A pro-business environmental advocacy group is formulating “industry report cards” that will gauge the compliance of energy and mining firms with laws on clean air and water, renewable energy and waste management, along with its efforts to help address climate change.
The newly launched group called Philippine Business for Environmental Stewardship (PBEST) is conducting the assessment as part of its advocacy campaign for industries to adhere to a more responsible stewardship of the environment.
According to PBEST lead convenor Victor Andres Manhit, these report cards are meant to influence these corporations to initiate or step up their ongoing programs addressing such environmental concerns as climate change, the devastating impact of which has been underscored by last week’s Supertyphoon “Yolanda.”
“We are committed to actively promoting sound developmental policies and advocating right governance that will ensure responsible stewardship of the environment as a requisite in the operations of all Philippine industries,” Manhit said.
Alongside these report cards, PBEST has lined up more activities aimed at raising public awareness of, and support for, a regulatory framework more conducive for firms to pursue eco-friendly corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs.
Manhit and other policy experts from the academe, business and government are at the forefront of this advocacy campaign for development initiatives designed for the effective regulation of Philippine industries when it comes to laws pertaining to environmental stewardship.
PBEST convenors aim to pursue their advocacy by monitoring the implementation of existing environmental policies and regulations, the compliance of regulated industries with such rules, and helping expose and prosecute offenders.
“Many local companies have adopted good environmental practices that even go beyond what is required of them,” said PBEST convenor Carlos Primo David. “Still, some prefer to ignore their environmental contracts. PBEST aims to provide an assessment tool that will segregate those that take to heart their environmental responsibilities and those that do not.”
Manhit said PBEST was working on grassroots-based campaigns to improve public awareness of the core principles of environmental stewardship, proposed policy reform initiatives, legislative advocacy and networking and performance monitoring of regulated industries’ compliance with environmental laws.
These core principles include resource management, or the quest for maximum benefit with the least damage and adequate rehabilitation; and pollution management, or the control of toxic contamination of the environment.
These principles further consist of solid waste management, or the promotion of recycling as a new resource; and productive and efficient land use, or the rational approach that conforms to the community’s economic, social and environmental needs, he added.
PBEST will also “actively advocate for and educate the people on good policies, research solutions and innovations, promote programs that are proven to be effective and link up with like-minded organizations,” he said.