Essay on

ENVIRONNMENTAL POLICY

March 2011

As the shortage of natural resources was a major concern for political economists in the ninetieth century, environmental impact of economic growth is a major concern that emerged in the twenty first century among environmental protectors, economists, and other world leaders in the Western society.
Our economic and industrial growth has unfortunately come along with the overuse of natural resources of land, water, and air. Over time, industrial growth has also produced raising levels of pollution and toxic gas emissions. This industrial pollution has harmed and continue to harm our environment to the extend of threatening life on earth (species extinction, nuclear radiation…). The Japanese latest disaster of high levels of nuclear radiations exposure is a very accurate example.
While people’s awareness is rising regarding the issue of environement, the key issue remains in how to address economic interests versus environmental interests either seen as a conflict or a complementary successful business process.
Today, economic growth should be accompanied with sustainable development. In other words, in achieving economic growth, our natural resource base should not be depleted and our capacity to absorb waste should not be reduced[1]. To achieve this goal, a holistic and global approach must be conceived.
Ensuring environmental sustainability become therefore one of the Millennium Development goals (MDGs) for the United Nations[2] along with new environmental treaties, agreements, and protocols.
The Kyoto Protocol, is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, adopted in late 1997, to address the problem of global warming by reducing the world's greenhouse gas emissions (a goal for a 5.2 % reduction from 1990 levels was set)[3]. Under this international agreement that went into effect in 2005, all participating nations committed themselves to tackle this environmental issue taking