Environmental Law
The Environment Protection Act 1990 uses the following definitions:
The “environment” consists of all, or any, of the following media –
The air – including the air within buildings and the air within other natural or man-made structures above or below ground.
Water
Land
“Pollution of the environment” means pollution of the environment due to the release (into any environmental medium) from any process of substances capable of causing harm to man or any other living organisms supported by the environment.
The “harm” to man includes offence caused to any of his senses or harm to his property.
Not so long ago it seemed, for many, unimportant to consider environmental issues. How times have changed.
As governments across the world acknowledge the damage that man has caused to the environment we have seen reams of legislation and numerous initiatives to slow if not reverse the process. We talk of “protecting” the environment but in reality the best that can be done in the foreseeable future is to make it no worse polluted than we have made it already.
There are numerous ways in which man pollutes the environment but here we concentrate on:
1. Carbon pollution (leading to climate change)
4. Neighbourhood pollution (e.g. litter, graffiti, fly posting etc.)
For businesses, creating and implementing an environmental policy can help community goodwill and customer loyalty.
The policy need not be involved but can simply state the organisations commitment to the environment, the measures being taken to reduce pollution and to minimise waste, with particular emphasis on legislative compliance. The policy should also refer to long-term plans for increasing energy efficiency and maximising re-cycling.
All PBS information sheets are designed to provide the detail you need to implement best business and employment practices. They are not a detailed commentary on the current law and where advice is needed in a specific case you should contact PBS for expert consultation.
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