third-party accreditation
Non-governmental organizations and non-profits also work with companies to help them with their sustainable development strategies.
Among such NGOs are the Bretton Wood Project,
the Global Compact, the European Environmental Bureau and France Nature Environnement.
Non-profits such as ADEME (French Environment and Energy Management Agency) work with companies who are taking action to reduce energy consumption.
Some organizations award prizes to companies that have made effective and unique commitments in various fields such as tourism, education and culture, etc. Among the leading prizes are the Frost & Sullivan prize, the French Environment and Energy Management Agency 2007 prize, ...
new regulations
As governments take action against climate change, a plethora of national and international regulations are working to provide a framework for all human activities - industry, agriculture and regional and urban development, etc.
Launched in 1998, the Kyoto agreement is the first agreement among countries to prevent climate change. Kyoto became effective in 2005 and is intended to reduce emissions in developed nations by 5.2% by 2012 against their 1990 levels.
The WEEE (Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment) Directive is intended to reduce the quantity of waste from electronic and electrical equipment so as to minimize their impact on the environment. Waste producers are therefore responsible for collection from customers and for recycling.
In France, article 116 of the New Economic Relations law (passed by parliament on 15 May 2001) requires listed companies to account for the social and environmental consequences of their operations in their annual reports.
