Network for Industrial Environmental Management-A New Approach to Old Challenges in The Asia-pacific PUlp And paper Industry

摘要

The pulp and paper industry in the Asia-Pacific is one of the most important potential economic motors for the development of the region. At the same time the industry is one of the major polluters and is facing an increasing pressure to comply with environemntal regulations and standards. Two charaction technologies, and a wide range of differentiated operation conditions, where modern weateern technoloigies are difficult to apply. Teh Netwrok for industral Environmental Management, coordianted by the United Nations Environment Programme, is promoting an alternatve envirionemtnal management strategy for these mills; the cleaner Production approach. In this paper, results from cleaner production programmes initiated by NIEM in 36 mills, are published forj the first time. The results suggest that cleaner production yields considerable environmental and economeic vbenefits to the mills regardless of their size, use of raw material and other operating paramerters. While modern western pollution control technoligies are unsuitable for a majority of thesee mills, there is a huge potential market for suppliers of cleaner porduction services, waiting to be developed for the benefit of the industry and the environment.