The State of U.S. Environmental Policy and Management
This report from the Sustainable Enterprise Institute finds that of the companies in the Russell 1000 index that have anything approaching an EHS policy, less than 10 percent include policies to make them effective.
From the introduction to the report:
The current state of corporate environmental policy and management is surprising, perhaps even shocking. Given the growing prominence of environmental issues and the seemingly ever-increasing number of senior executives who have made public statements touting the environmental programs of their companies, the summary above seems preposterous. Indeed, those familiar with companies’ environmental management efforts know that there are plentiful examples of companies that proactively manage environmental issues and are transparent about their policies, practices, and performance. Yet, as described in detail in this report, most of the largest and most valuable companies in the U.S. have an environmental policy in name, but little else to indicate appropriate management of environmental issues.
In fact, those interested in understanding the overall level of sophistication and maturity of corporate environmental management practices in the U.S. may find little information beyond that provided by a relatively small cross-section of large companies or the firms within specific sectors. There is currently no comprehensive, high-level environmental management profile of the largest and most valuable U.S. companies within the public domain.
To download the report, click here. [PDF Link]
