Cover: Meindert Hobbema, Dutch, 1638 – 1709, Woodland Road, Oil on canvas 94.6×129.5 cm The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
PREFACE
On October 31, 1995, in co-operation with the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Biopolitics International Organisation (B.I.O.) held its Fourth Conference on Business Strategy for the Bio-Environment with the theme “Profit and The Bio-Environment.” This volume of proceedings is the fifth B.I.O. publication on the subject of environmentally-friendly business policy, with two volumes in Greek and two additional volumes in English published since 1994. Corporate leaders world-wide are becoming increasingly aware of the fact that business activities and environmental preservation are compatible goals. Caring for the bio-environment is not only a moral responsibility, but is rapidly becoming one of the most profitable endeavours. The purpose of this conference was to sensitise the business world to the new philosophy of environmentally-compatible business strategy, by examining its financial, commercial and social impact. Furthermore, the conference presented practical implementation methods, in several industrial sectors, and provided information about reforms and new models in environmental education. The resulting new concepts of economics and finance, as well as international environmental regulations and their impact on business strategy and economic policy, were also analysed.
The task of protecting the bio-environment is urgent. A ticking clock is keeping track of the limited time that is still available and, unless a serious commitment to reverse destructive trends is made soon, the entire future of humanity will be at stake. New thinking, new ethical guidelines and new models for environmentally-sound global policies are crucial. Furthermore, it is essential to establish more objective scientific criteria for evaluating GNP, in order to include health, happiness, internal wealth and all the elements that can “genuinely” contribute towards a better quality of life.
Prof. Agni Vlavianos Arvanitis
B.I.O. President and Founder
Sponsors
Profit and The Bio-Environment was made possible by the following sponsors:
Commercial Bank of Greece
Kitty P. Kyriacopoulos
Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry
A.G. Leventis Foundation
Hellenic Bottling Company S.A.
Nikolaos Doumas
Rank Xerox Hellas S.A.
Elais S.A.
I.F. Kostopoulos Foundation
Raptaki Group of Enterprises
Minoa Ltd.
Zeneca Hellas S.A.
Mi Thita Group of Enterprises
Lonza Ltd.
Maramenos & Pateras
Beiersdorf Hellas S.A.
