The current rate of species extinctions is between 100 and 1,000 times greater than natural rates.  Currently 12% of bird species, 23% of mammal species and at least 32% of amphibian species are threatened with extinction globally due to human activities that result in habitat loss, pollution and over-harvesting.  How do we maintain the delicate balance between progress and conservation of the environment?

The UK produces around 330 million tonnes of waste annually.  This is increasing by around 3% per year and is increasingly difficult to dispose of safely and cleanly.  The cost of disposal in landfill sites is expected to rise, and financial penalties for firms who have a negative impact on the environment will become more widespread.  This “Polluter Pays Principle” is gaining support throughout Europe and the OECD countries, as it shifts responsibility of waste disposal from governments to individual firms, who are more likely to engage in recycling or other efforts to reduce the environmental harm they cause.  Eco-taxes have a similar purpose, providing tax cuts to companies who engage in ecologically sustainable activities.

Global warming provokes debate, but one thing most scientists agree on is that the planet is warming, and climate change will affect everyone.  In the worst case scenario, rising sea levels could devestate coastal and low-lying communities.  This is extreme but even the small changes observed so far have impacted on business.  Farmers have had to adjust their plans to fit in with the changing seasons, and different types of crops are now able to survive in locations where it was once too cold.  For the first time in hundreds of years, it has become possible to raise cattle and start dairy farms in Greenland.

The natural environment affects businesses and individuals in a multitude of different ways:  fishermen along the North East coast have been inconvenienced by fishing quotas from the EU; Teesside’s chemical plants have adjusted their processes to reduce damage to the environment and local population, and calls for more renewable energy have led to the emergence of biomass processors and wind turbines, such as those off the coast of Blyth.  Awareness of environmental issues is increasing steadily and as such, industry is expected to act with the utmost environmental responsibility.

Fact File

• The North East industry, commerce and households produce around 12 million tonnes of waste each year.

• The hottest 15 years on record have all occurred since 1980, with the hottest 5 happening in the last decade.

• More than 18,000 people in the North East live in areas at risk of flooding.

• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that sea levels will rise by 100-900mm in the next century.