Conclusions
XIII
We have to distinguish between corporate environmental policy and precautionary principles defined by the state. Corporate management policy should actively
formulate and cover environmental guidelines and performance criteria. Companies
should demonstrate an environmental responsibility, and should develop a detailed
environmental protection plan (EPP) for every stage of planning, construction and
operation of a project. Companies need to be more visible by demonstrating positive
environmental action and by subscribing to international guidelines and codes of
conduct.
Environmental policy by state is based on three main principles: 1) the polluter
pays principle; 2) the cooperation principle (integrated approaches); 3) the pollution
prevention principle.
The latter should be extended to include as an important precautionary principle
the avoidance of negative impacts on physical habitats. Temporary impacts in most
cases cause short-term effects, but there are others which cause long-term effects to
the extent of destroying physical habitats and their ecosystems. The precautionary
principle has to evaluate very carefully the implementation of large-scale projects to
avoid detrimental impacts as far as possible. There is an urgent need to take account
of regional differences and existing protected areas since protected and other sensitive areas have important environmental functions.
In the development of improved environmental policies and management aims,
science has an important role to play. However, scientists should improve the publicising of their contributions, while communication between scientists and politicians
must also be improved. Therefore, scientists must learn to make clear and understandable statements without the use of scientific jargon and decision/policy makers
should learn to formulate clear questions.
A possible contribution of science is the establishment of effective monitoring
programs to support decision-making processes by providing objective data and
facts. By means of monitoring programs we obtain the necessary data base and improve our understanding of the function of ecosystems and their natural and manmade changes. In this way it is possible to identify the impacts on the environment.
Furthermore, the assumptions made in EIAs can be checked and project evaluation is
made possible.
6
The proliferation of large-scale constructions in sensitive areas requires appli• cation of the precautionary principle and the consideration of the value of
nature. The method of cost benefit analysis (CBA) is a good tool for this purpose.
Standard CBA in general is a method of calculation of economic efficiency, but since
environmental resources and nature protection are inseparably linked with economic
development, CBAs should include all environmental, social, cultural and transborder-derived effects. Market economy may ruin the environment, and hence ultimately ruin itself, if the price structure does not reflect the ecological value of the
environment. This aspect has been totally ignored in the past, but today its significance is increasingly being recognized.
Wherever feasible and practicable, compensation for the loss of or the damage to
environmental resources and natural assets should be charged to the economic project. These compensation costs would then be added to the development and project
implementation costs.
XIII
We have to distinguish between corporate environmental policy and precautionary principles defined by the state. Corporate management policy should actively
formulate and cover environmental guidelines and performance criteria. Companies
should demonstrate an environmental responsibility, and should develop a detailed
environmental protection plan (EPP) for every stage of planning, construction and
operation of a project. Companies need to be more visible by demonstrating positive
environmental action and by subscribing to international guidelines and codes of
conduct.
Environmental policy by state is based on three main principles: 1) the polluter
pays principle; 2) the cooperation principle (integrated approaches); 3) the pollution
prevention principle.
The latter should be extended to include as an important precautionary principle
the avoidance of negative impacts on physical habitats. Temporary impacts in most
cases cause short-term effects, but there are others which cause long-term effects to
the extent of destroying physical habitats and their ecosystems. The precautionary
principle has to evaluate very carefully the implementation of large-scale projects to
avoid detrimental impacts as far as possible. There is an urgent need to take account
of regional differences and existing protected areas since protected and other sensitive areas have important environmental functions.
In the development of improved environmental policies and management aims,
science has an important role to play. However, scientists should improve the publicising of their contributions, while communication between scientists and politicians
must also be improved. Therefore, scientists must learn to make clear and understandable statements without the use of scientific jargon and decision/policy makers
should learn to formulate clear questions.
A possible contribution of science is the establishment of effective monitoring
programs to support decision-making processes by providing objective data and
facts. By means of monitoring programs we obtain the necessary data base and improve our understanding of the function of ecosystems and their natural and manmade changes. In this way it is possible to identify the impacts on the environment.
Furthermore, the assumptions made in EIAs can be checked and project evaluation is
made possible.
6
The proliferation of large-scale constructions in sensitive areas requires appli• cation of the precautionary principle and the consideration of the value of
nature. The method of cost benefit analysis (CBA) is a good tool for this purpose.
Standard CBA in general is a method of calculation of economic efficiency, but since
environmental resources and nature protection are inseparably linked with economic
development, CBAs should include all environmental, social, cultural and transborder-derived effects. Market economy may ruin the environment, and hence ultimately ruin itself, if the price structure does not reflect the ecological value of the
environment. This aspect has been totally ignored in the past, but today its significance is increasingly being recognized.
Wherever feasible and practicable, compensation for the loss of or the damage to
environmental resources and natural assets should be charged to the economic project. These compensation costs would then be added to the development and project
implementation costs.