Top firms get poor marks on environment<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A number of multinational firms including the domestic
\nsubsidiaries of oil and gas firms Conocophillips, Caltex, Unocal,
\nTotal E&P and pharmaceutical firms Bayer and Pfizer got red
\nlabels for poor performance in environmental management, the
\ngovernment announced on Monday.<\/p>\n
A 2004-2005 environmental audit conducted on 466 selected
\nfirms showed that 150 of them were given the red mark and 72 got
\nblack for not doing enough in terms of environmental management.<\/p>\n
State Minister of the Environment Rachmat Witoelar said there
\nwere 14 firms that got black twice and the government would give
\nthem one month to improve.<\/p>\n
\"If they failed to improve or show goodwill to, my office will
\ntake them to court in civil or criminal suits based on damages
\nthey have inflicted on the environment,\" he told The Jakarta
\nPost.<\/p>\n
The Company Environmental Management Assessment Program
\n(PROPER) was first started in 1995 before the government
\nsuspended it in 1997, citing economic and political constraints.
\nThe program was resumed in 2002.<\/p>\n
PROPER has a color-coded system in declining order for
\ncompanies -- gold, green, blue, red and black -- with gold
\nindicating exemplary environmental performance and black
\nsubstandard performance.<\/p>\n
However, none of the companies audited this year received a
\ngold mark for satisfactory performance.<\/p>\n
The assessment is based on at least 50 criteria, including
\ncontrol of liquid waste, air pollution and hazardous waste,
\nimplementation of environmental impact analysis, management of
\nresources and environment and public involvement.<\/p>\n
The more criteria a company fulfills, the higher its rating.<\/p>\n
The audit, conducted between January 2004 and May 2005,
\nrevealed that 23 firms were given the green label and 221 the
\nblue label.<\/p>\n
Rachmat said the \"red firms\" were deemed not to have brought
\nharm to the environment yet, but were poor in environmental
\nmanagement.<\/p>\n
\"There are no sanctions against firms. But if any investors or
\npotential shareholders asked, I will have to mention that,\" he
\nsaid, adding that announcing the names of the firms should
\nencourage them to work harder on promoting good environmental
\nmanagement policies.<\/p>\n
According to the minister, his office had maintained close
\ncontact with the companies and therefore, most of them would not
\nbe surprised by these latest results.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/top-firms-get-poor-marks-on-environment-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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