According to the Green Paper the European Commission (2001), corporate social and environmental responsibility is defined as a concept whereby companies voluntarily integrate social and environmental concerns in business and in their contacts with other interested parties. This concept extends beyond full compliance with the legal obligations of the company, investing more in human resources, environment and relationships with stakeholders.
Corporate responsibility starts as culture, behavior and action from within the company and expanded outward, covering the society in which it operates, but also the whole planet, since it derives from this and discard.
The Corporate Environmental Responsibility (C.E.P.) a company expands:
The important part of this legislation is the obligation of any company to take preventive measures to protect the environment and if any environmental damage to take the restoration of different penalties are very severe, to the extent recommended by them to have security.
But the C.E.P. it is a voluntary way of dealing with the concerns of society (now, how voluntary can be when law and with strict penalties, do not ask us... We have the same question!)
Expected companies to implement their own C.E.P. order:
In order to systematically approach and actions of corporate responsibility, the comparability of the actions and effective implementation and monitoring them develop appropriate standards standardization activities. These standards ease the reporting and notification of actions to interested parties.Examples of these standards focus on the part of environmental responsibility are the following: ISO 26000, Global Reporting Intiative (CRI), Green Globe, United Nations Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting (ISAR)
Actions within the company
Filling all the environmental liabilities of the company under the law, proper facilities, markets with ecological standards and good behavior such as office recycling and proper management of waste generated due to the company's activities ...
Activities targeted at new, improved habits of personal and growing intra-corporate culture for improved environmental performance and healthier life. The company's workforce can act as the core information and action for the rest of society.
The purchasing power of each company can be used to protect the environment but not necessarily mean any cost, simply by requiring partners to be legal or even already have a good environmental behavior. This, for example, can be translated into:
The company will be in touch with the problems facing society in which it operates, so measures should respond to these problems and concerns. For example:
- The conduct, products and decisions within the company
- Production methods
- Personnel
- Working methods and conditions the company sets its trade with third
- In actions relating to the society in which they operate (local - more - global)
- To help tackle climate change
- To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reducing thereby contributing to global warming
- To reduce energy use and promote rational use of energy
- Promote clean (renewable) energy sources
- To reduce waste generation and disposal in the landfills
- Reduce the use of raw materials
- To promote the use of materials resulting from recycling
- To promote sustainable development.
- To reduce pollution of groundwater and soils
- To protect the natural environment
- To improve the living standards
The on environmental responsibility in preventing and remedying environmental damage law
The important part of this legislation is the obligation of any company to take preventive measures to protect the environment and if any environmental damage to take the restoration of different penalties are very severe, to the extent recommended by them to have security.
But the C.E.P. it is a voluntary way of dealing with the concerns of society (now, how voluntary can be when law and with strict penalties, do not ask us... We have the same question!)
Expected companies to implement their own C.E.P. order:
- To provide transparency and sufficient information for review and are not organized just for publicity.
- To bring long-term goals and adjust their actions until they succeed.
- To organize their activities and ensure their continuation. The continuous and systematic activity produces better results and enhance the reliability and validity of a company.
- To monitor and understand the problems and not consumed on insignificant or the wrong timing.
- To manage Ltd. with the same seriousness that manage other issues and not as a matter of secondary importance.
- The business strategy is consistent with a value system that preached by a particular company.
- To have a program of continuous improvement and promotion of environmental actions.
- To have a measurable effect on their actions.
- And most important: to invest in public trust!
In order to systematically approach and actions of corporate responsibility, the comparability of the actions and effective implementation and monitoring them develop appropriate standards standardization activities. These standards ease the reporting and notification of actions to interested parties.Examples of these standards focus on the part of environmental responsibility are the following: ISO 26000, Global Reporting Intiative (CRI), Green Globe, United Nations Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting (ISAR)
Actions within the company
Filling all the environmental liabilities of the company under the law, proper facilities, markets with ecological standards and good behavior such as office recycling and proper management of waste generated due to the company's activities ...
