Introduction
The concerns associated with general environment in both developing and the developed world are moving from a continental problem to a global phenomenon which requires the joint effort of all stakeholders to tackle. It is interesting that as these varying issues of global warming, fossil fuel consumption increase and GHG emission rates top the agenda on the problems that needs to be tackled in the developed countries, most developing countries appear to be less bothered. The rate at which these developed countries try to do their best to retrace their steps in remedying the wrong done to the environment can however be put into perspective by developing nations, who have not gone to extent of causing irreparable damage to their environments in the name of industrialization. The aim of the writer in this article is to however make an attempt to call SME and major corporations attentions to areas of environmental management which their companies may adopt in reducing their environmental impacts in the process of production.
The state of nature
Industrialization in the last century can still be described as the best thing that has happened to man kind since the stone age. The level of development and the rate at which this happened has significantly improved the life of man at a rate that has been exponential. This development has however brought a couple of shortcomings along with its attempt to ease life of men. Heavy metal generated from unrestricted mining and release post use of metals may threaten the vitality of the ecosystem. Also human activities have increased the amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere through burning of fossil fuel that supports the world energy and mobility system. These activities have however threatened the functioning of the biosphere with the phenomenon of climate change serving as a prominent example of adverse and unforeseen effects.
As biodiversity continues to suffer through chemicals being pumped into the atmosphere leading to depleting and extinction of different species of animals, human activities still continue in areas that are even more detrimental to the climate. Thirty percent and 15 percent respectively of birds and plants species on the IUCN Red list have been recorded threatened by non native species in the 2000 assessment, and this figures appear similar in the 2009 assessment. At this present rate of activities, it can be predicted that more animals are likely to face extinction in the next couple of decades if measures are not taken to reduce the effect of our activities on the climate. Other areas affected are vanishing forests which are d disappearing by clear felling, burning, flooding and degradation which stands at an annual rate of over 10 million hectares per yer. As companies and governments are making effort to bridge this gap through sustainability and sustainable development, efforts have been made through policies and standards to put the environment into more consideration than what it has usually being.These efforts have led to the United Nations and other organizations making effort to make rules and standards at different level in making changes which has become the blueprint of tackling climate change in this present century.
UNFCCC and The Kyoto Protocol
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was drafted specifically to solve the problem of climate change and provide a legal framework for this area which requires urgent attention. The UNFCCC entered into force on 21 March 1994 and has since gained universal membership with 195 countries having ratified it as at the time of writing this article. The Convention actually recognized there was a problem and urged the countries to act in the interest of human safety even in the face of scientific uncertainty. It also set lofty goals of stabilizing the greenhouse gas concentration and also a time bound one. Another very laudable step of the Convention was to put the onus of leading the way on developed countries( Annex 1 Countries) as they serve as the greater source of greenhouse gas emission. It further provides for an avenue for funds to be directed to climate change activities in developing countries through a system of grants and loans being set up through the Convention. This fund is managed by the Global Environment Facility which unites 183 countries in partnership with international institutions, civil society organizations and private sector to address global environmental issues while supporting sustainable development initiatives.
...to be continued next week
