Environment Agency (spotlight)1 companies

The Environment Agency (launch)² its sixth annual ‘Spotlight’ report on the environmental performance of businesses in England and Wales.

This year’s report ‘Spotlight on business: environmental performance in 2003’ (show)³ the number of pollution incidents from industry (be down)⁴ 12% on 2002, and (decrease)⁵ 43% over the last two years. Moreover, the Environment Agency's system of (score)⁶ site by site operational performance (show)⁷ that standards of environmental management (improve)⁸.

Baroness Barbara Young, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency (comment)⁹: “Our risk-(base)¹⁰ approach – (pay)¹¹ more time and attention to high risk, poor performers and (take)¹² a lighter touch with those who (demonstrate)¹³ responsible environmental management – (pay off)¹⁴ for both business and the environment.”

Some sectors (show)¹⁵ significant improvement. The farming and waste management industries both (reduce)¹⁶ their number of serious pollution incidents by around 25 per cent in 2003, the best results for pollution incidents from these sectors since Environment Agency records (begin)¹⁷. In 2003, the chemical industry more than (halve)¹⁸ its serious pollution incidents.

Other sectors (fail)¹⁹ (perform)²⁰ as well. The construction industry (be)²¹ responsible for 3% of all pollution incidents and (produce)²² 80 million tonnes of waste per year, a figure which (increase)²³ with redevelopment and regeneration, but which could easily (reverse)²⁴ with waste minimization and readily available clean-up techniques. The water industry (reverse)²⁵ some of the advances (make)²⁶ in the past, as pollution incidents in the sector (rise)²⁷ by 25 per cent in the last year.

In a new turn, this year's report (highlight)²⁸ a (grow)²⁹ trend of personal liability for corporate environmental crime. White-collar workers – (include)³⁰ company directors and sole traders – (find)³¹ themselves at (increase)³² risk of (incur)³³ high personal fines, community punishment orders and even custodial sentences when (break)³⁴ environmental law.

"It is important (bear)³⁵ in mind that there (be)³⁶ many companies and farmers out there who (work)³⁷ (minimize)³⁸ their impact on the environment and (do)³⁹ so innovatively. Not only (do)⁴⁰ environmental criminals (tar)⁴¹ industry reputations, they also (undercut)⁴² these legitimate businesses”, (add)⁴³ Baroness Young.

Overall, the Environment Agency (prosecute)⁴⁴ a total of 266 companies in 2003, (result)⁴⁵ in total fines of over £2.2 million. The average fine for businesses (fall)⁴⁶ from £8,622 to £8,412, but (be)⁴⁷ still higher than in 2000 or 2001.

Jim Haywood, Business in the Community’s Environmental Director, (attend)⁴⁸ the launch of the Agency’s report and (comment)⁴⁹: “It (be)⁵⁰ good (see)⁵¹ the Agency (recognize)⁵² the effort (make)⁵³ by many responsible companies in successfully (manage)⁵⁴ environmental risks, as well as (highlight)⁵⁵ the poorer performers through this report. The results (show)⁵⁶ that there (be)⁵⁷ clearly a strong case (make)⁵⁸ for (keep)⁵⁹ the environment high on a company’s Board agenda.

“Business in the Community (encourage)⁶⁰ its own members (take)⁶¹ a lead with (improve)⁶² performance, particularly by (work)⁶³ with their supply chain (influence)⁶⁴ smaller companies. We (be)⁶⁵ keen (work)⁶⁶ closely with the Agency on a number of fronts (see)⁶⁷ how we can (help)⁶⁸ companies (ensure)⁶⁹ good environmental performance (be)⁷⁰ an integral part of their business (think)⁷¹.”

Date: 2015-12-18; view: 720