- Filling all the environmental liabilities of the company arising from the regulations (eg recycling)
- Building provisions such as:
- Bioclimatic building design
- Insulation of exterior building envelope
- Select appropriate lighting and air conditioning
- Use of natural lighting
- Improving indoor air quality
- Select plumbing reduced water usage
- Collect and use rainwater
- Installation of gray water
- Installing modern heating systems
- Construction of patio
- Place movable shading
- Use plants with reduced water requirements
- Use of indigenous plant varieties
- Reducing energy consumption:
- Buy appliances energy efficient
- Activation energy saving systems (power saving) and electronic devices
- Installing energy-saving software on computers
- Installation of sensors to activate lighting
- Provision of alternative energy sources to meet the needs of the company
- Installation of building energy management system for central control and regulation of
- Monitoring and recording the environmental footprint of the company (air pollutants, energy, waste, water, raw materials)
- Purchase and supply of goods with environmental standards, such as paints, cleaners, wood from sustainable forests, recycled materials (eg paper).
- Reuse materials and products (eg packaging, paper, raw materials)
- Responsible for managing specific waste generated due to the activities of the company (machine oil, tires, construction waste, hazardous or toxic waste)
- Installation of biological wastewater treatment plants
- Secondary use of waste arising from the activities of the company (eg production of biodiesel from oil).
- Design optimal routes and use of appropriate transport fleet to reduce production of pollutants
- Reduction of packaging materials and reuse of packaging
- Participation in voluntary European Green Light Programme and Green Building
- Acquisition of environmental certification marks, eg EMAS, ISO 14001
- Adopt a program to compensate for emissions CO2 (carbon offset)
Activities targeted at new, improved habits of personal and growing intra-corporate culture for improved environmental performance and healthier life. The company's workforce can act as the core information and action for the rest of society.
- Providing training courses and continuous updating of personnel for future operations of the company and current environmental issues.
- Environmental Change habits at home with news programs such as composting, recycling, "ethical products", Fair Trade, healthy environment and air quality.
- Help on the bicycle market, activities cycling, walking in nature.
- Information on beautiful trails in Cyprus by car (!?), Nature Trails, bike paths, etc.
The purchasing power of each company can be used to protect the environment but not necessarily mean any cost, simply by requiring partners to be legal or even already have a good environmental behavior. This, for example, can be translated into:
- Buy packaged products (eg Computers) only by companies meet their legal obligations (eg contribution to Green Dot, the WEEE Electrocyclosis or AFIS Cyprus)
- Cooperation with companies who demonstrate appropriate environmental behavior, such as not block rivers, properly handle their waste, etc.
- On a general level of cooperation with standards such as "Ethical Products" and "Fair Trade"
- Sale of Christmas gifts that are related to the environment, such as paying for tree planting rather than cards, trees, instead of sending another gift or fund other environmental activities (see actions on society).
The company will be in touch with the problems facing society in which it operates, so measures should respond to these problems and concerns. For example:
- Financing environmental action, such as planting trees, cleaning beaches, rivers or the sea bed, bicycle facilities or establishing cycle routes in communities.
- Free distribution or central composting bins in communities.
- Aid programs of Local Authorities for cleaning, waste control, water conservation and / or new practices for nature conservation.
- Financing environmental rehabilitation of degraded areas, eg full landfills or abandoned mines / mines.
- Financing facility and / or maintenance of modern stormwater management systems in schools or other public places.
- Create a specific annex on its website which explains the company's environmental activities and concerns of the company.
- Funding of collection and / or transportation of recyclable materials from communities which do not yet reached the recycling.
- Energy saving in public lighting and parking.
- Funding to promote environmental documentaries to organized groups, events, etc.
- Information operations and activities of an environmental organization.
- Support actions and activities of an environmental organization.
- Production and promotion of short commercials on TV with environmental content (as drug and road safety).
- Information campaigns and environmental awareness in the media(As with drugs and road safety): television, radio, print media, websites, blogs, special editions
- Printed public information with the appropriate material.
- Funding environmental research programs.
- Seminars for awareness, networking and cooperation of stakeholders.
- Create a special, thematic website for information (relevant ads, current environmental issues, scientific issues, etc., and see http://djf-meetingpoint.blogspot.com/, about 28 thematic websites, including this one).
- Purchase of fire equipment.
- Advanced Recycling (eg mobile, cartridges, batteries, eyeglasses, etc.)
- Ashtrays Disposable beaches.
- Adopt a school and financing activities, facilities (eg recycling, installation of gray water, compost bins, water saving devices and / or energy) and information (organization of educational seminars, workshops etc.).
- Adoption of shelter animals.
- Adoption of forest, parks or protected areas.
- Create new or enhance existing centers of environmental awareness / education.
- Promote using paper or reusable bags.
- Promote eco-driving for reduced emission of pollutants.
