18/06/2012

On June 5, the 40th anniversary of World Environment Day was celebrated, created at the 1972 International Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm and which is currently promoted by the ONU, through its multiple bodies, namely by the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP). The most skeptical will ask: in times of reigning austerity, is this the right time to speak in an environment? We answered with confidence: this is the moment!

Let’s take 2012 as a starting point: the Green Economy – Does it include you? At a time of such profound economic and social changes, when structural reforms are being called for, nothing better than taking the path of a new economy hand in hand with the environment. It is possible to change for the better, creating more value with less impact. It is worth talking about the development of endogenous resources, enhancing what our regions offer us, whether with agribusiness, forest, wind, sun, water resources, so that we are less vulnerable to the volatility of the price of raw materials and be more competitive. This is the stage to root the bet on the decarbonisation of the economy, in the production of energy close to the place where it is consumed, in spending less energy for each unit produced. Currently with a new opportunity: the knowledge that the country has, as a result of the excellent initiatives developed and the qualified technical staff.

If the watchword is employment, it should be noted that companies in the environment and energy sector have been able to create jobs in a manifest counter-cycle with the rest of the economy. Promising industrial projects continue to develop in the agri-food sector, in the energy, distribution and energy efficiency sector, in the water supply sector, in the complex waste sector.

For those who understand that talking about the environment at this stage may be unreasonable, let us look at the data: between January and April there were more than 1800 corporate insolvency proceedings in Portugal, an increase of 41.54% over the previous year. In the environment and energy sector and according to data from Instituto Informador Comercial, 1 company closed the collection, drainage and wastewater treatment business in 2012, 2 waste disposal treatment and 1 electricity and gas company. Just one indicator among many others.

This shows the timeliness of the theme of the day of the environment and that the ads are worthwhile. It is an ideal time for debate, so that the spirit of the ongoing reforms will enshrine the Green Economy. It is possible to create more value with less impact. The crisis cannot be seen as a threat, but as announced by PORTER & KRAMER (2006) the real opportunity to “reconcile the environment and business in order to associate the environment theme not at cost, but as a source of innovation and competitive advantage”. *

*Article written under the previous orthographic agreement.