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Business and Environment

It is generally agreed that environmental sustainability must be build on long-term economic and social sustainability and that the challenge of sustainable development requires integration of economy and environment in all sectors and at all levels. The objectives of private sector led economic growth in a globally competitive world are not necessarily compatible with the state and/or community led objectives of social equity and environmental protection. This page lists and rates internet resources related to the interface between Business and the Environment.

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Last updated May 24th 2005

no star: Average ; Fair ; Good ; Very good ; Excellent ; Outstanding

Sites are reviewed individually and rated mostly according to content depth and value added, while also considering ease of navigation and speed of loading. For each category best resources are listed first.

IISD: Business, Entrepreneurs and Sustainable Development Created by the International Institute for Sustainable Development , this site is based on the belief that "a sustainable business has interdependent economic, environmental and social objectives, and understands that long-term viability depends on integrating all three objectives in decision-making." The site is divided in several sections (Sustainable Development and Business Options, Corporate Sustainable Development Reporting , Sustainable Development and Entrepreneurs, etc). Do not miss the "Business Strategy for Sustainable Development " and the "EarthEnterprise Tool Kit". A "Must" site. NIPR: New Ideas in Pollution Regulation A World Bank site for researchers, government officials, and citizens interested in understanding and improving control of industrial pollution, especially in developing countries. An immensely rich and essential site. Do not miss the working papers and the incredibly extensive set of outside links in the "on the Net" section. A truly excellent site. GreenBiz.com This nonprofit organization provides environmental information, resources, and tools to the mainstream business community in order to help companies integrate environmental responsibility into their operations in a manner that combines ecological sustainability with profitable business practices. An excellent site and a true resource center. I particularly liked their tool box and their reference desk which includes close to 700 sites. EPA - Business and Industry Part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website, this section on Business & Industry provides quick access to Regulations & Legislation, Small Business Information, Compliance Assistance Centers, Envirofacts, etc. An excellent and very rich site. Green Pages: The Global Directory for Environmental Technology This electronic directory system offers a quick way to find information on leading suppliers of environmental technologies from around the world. Extremely well structured site making it easy to find subsectoral information. Do not miss the editorial section. European Foundation Part of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, this sub-site on Sustainable Development has been specifically designed "to support the needs of the social partners at all levels in their activities to promote sustainable development from a practical company level to a policy level. In particular, it is hoped that employers and employees at small and medium sized companies will benefit from the information and tools provided." Excellent and very rich site, especially when one realizes that the "browse" button is essential when exploring the site. SD Gateway Developed by the Sustainable Development Communications Network ( a group of non-governmental organizations working together to find ways of using the Internet to meet the goals of sustainable development) the SD Gateway integrates the on-line information put together by its members. Although focusing on sustainable development at large it includes an important section on "Business and Trade". An excellent site. Enviro-Access - Center for Environmental Technologies Enviro-Access is a non-profit corporation, dedicated to helping small and medium-sized environmental sector organizations in the development of new technologies and in the advancement of their businesses.A very rich and interesting site. Do not miss their Environmental factsheets and their Enviro-links Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) is a public interest, not-for-profit environmental law firm founded in 1989 to bring the energy and experience of the U.S. public interest environmental movement to the critical task of strengthening and developing international and comparative environmental law, policy, and management around the world. Global Recycling Network GRN claims to be " the most comprehensive Recycling Information & Trading Resource on the Internet". It offers a one-stop solution to recycling information needs of business users, researchers, publishers and purchasing agents, while spurring the development of international trade of recyclable goods and services. Do not miss their news section and their excellent resource library. Global Green Standards This site is about ISO 14000 volontary standards which provide industry with a way to track, manage, and improve environmental performance without conflicting with the business priorities of an operation. They have been developed to assist organizations to achieve environmental and economic gains through the implementation of effective environmental management systems. Consortium on Green Design and Manufacturing A multidisciplinary research and educational partnership between industry, government and academia, the Consortium on Green Design and Manufacturing (CGDM) was formed to encourage multidisciplinary research and education on environmental management and pollution prevention issues in critical industries. Very good research and publications sections. World Business Council for Sustainable Development The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is a coalition of 122 international companies united by a shared commitment to the environment and to the principles of economic growth and sustainable development. Its members are drawn from 34 countries and more than 20 major industrial sectors. Do not miss their "focus areas" in policy development and best practice. Center of Excellence for Sustainable Development The Center of Excellence for Sustainable Development helps communities design and implement innovative strategies that enhance the local economy as well as the local environment and quality of life. US focused but quite good. Do not miss the excellent "sustainable development toolkit". Environmental Colours of Microfinance Part of the Informal Credit Homepage (see ENTERWeb subpage on microcredit), the main interest of the "Environmental colors of microfinance" site is the section on "Enabling the link between Microcredit and Environment" which attempts to provide guidelines on environmental assessment for microfinance institutions and microenterprise activities.A truly "World Premiere" in the area of microenterprise development. Waste Prevention Association WPA is a registered, non-governmental and non profit environmental organisation whose mission is to promote clean production methodology, waste reduction at source, and environmentally friendly waste management: segregation and recycling, as well as rational utilisation of "historical" waste. The World Wide Web Virtual Library: Environmental Law The WWW Virtual Library on Environmental Law is maintained by the Indiana University School of Law in Bloomington.It is a meta-index providing a list of Web resources dealing with the issue of environmental law. Interesting but should be looked at in parallel with other WWW libraries dealing with business and commercial law as well as international law. SustainableBusiness.com The purpose of this site is to keep track of what is happening in the "green economy", its philosophy being that environmental sustainability is, in commercial terms, a business driver of immense significance.Interesting site. Do not miss the links directory section. The Global Network of Environment & Technology (GNET) The Global Network of Environment & Technology (GNET) "uses communications and information technology to bring together the information, resources and people that shape the environment and technology marketplace." Do not miss the "site map" which in my view provides the quickest way to identify interesting information. Sustainable Business Network Part of the Envirolink network, the Sustainable Business Network aims to act as a catalyst to change, in the way we look at sustainable business and the environment. Of particular interest are the SBN journal and the SBN library. International Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement The International Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement, INECE is an international partnership to promote effective environmental compliance and enforcement through networking, capacity building and enforcement cooperation. Particularly interesting are their capacity building documents and also their special topic and country example papers. Center for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES) CERES is a non profit coalition of investors, public pension funds, foundations, labor unions, and environmental, religious and public interest groups, working in partnership with companies toward the common goal of corporate environmental responsability worldwide.Do not miss the CERES principles and the CERES reporting forms. International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development The International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) was established to contribute to a better understanding of development and environment concerns in the context of international trade. Although the focus is mostly on international trade, environmental issues are also part of the picture. Do not miss the calendar of events and the publications section. Enterprise for the Environment This project of the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) aims to address comprehensive reform and improvement of the environmental protection system and the economic policies that drive public and private decisions affecting the environment. Do not miss the "roundtables" which provide an international perspective, and the report on " Integrating Business Methods With Environmental Management". Biotrade Initiative Website Launched by UNCTAD the BIOTRADE Initiative is an integrated approach towards trade, biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. It therefore encourages the establishment of partnerships between the private sector, local and indigenous communities, and developed and developing countries. A potentially important website which development is unfortunately lagging behind. Investor Responsibility Research Center IRRC provides research and advice for institutional and private investors on issues related to corporate governance, the environment as well as social issues.Their website includes the Executive Summary of their 1998 Corporate Environmental Profiles Directory.