industry and environment - DTIE

N e w s
Industry Updates
Indian industry is becoming
greener
The World Resources Institute (WRI) and the
Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre of the
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) recently
agreed to collaborate on projects to advance sustainable
enterprises in India. This agreement was
announced during the Green Power 2004 Conference
in Mumbai, India, organized by the CII,
the United States Agency for International Development
and ICICI Bank. “With India’s rapid
emergence in the global economy, we are pleased
to partner with the country’s premier industry
association in harnessing technology innovation,
entrepreneurship, and markets to achieve secure
and sustainable growth,” said Dr. David Jhirad,
WRI’s vice president for science and research.
“Indian and US industry can start implementing
energy and environmental solutions that enhance
security, achieve climate stability, and eradicate
poverty.”
Under the agreement, the CII and WRI will set
up a programme to assess, measure and report
greenhouse gas emissions following the internationally
accepted Greenhouse Gas Protocol developed
by WRI and the World Business Council for
Sustainable Development (WBCSD). CII and
WRI will also help expand markets for renewable
electric power, promote sustainable enterprises and
build public-private partnerships to attract significant
investment in green technology, following
WRI’s New Ventures model.
“We are pleased to collaborate with the World
Resources Institute, given its experience and expertise
in working with businesses in lessening their
environmental impact and ensuring long-term
sustainability,” said S. Raghupathy, Senior Director
and Head of the CII Godrej Green Business
Center. “In partnership with WRI, we look forward
to being Asia’s leading institute for sustainable
business and technology solutions.”
For more information, see www.ciibc.org. ◆
Industrial pollution is
decreasing in the UK
Improved regulation and more stringent fines
have helped curb industrial pollution in the United
Kingdom. The UK’s Environment Agency
reports that 613 cases of serious pollution were
caused by industry in 2003, a 12% drop compared
with the previous year. The farming and
waste management sectors were singled out for the
progress they have made. “Our risk-based
approach to regulation, developed with business,
is working,” says chief executive Barbara Young,
in the agency’s annual Spotlight on Business report
(www.environment-agency.gov.uk/spotlight).
“But fines for environmental offences are still far
too low.”
Average fines were little changed at around
£8400 (US$ 15,068), although the heftiest was
£232,000 (US$ 416,000), the largest-ever fine for
illegal waste management in the UK. However,
the waste management sector reduced cases of
serious pollution by about 25%. Personal liability
for environmental pollution has increased; 11
company directors were fined in 2003. The main
repeat offenders were utility companies, which
were prosecuted for letting sewage pollute lakes or
streams. Water industry pollution incidents rose
by around 25% compared with 2002. The construction
industry was responsible for 3% of pollution
incidents, or 80,000 tonnes of waste
annually. This amount is increasing with regeneration
works, the Agency reported.
Greenhouse gas and nitrogen oxide emissions
both increased, by 5 and 9%, due to increased
burning of coal for power generation. There was
less oil-based pollution than in previous years.
For more information, see www.environmentagency.gov.uk.
◆
European chemical industry
launches technology platform
on sustainable chemistry
The European Union’s chemical and biotechnology
industries have joined forces to promote “sustainable
and competitive chemistry”. While the
EU’s chemical industry accounts for 28% of the
global chemical trade, this share is 4% lower than
a decade ago. CEFIC, the European chemical
industry association, and the biotech association
EuropaBIO, with the support of the European
Commission, have launched a European technology
platform on sustainable chemistry. Its purpose
is to increase investment in research and innovation
and to boost European competitiveness in
this sector.
The platform brings together industry, research
centres, financial institutions and regulatory
authorities at the European level to create a strategic
research agenda for the sector. Issues to be
addressed include three key technology areas for
Europe: industrial biotechnology; materials technology,
reaction and process design; and cross-cutting
issues including the environment, health and
safety, education and skills, research infrastructures
and access to risk capital.
“Research is the primary source of
innovation in the knowledge-intensive
chemical industry and is driving the sector forward,”
says European Research Commissioner
Philippe Busquin. “The European chemical industry
has an impressive track record of developing
new products and manufacturing processes, but
the challenge is to improve the transformation of
laboratory ideas into new sustainable products and
services to boost EU competitiveness. The EU
chemical sector only spends 1.9% of its sales on
R&D, less than the United States’ 2.5% and
Japan’s 3%. The new platform will facilitate the
establishment of public-private partnerships to
address the barriers to innovation and encourage
the industry to invest more in research to overcome
these challenges and improve the industry’s competitiveness.”
Europe’s trade in chemicals grew
from €14 billion in 1990 to €42 billion in 2002,
with some 25,000 enterprises employing 1.7 million
people. To sustain this growth, however, it is
vital for the industry to find a balance between
long-term, technology-driven and short-term,
market-driven research.
Three strategic technology areas have been
identified for European innovation: industrial
(white) biotechnology, materials technology, and
reaction and process design. These technology
areas have great potential to transform the chemical
industry and to create opportunities for new
European enterprises. In addition, due to their
many applications, they have the potential to
impact significantly on society and promote the
development of new sustainable technologies.
The Platform will also address public concerns
about effective management of risks to human
health and the environment, together with issues
that slow down the innovation process (ranging
from access to risk capital, stimulation of chemical
research careers and facilitation of industry-academia
research collaborations, to aspects of public
awareness).
One of the main goals is to maintain and
strengthen the competitiveness and sustainability
of the chemical industry in Europe by providing
the technology base for more sustainable chemical
production, products and services, as well as
improving the infrastructure and financial conditions
for innovation.
For more information, see www.cefic-sustech.org/
files/Publications/ETP_sustainable_chemistry.pdf.
◆
Paper recycling is increasing
in the United States
More than half of the paper used in the United
States in 2003 was recovered for recycling. The
American Forest and Paper Association (AFPA)
says this rate of recovery represents a 69% increase
since 1990. Currently 339 pounds (130 kg) of
paper is recovered per US citizen, compared with
233 pounds in 1990. The group reports that more
than 80% of all paper mills in the US use recov-
78 ◆ UNEP Industry and Environment April – September 2004