in Green Awards we are pushing all employees positive force for winning the award.
In conclusion, how we can say "No" to Green awards? Maybe, the Green Awards can lead to a better result, since we already are feeling the failure of penalties and charging method in many area.
Best Regards
Pirouz
The green certification system is more important and successful for achieving sustainable development goal than the penalties and charging method. There are different policy options to solve the current environmental problems. To mention some the command and control policy option, the tax and subsidy policy option, and voluntary based self regulation policy option.
The green certification, can be mentioned as ISO 14000 certification, is part of voluntary based self regulation policy option of corporate environmental management system where companies take the initiative to regulate themselves to minimize their impact on the environment. It is not a one time job rather it is a continual improvement process (Plan - Do - Check - Act process).
In contrary, penalties and charging method is the command and control policy option. It uses standards to solve environmental problems. It is based on the approach to force the companies to comply to the standard set otherwise you will be subjected to penalty. Even though it has some demerits, the approach have been used and being used in many countries of the world, due to the fact that it is easy for implementation and there are companies who are not willing to take their social responsibility in solving environmental problems.
Therefore, as a concluding remark, green certification can lead us to a better result of sustainable development.
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