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Major
competitors collaborate to improve environmental performance of footwear
industry.
With the support of US-AEP, footwear giants Nike, Reebok, Adidas, and
others recently held a two-day environmental performance workshop for their
suppliers. "Tools and Strategies for Improving Profits and Environmental
Performance in Apparel and Footwear Manufacturers" was held October 21-22 in
Pattaya, Chonburi, Thailand. More than 65 participants attended the
training, equally representing supplier and buyer companies from the
economies of Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, People�s Republic of China,
Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, United States, and Vietnam.
This event was organized by US-AEP�s Clean Technology and Environmental
Management (CTEM) team, US-AEP�s Office of Technology Cooperation in
Thailand, and Business for Social Responsibility (BSR). The Pan Group�a
major supplier to the participating multinationals and an environmental
leader in Thailand�hosted the workshop at its training facility in Chonburi.
Mr. Narong Chokwattana, CEO of the Pan Group, gave an eloquent keynote
speech on his company�s sustainable development program, through which a
number of Pan Group companies are becoming ISO 14001 certified. Executives
and officials from several organizations�including the Thai Department of
Industrial Works, Thai Environmental Institute, Nike, Reebok, Patagonia, and
BSR�also made presentations.
The workshop focused on three objectives: (1) to introduce environmental
management systems (EMS), tools, and best practices to suppliers that are
taking first steps towards environmental performance improvement; (2) to
assist companies (both buyers and suppliers) in implementing EMS; and (3) to
strengthen the capacity of Asian industrial outreach organizations to
replicate the workshop for their members and other relevant groups. This
third objective was met through the participation of extension agents such
as the Sri Lanka Apparel Exporters Association, Indonesian Pollution
Prevention Roundtable, Federation of Thai Industries, Ministry of Industry�s
Bureau of Industrial Sector Development, and Thai Garment Manufacturers
Association.
Each participant gained valuable tools, information, or linkages that
will contribute to his or her organization�s environmental performance.
Deemed a success by each of the stakeholders, this workshop will be a base
upon which to build future cooperation among buyers and suppliers, as well
as improved environmental performance in the footwear industry as a whole.
US-AEP-supported industrial performance study examined at APEC meeting.
The world's leading experts on industrial environmental performance
measurement will convene in Irvine, California, November 1-4 as part of an
Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) symposium, "The Use of Industrial
Performance Indicators by APEC Economies." The four-day event is being
organized by the U.S. National Academy of Engineering/U.S. National Research
Council with assistance from US-AEP and the Council of Academics of
Engineering and Technological Sciences (CAETS).
Last year, US-AEP commissioned the U.S. National Academy of Engineering
to study the use and potential improvement of industrial environmental
performance indicators in the American industries of auto manufacturing,
chemicals, electronics, and pulp and paper. The results of these studies
will be presented at the symposium. Similarly, 10 other APEC economies that
actively participated in this U.S.-led effort will present the results of
parallel studies on environmental performance metrics in the food
processing, housing construction, textiles, and energy sectors.
Participating economies include Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong,
Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Singapore, and Chinese Taipei. APEC
economies not conducting studies, but participating as observers, include
Malaysia and Thailand.
The objective of this conference is to assemble an international group of
researchers, industry experts, decision makers, and policy specialists to
discuss new developments in environmental performance metrics and to provide
direction for future efforts. The long-term goal: to develop a set of
standardized environmental performance metrics for industry. Specific
emphasis will be placed on identifying global best practices in the use of
industrial environmental performance indicators/metrics; determining how
these metrics can best be employed to spur both environmental and economic
improvement; evaluating the opportunities and challenges associated with the
development and implementation of improved metrics in both the long- and
short-term; and investigating industry's role in the drive toward
sustainability.
Invited keynote speakers are John H. Gibbons, past U.S. Science Advisor
to the President; Robert Eaton, Chairman and CEO, Chrysler Corporation; and
Robert Shapiro, President and CEO of Monsanto. Peter Kimm, US-AEP's
Executive Director, will provide closing remarks. Industry speakers from
Asia include representatives of Seiko, Mitsubishi Electric, and Samsung.
The NAE study and conference in Irvine are groundbreaking in a number of
ways. An unusually large number of APEC economies are participating, and the
U.S. and Asian private sectors are working closely together. In addition,
senior industry executives from a wide range of sectors are attending the
Irvine conference. Their commitment demonstrates the importance of this
topic and its relevance to the APEC economies. Look for information on
outcomes of this event in a future edition of UPDATE.
U.S.
incineration technology used to combat waste in Korea.
According to US-AEP�s Office of Technology Cooperation in Korea, South
Korea generated almost 149,000 tons of solids waste per day on average in
1996�the latest year for which Korea�s Ministry of Environment (MOE) can
provide official data. Since it is extremely difficult to find adequate
landfill sites in Korea, the government has instituted a major policy shift
and now intends to expand its use of incineration for disposal. Although
total investment in municipal solid waste incineration facilities amounted
to just $213 million in 1996, MOE officials expect new investment of $1.4
billion to fund the construction of 43 additional municipal solid waste
incineration plants by 2001. This interest in incineration technology is
paying off for U.S. company AMCO from Woodmere, New York. US-AEP Technology
Representative Chi-Sun Lee has been actively promoting the company�s
capabilities for the last two years, and recently, AMCO reached a $975,000
agreement with A-Sung Engineering Co., Ltd. to supply and install equipment
for the Taejon Incineration Project. In the near future, the U.S. company
expects to finalize a sale for the Cheju City Incineration Project. |
