The private sector has a crucial role to play in protecting and conserving the environment. While the primary goal of private corporations is to generate profit, return on equity, and market share, they are increasingly recognizing the importance of environmental sustainability. The private sector has figured out that profitability, return on equity, and increasing market share requires that corporations pay attention to the risks posed by the natural environment, their impact on environmental quality, and their parsimonious use of increasingly scarce finite resources.
The private sector’s duty to protect and conserve the environment is not only a moral obligation but also a legal one. In Kenya, the Constitution recognizes the duty of every person to cooperate with State organs and other persons to protect and conserve the environment and ensure ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources. This duty is in line with the State’s obligation to ensure sustainable exploitation, utilization, management, and conservation of the environment and natural resources, and ensure the equitable sharing of the accruing benefits.
To fulfill this duty, the private sector can take various measures to protect and conserve the environment. These measures include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Promoting sustainable exploitation, utilization, management, and conservation of the environment and natural resources: This involves ensuring that we use natural resources in a responsible and sustainable manner, and that we protect and conserve the environment for future generations.
- Encouraging public participation in the management, protection, and conservation of the environment: This measure helps to ensure that we work together to protect and conserve the environment and natural resources.
- Establishing systems of environmental impact assessment, environmental audit, and monitoring of the environment: This measure helps to ensure that we are aware of the impact of our actions on the environment and natural resources.
- Eliminating processes and activities that are likely to endanger the environment: This measure helps to ensure that we protect and conserve the environment and natural resources.
- Utilizing the environment and natural resources for the benefit of the people of Kenya: This measure involves ensuring that we use natural resources in a responsible and sustainable manner, and that we protect and conserve the environment for future generations.
In conclusion, the private sector has a duty to protect and conserve the environment. This duty requires corporations to be mindful of their actions and their impact on the environment, and to work together with the State and civil society to protect and conserve our natural resources for future generations.