Environmental responsibility
Environmental responsibility is a significant component of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Production activities of companies, whether these are goods or services, have a significant impact on the ecosystem balance. The environmental responsibility of some companies in terms of water and land quality degradation and air pollution are now clear for all to see. However, not all of them contribute to reducing their footprint on the environment the same way. Some of them still refuse to take the necessary action to limit their environmental impact.
The Up Group has launched an ambitious environmentally friendly purchasing policy. This policy aims at selecting partners and suppliers that respect national and international standards. The Up Group’s CSR policy does not end there. It also invites its main partners to develop their CSR policy by guiding them through the procedures and necessary steps to reach standards.
There are 3 main principles regarding environmental responsibility for a company.
The first one is related to sustainable development. A company has to have the necessary means to set up and manage sustainable practices. Its goal is to provide a positive impact on environment and society.
One goal is to ensure that the energy costs of the company don’t exceed the ecological threshold limits of the environment.
The company is committed in an accounting transparency process and sets up a process aimed at including all stakeholders.
The company has to conduct a strong policy to continually succeed in decreasing the negative impact on environment. It is therefore about reducing the volume of waste and better sorting it, reducing energy or water consumption, and reducing air or water pollution.
In France, the law of August 1, 2008, implemented the “polluter pays” principle and created a new “environmental responsibility” for companies. This jurisprudence, following the Erika disaster (an oil spill that reached the Breton coast because of the shipwreck of an oil tanker), was faced in 2016 by the Biodiversity Act. The polluter pays principle represents the environmental responsibility face-off of operators, because of their professional activity, in cases of major damage or imminent threat of major damage towards the environment.
Environmental responsibility requires more than a voluntary policy, it requires ongoing efforts.