BUSINESSES SHOULD ENCOURAGE THE DEVELOPMENT AND DIFFUSION OF ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY TECHNOLOGIES.

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What can companies do?

At the basic factory site or unit level, improving technology may be achieved by:

• changing the process or manufacturing technique;
• changing input materials;·
• making changes to the product design or components; and
• reusing materials on site.

Strategic level approaches to improving technology include:

• Establishing a corporate or individual company policy on the use of environmentally sound technologies
• Making information available to stakeholders that illustrates the environmental performance and benefits of using such technologies
• Refocusing research and development towards ‘design for sustainability’
• Use of life cycle assessment (LCA) in the development of new technologies and products
• Employing Environmental Technology Assessments (EnTA)
• Examining investment criteria and the sourcing policy for suppliers and contractors to ensure that tenders stipulate minimum environmental criteria
• Co-operating with industry partners to ensure that ‘best available technology’ is available to other organizations

(Source: Principle 9)