Assignment task:
Government environmental laws and regulations focus on protecting the ecological health of the air, water, and land, and limiting the amount of pollution that companies may emit. Environmental laws have traditionally been of the command and control type, specifying standards and results. More recent laws, in both the United States and Europe, have emphasized market incentives to induce environmentally sound behavior. Environmental laws have brought many benefits. Air, water, and land pollution levels are in many cases lower than in when these laws were passed. A continuing challenge is to find ways to promote a clean environment and sustainable business practices without impairing the competitiveness of the economy. page 234Corporate sustainability leaders operate so that they can continue their activities indefinitely, without altering the carrying capacity of the biosphere, including by emitting no more greenhouse gases than they remove or offset. Effective environmental management requires an integrated approach that involves all parts of the business organization, including top leadership, sustainability managers, and employees in many functional areas, as well as strong partnerships with stakeholders and effective auditing. Many companies have found that proactive environmental management can confer a competitive advantage by saving money, attracting customers, promoting innovation, reducing risk, and developing skills in strategic planning. Emerging evidence shows