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WHAT
ARE INDUSTRIAL EXTENSIONS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?
The model for industrial extensions
comes from the "Green Revolution" when countries around the world
established assistance organizations to "extend" support to farmers.
Agricultural extensions were designed to maximize the productivity of
farms by providing information on appropriate agricultural practices
and technologies. Similar to agricultural extensions, industrial
extensions provide assistance to industry. Services include:
developing technologies, processes, and management skills to maximize
industry's productivity and competitiveness. Increasingly, industrial
extension organizations are promoting eco-efficiency, thus maximizing
the use of materials and resources while eliminating the
inefficiencies of waste and pollution. US-AEP is strengthening Asian
industrial extensions for the environment so that they may better
support Asian industry's needs for cleaner, more eco-efficient
business practices.
WHAT IS US-AEP DOING TO PROMOTE INDUSTRIAL
ENVIRONMENTAL EXTENSION SYSTEMS?
- Identifying existing extension organizations that work with the
textile, electronics, automobile, chemical, and food processing
industries in Asia.
There are a variety of industrial extension organizations throughout
Asia. They exist within government agencies, business or industry
associations, consulting groups, academic and educational
institutions, non-governmental organizations, and research and
development groups. US-AEP's goal is to identify these organizations
and work with them to promote concepts of eco-efficiency and cleaner
production. US-AEP works with organizations that are substantively
engaged with industry and already have an active and aggressive
industrial outreach program. Successful extension organizations have
aggressive outreach, up-to-date information, technical expertise,
and an understanding of industry's needs. US-AEP has identified and
worked with extension organizations in Hong Kong, India, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand to provide
services to industry.
- Providing technical assistance to Asian industrial extensions on
eco-efficient practices and processes.
After the industrial extensions are identified, US-AEP works with
these organizations to provide resources that enhance their
capabilities in the areas of cleaner production and eco-efficiency.
US-AEP facilitates training, exchanges, workshops, and the gathering
of information. These programs help increase the level of
proficiency for the industrial extensions and the industries they
serve.
- Developing institutional linkages that facilitate the transfer
of information and technologies from the United States to Asia.
A wealth of valuable information exists within government,
nongovernmental, educational, and corporate institutions for the
development of cleaner industrial facilities. Many institutions
already realize the importance of sharing resources for cleaner
production and need only be "plugged" into an information network.
By linking industrial extensions into a networked system,
organizations share information on eco-efficient experiences,
practices, and technologies. Through professional exchanges,
workshops and seminars, US-AEP provides opportunities for Asian and
U.S. institutions to work together for cleaner industry.
WHAT BENEFITS DO EXTENSION ORGANIZATIONS OFFER TO
COMPANIES?
Each extension organization offers a variety of services depending
on the needs of their target companies and industries. Services
provided by industrial extensions include:
- Information on developing cleaner production processes.
Through the research and development programs of government and
academic institutions, industrial extensions have access to cutting
edge solutions for cleaner production.
- Knowledge of available technologies. Industrial
extensions provide un-biased information on technological
advancements.
- Technical training. Training programs can provide
industry representatives with practical knowledge for establishing
improved eco-efficiency, environmental management, and process
innovation.
- Information sharing. US-AEP engages U.S. and Asian
extension organizations to share information related on cleaner and
more efficient production.
EXAMPLE: Singapore�s Clean Technology and
Environmental Management Information Center
US-AEP works with the Singapore Confederation of Industries to
expand capabilities. The Singapore Confederation of Industries (SCI)
was founded as the Singapore Manufacturers Association in 1932.
Considered the preeminent national organization for industry, SCI has
more than 1,400 members representing all of Singapore's major
industrial sectors. The role of SCI is to promote the growth and
development of the manufacturing industry in Singapore. Within
specialized industry groups, SCI is able to reach out to companies
through direct lines of communication, providing information and
technical assistance for cleaner production.
US-AEP and SCI first worked together to establish Singapore's Clean
Technology and Environmental Management (CTEM) Information Center in
August 1996. Initially, the CTEM Information Center was designed to be
a clearing house for information on cleaner production/pollution
prevention practices, experience, and technologies. However, because
of great demand from SCI's membership, the CTEM Information Center now
provides outreach activities such as briefings, seminars, and
workshops for CEOs and industry associations. Seminar topics include
ISO 14000, ecolabeling, environmental due diligence, cleaner processes
and technologies, and financial incentives for pollution prevention.
The workshops' curricula focus on specific strategies for cleaner
production using simulation tools and site visits to prepare
Singapore's Environment Health and Safety Managers for the challenges
of cleaner production.
Through the US-AEP/SCI partnership, SCI's extension capabilities
have been expanded to provide needed services and information to
Singapore's industries. The CTEM information Center is recognized as a
source of information used by industry, government, academic
institutions, and a variety of private organizations.
EXAMPLE: Pollution Prevention Roundtables
Until recently, resources that addressed the environmental
deterioration of three decades of rapid industrial growth in Asia have
been inadequate. Industrial emissions continue to rise, clarifying the
need for cost-effective solutions such as pollution prevention
technologies and environmental management. Pollution prevention
roundtables providing such solutions in Europe and the
United States served as a model for US-AEP's strategy to develop
similar support networks for Asian industry. Roundtable organizations
facilitate the dissemination of resources and information for the
development of cleaner technologies and processes.
US-AEP and the U.S. National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR),
the largest membership organization in the United States devoted
solely to pollution prevention, joined forces in 1996 to promote the
development of pollution prevention/cleaner production roundtable
organizations in Asia. These roundtables facilitate information
exchange and foster the adoption of pollution prevention strategies
that promote waste minimization and in general, cleaner industry. NPPR
assisted in the establishment of roundtable organizations in the
Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia and has laid the groundwork for
roundtables in South Korea, and India.
The First Asia-Pacific Roundtable for Cleaner Production was held
in November 1997 as a collaborative effort between US-AEP, NPPR, and
the Royal Thai Pollution Control Department. This regionally focused
roundtable meeting brought experts on pollution prevention,
environmental management, and clean technologies from around the world
to Bangkok, Thailand. The event focused on several of US-AEP's key
issues, including greening the supply chain, environmental-industrial
development policies, corporate strategies for efficient and cleaner
production, and the use of voluntary business standards. Most
importantly, the Asia-Pacific Roundtable opened the lines of
communication for cooperation and information-sharing among
institutions dedicated to the development of cleaner industrial
regimes. |
