THE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT OF INDUSTRIAL ESTATES

Introduction: Justification of the proposal

Industrial estates have become a main aspect of the industrial policy since the 70’s throughout Europe. The clustering of industries into estates allows to raise important economies both for companies and the State (a major actor in the promotion of industrial soil) by contributing to reduce the capital costs associated to shareable infrastructures and services and to eliminate delays in developing facilities. Moreover, it is also an important territorial planning tool. Industrial estates play a significant role in the production of goods and services and are a major source of wealth and employment, however many of them also pose a substantial threat to the environment and the health of neighbour communities and the workers.

As the number of industrial estates grows, the natural ecosystems are rapidly shrinking and essential natural resources and vital services are being spoilt. The conventional industrial policies that encourage concentration of industries without taking into account the environmental aspects can have major impacts on the environment and human health and safety. This has not only environmental effects (degradation of ecosystems) but also economical consequences (restrictions in land use capability, negative effects on other economical sectors (fisheries, agriculture, tourism,…), decreasing offer of natural resources, etc,…).

However, there is an increasing recognition that:

• Development and ecosystem prevention are not necessarily conflicting goals, on the contrary, under some criteria and conditions, they could be complementary ones.

• Industrial activity and development need not affect, in a severe way, adjacent natural areas

• Estates can be developed in such a way that the resulting urbanization is integrated in the local landscape, creating a combination of natural and built environment

• Responsible and eco-efficient methods can be applied to the design and operating of industrial estates

These notions are consistent with the vision of sustainable development proposed by the World Commission on Environment and Development and with the concept of eco-efficiency proposed by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Industrial estates have a significant advantage over individual companies trying to adopt sustainable business practices. The provision of cost-efficient environmental management infrastructures and services for a number of industries reduces the economical and learning costs associated to the necessary changes in the management and operation of industry. The global management of water or sewage services, the provision of environmental training or the efficient treatment of effluent and hazardous wastes can reduce the cost per unit of treatment and benefit the environmental management practices of individual companies. The introduction of environmental criteria in the design of the buildings and estates in general can also lead to important reductions in the energy consumption, the cut down of emissions and efficient resource use.

The economical, environmental as well as social benefits resulted from the adoption of an environmental integrative and sensible approach in the design and managerial scheme of industrial estates is a key step in the long-term and progressive construction of a development strategy consistent with the principles of the sustainable development.