Rupert Howes

Reconciling wealth creation and environmental care is one of the key challenges in the pursuit of sustainable development. Companies considering greener modes of operation are mindful of their formal responsibilities to advance shareholders' interests. The age of globalization and intensified competition has increased disincentives to be 'green' for its own sake. And yet, a surprisingly high proportion of large companies have put in place environmental management regimes and invest considerable time and resources in them. However, the public continues to believe that these companies are failing to take their environmental responsibilities seriously, and campaigners are unimpressed with the results of industrial self-regulation. In short, there is a gulf in perception between industry and the consumer. Clean and Competitive explores the challenge of motivating industry to address environmental issues, drawing on work undertaken by Sussex University's Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) and the Centre for the Exploitation of Science and Technology (CEST). The authors explore in detail industrial responses to prominent environmental issues, including: climate change, air quality, water pollution, waste minimization, and product recycling. They assess various approaches to environmental problems, such as: traditional regulation, partnership, voluntary agreements, and market-based instruments. Finally, they recommend practical ways forward for addressing an ever more complex environmental agenda. This thoughtful and articulate text is recommended for students on environmental management courses, policy makers, and environmental managers within industry.

This book provides an introduction to the dynamic subject of corporate environmental accounting. It outlines the business case and rationale for engaging in environmental accounting. It also illustrates how leading UK companies are already adding value and reducing risk through the use of innovative environmental accounting techniques and methodologies. The second part of the book presents an environmental accounting tool kit which focuses on external cost accounting. The methodology detailed in this section provides a tool to estimate the environmental sustainability of a company's activities and operations. The methodology presented has been developed by the sustainable development organisation Forum for the Future, a UK registered charity, with support from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). It is an introductory guide to environmental accounting. It will help organisations identify and cost their impact on the environment.