Unit 6b:Environmental report
Listening Good morning.
Today we're going to look at ICI's environmental programmes
and environmental performance since 1990.
I'd like to begin with some background to ICI's environmental projects.
Then we'll go on to look at our Challenge 2000 project.
And finally,we'll turn to the results of these programmes.
Now,the story really begins in the 19980s when people started becoming more concemed
about environmental issues.
The first ICI environmental project was a result of the realisation that,
as a major player in the chemicals industry.
ICI would have to address these growing public concerns.
So,in 1990 we presented our shareholders with a programme
to reduce the environmental impoact of our worldwide activities.
Many of the steps we took back then have since become government legislation.
The project included some very ambitious targets
for improving the company's environmental performance.
We realised that these goals demanded significant investment,so we committed the largest share
of our annual $500 million Safety,Health and Environment budget to the project.
Since 1990 we've spent about 200 million each year
on environmental improvements.
As things developed,
we soon realised that there were no cheap options or quick fixes.
Therefore,we began directing this expenditure to the biggest poroblems,
where solutions would bring the biggest improvements.
And then,in 1995,we assessed our performance and set ourselves
equally demanding objective3s for the next five years.
These formed the basis of our Challenge 2000 project.
If you'd like to look at the screen,you'll see the four main objectives of Challenge 2000.
As you can see,our first objective is to ensure that by the year 2000
all our businesses comply with the relevant environmental regulations
in each of the countries in which their products are sold.
This applies to all our new and existing plants throughout the world.
Our second objective is to improve energy efficiency.
Now,here,we decided that by the year 2000 we would reduce our energy consumption by 10%.
The starting point for this reduction would be the 1995 level.
Moving on to the next objective,
ICI intends to halve the environmental impact of its businesses by the year 2000.
I'm sure you'll understand exactly how ambitious this is,
but we feel it demonstrates the importance of the issue.
To achieve this target,we decided to concentrate on those wastes
which pose the greatest threat to the environment
and give their reduction the highest priority.
And finally,our last objective is to ensure that all our businesses
have what we all Product Stewardship Programmes.
These programmes are a tool for managing all our chemicals
throughuot their complete product life cycle.
They'll provide up-to-date records of all the chemicals that we use and handle.
And what's more,they'll ensure that all labels and public information
are porinted in the languages of our customers.
The results of these programmes will be published each year in a special report.
Now,it's clear that growing public concern about the future of the environment
will affect government thinking-
and no-one in the industry doubts that tougher legislation is to come.
That's why Challenge 2000 is such an essential part of ICI's strategic development.
With the improvements we're making today,
we can feel confident about fulfilling the legal obligations of tomorrow.
At ICI we realise that we have a commitment not only to our customers,employees and shareholders,
but also to the communities in which we work and produce our goods.
So now I'd like to turn to the results of the....