Environmental sustainability

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The environmental compatibility (also ecological compatibility ) is a measure of the direct and indirect effects of a change in the environmental conditions caused by humans on soil, water, air, climate, humans, animals and plants. In political and commercial prose, however , “environmentally compatible” generally refers to a quality of a product or project that is rarely quantified, and often only vaguely described .

Economic aspect

From an economic point of view, environmental compatibility is the minimization of the environmentally damaging effects of economic, state and individual actions. From a social point of view, environmental compatibility means more satisfaction of needs with far less use of nature. Environmental compatibility corresponds to social compatibility .

Environmentally friendly management includes:

  • the economical use of raw materials and energy
  • the removal of contaminated sites and a compensation of the pollution of nature according to the biotope value method
  • the avoidance or reduction of noise, radiation, pollution of soil, water, air and living beings through the economic cycle (production, consumption and disposal)
  • the limitation of risks for nature and humans by renouncing far-reaching or incalculable threats presenting technologies

implementation

A minimum of environmental compatibility is required by law in environmental law. In the context of the approval of industrial plants, zoning plans, road construction measures etc., an environmental impact assessment must usually be carried out. In Germany this is regulated by the law on environmental impact assessments , in Switzerland by the environmental protection law .

An additional, voluntary environmental compatibility also brings the company improvements in the image , better sales opportunities , personnel motivation , cost reductions (savings in material and energy) and thus better creditworthiness and risk reduction ( health protection , avoidance of future contaminated sites ). The environmental compatibility of companies can be promoted through various means, for example through the purchasing behavior of consumers and government measures such as subsidies , tax reductions and incentive taxes ( environmental taxes ). Measures that have a small scope and / or a small effect, but are advertised intensively and effectively in the media in order to promote image , are, however, classified as greenwashing .

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