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ABSTRACT: Twenty-first century, come into view for a growing number of businesses and also its
environmental issues are emerging with increasing frequency as strategic problems. If human activity is to be
sustainable, then strategic behavior of companies must take account of the structural elements. Researchers
in the western societies are trying to realize how the companies amalgamate the sustainability issues into
their strategies. No such study has been reported on companies operating in the Asian countries especially on
Bangladesh. This paper reports the findings of a case study research on this issue, which was conducted on
three local and multination companies operating in Bangladesh. Two frameworks were applied to analyze the
nature and extent of integration of environmental management practices into the organizational strategic
planning process. The study reveals that the majority of the sample companies have well-developed
environmental management systems in place which satisfies the requirements of the strategic planning
criterion of the business excellence framework. There is no plethora report or findings on these issues but
here the researchers tried to conduct an empirical study which gave some expected findings at least.
Fundamental elements of industrial ecology Some of the most important causes of this change
are that the environmental technology industry in
Industrial-ecological research and practice today existing markets, environmental requirements
have much in common with ecological following the whole lifecycle of products are
modernization, which is a generic term for emerging in developing countries and form the basis
descriptions and analyses of established government for global industrial environmental standards. Again,
and economic actor’s response to pressure for action bi- and multilateral donors try to provide the
in environmental matters. Ehrenfeld (1994) claims necessary framework conditions for private
that what he calls the industrial ecology paradigm is investment and the establishment of new businesses
based on the following fundamental elements: in the environmental and energy sectors. (Jansen
1994).
1. The globe is a closed ecological system. The
goal is therefore regarded to be to optimize 6.2 Production and consumption faces of the
material cycles – both in terms of capital-, same problem:
energy- and resource use – from raw material via
processed material and product to waste product. Industrial production has contributed to the
Design for the environment is also central in this improvement of our quality of life. For most of us it
regard. is difficult to imagine not having access to consumer
2. The ecosystem has been developed in a close goods ranging from electronics, textile, foodstuff
relationship with each other. Nature has intrinsic and beverages to sophisticated transport and
value, visualized through economic activity, and communication means. However, while consuming,
we usually do not recognize the environmental costs from extraction, transportation, production and
involved because they are externalized (Kennedy, consumption. However, industries are certainly not
1996). The underprivileged sectors of society have the only factors that put pressure on the
to bear the consequences from pollution and the loss environment. Agricult ure, mining, forestry, fisheries,
of biodiversity, natural landscapes and cultural transport, housing, leisure and tourism also leave
heritage. Manufacturing still depends mainly on the their footprints on the environment. Among the most
extraction of natural resources and much less on the severe impasses directly and indirectly related to
use of recycled materials (Hall, 1991 and Reborati, production in general are:
1999). Production does not exist without
consumption; hence consumers are also responsible 1. Unrestricted exploitation of non-renewable
for the negative drawbacks from their adopted natural resources such as minerals and
lifestyle. Environmental education is a medium to petroleum;
long-term measure that can help to change 2. Monoculture production systems in agriculture
consumption and lifestyles towards the preference of and forestry, over fishing and overuse of
products that are less resource and more labor- freshwater resources in industry and agriculture;
intense (Hawken, 1993, pp. 116-22). This way 3. Contamination of soil, water and air due to
environmental damage could be prevented in first production processes;
place and expensive costs related to clean-ups and 4. Generation of waste and inadequate final
rehabilitation measures could be economized. destination of used products;
Production that creates high levels of employment 5. Reduction of biodiversity due to deforestation,
under fair conditions also contributes to a better erosion, and soil impermeable;
distribution of wealth. 6. Climate change in response to the emission of
greenhouse gases and damage to the ozone layer.
6.3 Industrial development and the environment:
7.1 Air pollution and industrial production:
The early industrialization in Bangladesh was based
on the expansion of the primary sector and the For being small and numerous these firms are often
import of raw materials. When the Government excluded from the public pressure to become
initiated a development shift towards import cleaner. Small-scale industries usually do not have
substitution and began to build up an independent the funds to upgrade their processes. They have to
national industry. These different periods of rely on government financial support or other low
industrial growth have originated a strong and interest funding schemes to improve their
diversified industrial sector, with a noticeable trend environmental performance.
towards manufacturing industrie s. The limits to
growth-oriented industrialization were obvious 7.2 The contamination of freshwater:
decades ago, when socio-economic inequities and
environmental impacts became evident. However, Bangladesh is the country with the greatest general
governmental policies still continued to stimulate great quantity in freshwater resources. Nevertheless,
investment in industrial production regardless of the there are certain regions and cities that are already
possible scope of resulting environmental trade-offs. facing severe water shortages. Most of the large
Often more sound developments are prevented in urban agglomerations already have to rationalize the
view of the actual and expected benefits from the distribution of drinking water during some periods
global economic market and from elevated of the year such as capital city Dhaka and
consumption levels. commercial capital Chittagong city. . Local
governments often lack effective measures to protect
7 ENVIRONMENTAL DRAWBACKS OF water quality or to avoid the waste of water. Public
PRODUCTION policies may further underline unequal access to
water; as industry, e.g. does not pay for the water
Environmental impacts are often considered extracted from rivers or wells and receives subsidies
necessary side effects of development or the price to for piped water. Recently, it was not even
pay in order to achieve progress (Furley, 1996; recognized as irresponsible or criminal to extract
Hesselberg, 1992; Weissman, 1993). The clean water from the river and to then deliver it in a
atmosphere, watercourses, oceans and holes in the polluted state, after having used it in production
ground left open from previous mining activities are processes. Most industrial production processes
treated as natural recipients for the waste resulting depend on clean water. Hence industries should also
have a vested interest in the conservation of water Much of the writing on environmental management
resources. Nevertheless, the prevailing principle derives from reports in industry trade press,
among business is still to deliver water of lower practitioner journals, and compendia by industry
quality. Lot of concerned or related project has experts (Kolluru, 1993). Three themes stand out:
failed to improve the water quality of this river
system. Together with domestic sewage, storm water 1. There is a need for more co-operative
and garbage these diffuse emission sources add to relationships between business, Government,
local and regional water pollution. Small industries and society if the environment is to be
usually do not have the necessary funds to become effectively protected;
properly equipped with technology to reduce 2. There is a need for new frameworks which
emissions or to restructure their production account for environmental costs; and
processes. 3. A number of “best practices” companies are
creating useful models for environmental
7.3 Waste generation and management: improvement.
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Company B