In response to environmental trends, the behavior of private companies is changing. As we haveseen and heard, there are many examples of corporate change in response to environmentalconcerns and pressure. Additionally, there are some regulatory programs that have taken hold -packaging take back laws, eco-labeling schemes, public reporting of emissions data, etc.Another dimension of the private company, its public relations division, has also become moreactive in the area of pollution prevention and sustainability. One consequence of this is thepossibility that these efforts become statements based more on wishful thinking and the desire toappear socially responsible, and less on technological advances and robust environmentalprograms. As we read in the Huffington Post article in Module 4, “It’s time”¦to do more than justflashy environmental public relations.”So as we observe this gradual, voluntary evolution in companies away from profit-seekingbehavior toward more sustainably comprehensive goals, it begs the following question: Couldmore progress be made if there were serious, mandated policies requiring the integration ofpollution prevention and environmental sustainability into a company’s business plan?For your final project, you will explore this concept of required pollution prevention policies:You are the Administrator for the US Environmental Protection Agency. The Presidenthas called you into his office and expressed some dissatisfaction with the lack of pollutionprevention statutes and regulations. He is unimpressed with the “voluntary’ approach topollution prevention and sustainability, and he gives you the responsibility of developing aset of policies that will “make us a sustainable country in one generation” (25 years).ContentCraft a set of three (3) policy mechanisms you would propose to accomplish this goal. Addressthe following policy attributes when developing your policies:a. Effective in changing the behavior of private companies.b. Effective in encouraging the development of new more environmentally preferredtechnologies.c. Publicly acceptable.d. Cheap to implement.Address these questions in your policy mechanisms also:Will your policies require changes to existing government-industry regulatoryrelationships?Will you make your policies enforceable, and how so, and by whom?
Attached within are more details titled Final Project. Also included are two relavent essays.
https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2013/09/23/does-it-benefit-your-company-to-go-green/
https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/blog/time-businesses-go-green-roi
