Chapter 1 - Preamble

Section 1 - Social & Economic Dimensions

Section 2 - Conservation and Management of Resources

Section 3 - Strengthening the Role of Major Groups
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32

Section 4 - Means of Implementation

Complete text of Agenda 21: Chapter 30
Chapter 30: Business and Industry

Responsible entrepreneurship can play a major role in improving the efficiency of resource use, minimizing wastes and protecting human health and environmental quality.

Environmental management must be given the highest priority since it is a key to moving to sustainable practices. As part of this move, business and industry need to develop techniques and technologies that reduce harmful environmental impacts. The prices of goods and services should increasingly show the environmental costs of their production, use, recycling and disposal.

Some enlightened business leaders are already implementing product stewardship in the management and use of resources. They are fostering openness and dialogue with employees and the public and are carrying out environmental audits and assessments of compliance with environmental laws and regulations. They are taking voluntary measures to see that their activities have minimal impact on human health and the environment.

Businesses should report annually on their environmental records, and their use of energy and natural resources. They should adopt environmental codes of conduct, such as the Business Charter on Sustainable Development of the International Chamber of Commerce and the chemical industry’s Responsible Care programme.

Governments should:

• Use economic incentives, laws, standards and more streamlined administration to promote sustainably managed enterprises with cleaner production.
• Encourage the creation of venture-capital funds for sustainable development projects.
• Cooperate with business, industry, academia and international organizations to support training in the environmental aspects of enterprise management.

  Business and industry should:

  
  
  
• Develop policies that result in operations and products that have lower environmental impacts.
• Ensure responsible and ethical management of products and processes from the point of view of health, safety and the environment.
• Make environmentally sound technologies available to affiliates in developing countries without prohibitive charges.
• Encourage overseas affiliates to modify procedures in order to reflect local ecological conditions and share information with governments.
• Create partnerships to help people in smaller companies learn business skills.
• Establish national councils for sustainable development, both in the formal business community and in the informal sector, which includes small-scale businesses, such as artisans.
• Increase research and development of environmentally sound technologies and environmental management systems.

Business and industry, including transnational corporations, and their representative organizations, have a critical role in helping the world achieve the Agenda 21 goals for sustainable development.

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