|
India
exchange focuses on hazwaste law.
A US-AEP Environmental Exchange enabled Vijay Panjwani �Standing Counsel
for the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in the Ministry of
Environment of India, representative of the Board before the Supreme Court,
and president of the Indian Environmental Protection Group� to discuss
hazardous waste laws, regulations, and management with various U.S.
counterparts during a 10-day visit, June 8-19. Panjwani met with
representatives of University of California's Center for Responsible
Sustainable Resource Development, Golden Gate University's School of Law,
California State Attorney General, Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA)
Region 9 Office of General Counsel, in California; Lewis & Clark
Northwestern School of Law, Oregon Environmental Council, Oregon Department
of Environmental Quality, in Oregon; and the Environmental Law Institute,
Center for Health, Environment, and Justice, PRC Environmental, and the
USEPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, in Washington DC. On
his return, Panjwani will apply what he learned to the safe collection,
transport, and disposal of hazardous wastes in Indian industry, and develop
strategies for the training of regulators, inspectors, and customs officials
working in the field. US-AEP's
Environmental Exchange
Program is implemented by the Institute of
International Education.
ACEC survey
finds lack of knowledge limits exports.
A recent study commissioned by the
American
Consulting Engineers Council (ACEC) found that nearly three-fourths of
its members, who said consulting engineering was their main business, were
not exporting their services outside the United States. Non-exporting firms
cited lack of expertise in the methods of exporting and in assessing foreign
markets as key obstacles. Also cited were lack of contacts in foreign
markets, difficulty in gaining foreign market entry, lack of capital, and
inadequate commitment of resources by the company. The study confirmed,
however, that exporting firms were happy with their decision to seek
business abroad, and that 54 percent of the firms currently not exporting
wanted to sell their services outside the United States. Through its partnership program
with US-AEP, ACEC is working to expand the participation of U.S. firms in
Asia and to strengthen their competitiveness. Assistance to U.S. companies
includes seminars (see below), advice on project opportunities and
competition, business services, and project finance assistance.
Business
seminar encourages export market development.
ACEC's pilot International Business Seminar, held June 25 in Leesburg,
Virginia, provided the 14 participating firms with strategies and resources
necessary to invest in international market development. Attendees
represented an array of firm sizes and levels of international experience.
This mix created valuable discussions on lessons-learned in the
international market and provided networking opportunities among firms
possessing different capabilities and areas of expertise. Seminar panelists
presented perspectives on international market development from the World
Bank, U.S. Trade and Development Agency, legal environment, and both large
and small Architectural and Engineering firms. Participants were exposed to
cultural sensitivities involved in such transactions and taken through a
step by step process on international business planning. For those that
missed the seminar, course materials and case studies are available for a
fee from ACEC. Please contact JoAnn Cavanah by tel: 202-347-7474, fax:
202-842-2436, or e-mail: intl@acec.org.
News from
the field.
In Korea, US-AEP and the state of California participated in ENVEX '97,
an international exhibition on environmental technologies in Seoul, June
8-11, and presented a catalog display of ten new-to-market and two
old-to-market California firms. The show brought together 237 companies from
14 countries with a focus on water, wastewater, and waste treatment
technologies, air and water monitoring, and lab testing equipment.
US-AEP/Korea reports that our participation generated 85 serious trade leads
for U.S. companies.
In the Philippines, the country's premiere annual environmental trade
fair and seminar, ENVIRONTECH, was held June 26-28 in Cebu City. US-AEP
shared a booth with Philippine Business for the Environment, the organizer
of the event. The trade fair, which was visited by industries and government
officials concerned with pollution prevention and control, provided a
valuable opportunity for US-AEP to extend its network and promote U.S. clean
technology. As a result of our participation, ten trade leads were
generated.
The Philippines Institute of Chemical Engineers with the assistance of
US-AEP/Philippines sponsored a technical session on ISO 14000 and the new
DAO37, an environmental impact assessment system developed by the Department
of Environment and Natural Resources. The session, held June 16, was
attended by 90 chemical engineers. US-AEP Tech Rep Alma Madrazo secured
speakers for the event and served as moderator.
In Indonesia, US-AEP participated in the Jakarta Environmental Expo,
sponsored by the Ministry of Environment and BAPADAL. The trade show, held
June 4-8, attracted six companies from Louisiana, Maine, and Arizona, and
US-AEP arranged one-on-one meetings for them with Indonesian firms. The U.S.
delegation, sponsored by US-AEP's Overseas Program Fund, was also briefed on
the environmental market and regulations in Indonesia by a panel of selected
engineering firms and the director of the Bureau of International
Cooperation at the Ministry of Environment. The Overseas Program Fund is
administered by the National Association of State Development Agencies.
In India, Tech Rep Sundaresan Subramanian was interviewed in Chennai by
All India Radio on energy efficiency and environment in Tamil Nadu. The show
was broadcast June 17.
What's new
on the 'Net.
Looking for sources of information on cleaner production? Try the United
Nations International Development Organization (UNIDO) website at
www.unido.org for industry sector reviews, available technologies and
processes, cleaner production programs, and hot links to other sites.
Also check out www.environmentonline.com, a site maintained by
VerticalNet �a group of trade communities on the Internet devoted to
product, technology, and regulatory information for professionals working in
environmental industries. Environment Online is the springboard to online
communities for water/wastewater, pollution control, public works, solid
waste, and engineering. Each community provides industry news,
manufacturers, technology announcements, new project releases, regulatory
updates, employment opportunities, full searching capabilities, discussion
groups, and a newsletter.
Make note.
Lisa Lumbao, US-AEP Communication Specialist based in Manila, has new
contact numbers: Tel: 632-750-7086, Fax: 632-750-7085, E-mail:
irg@epic.net
|
