Rolling back environmental legislation

In the EEC/EU generally, and the UK in particular, there has been reported a tendency to get rid of "red-tape" environment regulations which are restricting business and job growth. In the USA, the Republican Party is also pressuring government to free up commercial activities by "rolling back" certain areas of environmental protection legislation.

In 1998, Brazil declared a 10 year moratorium on environmental law enforcement. Companies that violate environmental legislation can sign a letter of commitment with an environmental agency, promising to bring their operations into compliance and be exempted from fines or other penalties for up to 5 years, renewable for another 5 years. The moratorium is retroactive, covering the entire six month period of enforcement of the Environmental Crimes Act (1998), which gave Brazil's environmental agency statutory authority to enforce environmental law for the first time since 1989. 4,000 fines were levied in Sao Paulo state alone since the passage of the Act. Companies responsible for some 20% of Brazil's GDP operate without environmental licenses.

1. By cutting real wages for two decades, by aggressively working to bust unions, by eliminating full-time jobs and, in their place, giving us part-time temporary jobs without medical or retirement benefits, corporations have created great insecurity among middle class people. Corporations have then used this insecurity as a lever to roll back environmental standards and regulations, and to deflect new environmental initiatives.

1. Relaxing standards

1. Using voluntary instruments
2. Reducing government regulations
3. Reducing discriminatory imposition of standards
4. Enhancing favourable trading environment
5. Developing cautious environmental policy

1. Linking environmental quality and good business practice
2. Adopting environmental codes of conduct for business

1. Using environmental law
2. Using complex bureaucratic procedures
3. Practicing corporate environmental self-assessment
4. Legislating trade in forest products
5. Ensuring continuous corporate environmental improvement
6. Determining environmental liability
7. Campaigning for environmental protection laws

1. Insufficient environmental legislation
2. Environmental rollbacks
3. Economically inefficient regulations

1. Restriction
2. Business