Should the government interfere so that green policies

are implemented?
Essay

An environment is the natural world that surrounds us. It is crucial to

keep it clean in order to live a healthy and peaceful life. Nevertheless, in the last
years the environmental pollution has become one of the biggest threats for Earth.
It endangers our existence and destroys our living environment and it can affect
significantly our future one day. Thus, here comes the question: should the
governments interfere by implementing green policies in order to manage such a
fundamental problem?

A green policy is a regulation concerning toxic substances including

pesticides and many industrial wastes. It can include laws and policies addressing
water and air pollution, chemical and oil spills, smog, drinking water quality, land
conservation and management, and wildlife protection, such as the protection of
endangered species.

Keeping employees informed about their roles and responsibilities,

concerning the environment, and creating a healthy environment for them should
be pointed out. Enhancing cost control, diminishing incidents that result in liability
and maintaining raw materials and energy are one of the main advantages of the
environmental policy. Applying green processes to the workplace identifies the role
that businesses play in leading the way for social change. Switching to an eco-
friendly office, store or products can temporarily decrease your profits and reduce
productivity. Hence, balancing the ways you go green minimizes the disadvantages
and maximizes the benefits of improving your carbon footprint in the community.

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 On other hand, Europe has already been very cautious about industrial
production, with countries struggling to get rid of fossil fuels and phasing out
nuclear energy at the same time. This results in a rise in the prices of energy for the
consumers, unreliable energy imports from countries that are less troubled with
environmentalism (i.e. Russia), and inefficient renewable energy subsidies.
Another detriment is that people looking to find employment and entrepreneurs are
struggling due to crushing government environmental regulations and taxes. Thus,
responding to environmental problems has always been a no-win premise for the
managers. Help the environment, but damage your business, or inevitably harm
your business while protecting the earth. Recently, nonetheless, a new insight has
arisen, promising reconciliation of environmental and economic concerns. In this
new world, both business and the environment can win. Being green is no longer a
charge of developing a business; it is a catalyst for innovation, new market
opportunity, and wealth creation.

In my opinion, if someone should be held responsible for protecting the

environment, that should be the government. By saying “the government”, I mean
the government in each country. There are several reasons why officials need to
pay more attention on conservation and implement green policies in order to
guarantee that we live on a “green” planet.

Firstly, the government has enough resources to accomplish diverse eco-

friendly projects. This can encourage community involvement as well. For
example, Stockholm has bio-fuel conversion plants that take sewage to produce
bio-fuel from them. These advancements are all a part of Stockholm’s
“GrowSmarter” project. You can also find citizens of the city using clothes made
from eco-friendly materials.

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 Secondly, the government can formulate sustainable development
strategies and use properly our limited land supply. Environmental taxes can be
used to address a wide range of issues – from water pollution to air emissions.
There are many successful environmental taxes in Europe. For example, Ireland
was one the first countries to propose a plastic bag levy. This resulted in a 90 %
reduction of plastic bag usage. What’s more, the money raised had been used to
help finance environmental projects. In 1994, Denmark introduced a tax on piped
water to cut down wastewater. The tax was 75 cents per cubic metre of water and
this endured a reduction of drinking water from 513 to 480 million cubic metres
between 1993 and 1995. Then in 2014, the tax was increased - once again resulting
in further reductions in water consumption.

In conclusion, governments play a significant role in protecting the

environment. It is their responsibility to save it from pollution and other activities
that may lead to an environmental crisis. This is fatal since it threatens the long-
term health of humans, animals and all other living creatures on Earth.