Business and environment: Sustainability through responsibility

Executives from more than 200 large organisations in Cyprus consider environmental pollution to be a serious problem and accept that there is a direct link between human activities and environmental pollution, a recent survey has found.

They consider air pollution, waste management and sea/ water/ groundwater contamination as the biggest environmental concerns.

The findings of the survey, presented during a conference on “Business and Environment: Sustainability through responsibility” organised by the PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Chair in applied Accounting Research at Intercollege, also show that a significant number of companies believe that they should keep a record of the quantities and types of waste generated by their operations and to commence implementing on-site facilities for minimising atmospheric emissions.

The results of the research were presented by the owner of the Chair, Dr. Maria Krambia – Kapardis, at the Intercollege campus on July 5 during an event that was also addressed by Agriculture and Natural Resources Minister Photis Photiou, while Commissioner for the Environment Charalambos Theopemptou elaborated on the government’s efforts on environmental issues.

In his speech, Phidias Pilides, CEO, PricewaterhouseCoopers, said: “Τhe environment is closely associated with the peace of mind, physical health, the effective operation of the economy, and the quality of life. It should be each and everyone’s responsibility to respond to the environmental destruction of our planet.” He declared that PwC will contribute to the annual reforestation of the areas that were burned recently in the Troodos mountains.

Prof. Adele Thomas of the University of Johannesburg shared with the participants her knowledge and experiences on the challenges faced today by the leaders for the development of environmentally responsible organisations. Tasos Procopiou, member of the board of PwC, Advisory Services, coordinated with Dr. Maria Krambia – Kapardis the presentation of the survey and noted: “The complexity of the environmental issues demands a new relationship between science, business and the society. It constitutes a firm commitment and consistency to practices that respect and protect the environment.”

The report of the survey is available at the PwC website at  www.pwc.com/cy