In our rapidly globalised world corporate environments are changing. Businesses are realising that it is essential to achieve a developmental framework that places people and the planet before profits. Managing the environmental programme in an industrial or commercial facility has become an increasingly complex and challenging assignment owing to the expanding maze of environmental laws and regulations and the growing public expectations regarding environmental protection. To be effective, programmes and policies promoting greener products, the use of fewer natural resources, and lower impacts and risks to the environment, must be based on an overall framework of biopolicy, which will help to focus every activity on the consequential task of saving the environment and life on our planet. Businesses recognise that a good profile within the community can be strengthened by displaying a strong environmental ethic, with responsible policies playing a major part in this.
B.I.O. has been on the forefront of developments in environmental management and has published extensively on the subject. Thirty-eight chapters in the volumes of B.I.O. conference proceedings as well as 4 feature artilces in BioNews deal with issues of environmental management. Furthermore, within the framework of the European Union’s Phare and Leonardo da Vinci Training Programmes, B.I.O. developed and implemented a plethora of educational material and several training manuals on environmental management systems and management and audit schemes, such as EMAS. This material was used to train students and professionals in EU accession countries. Moreover, environmental management is part of the B.I.O. e-learning course in environmental economics, soon to be available online as part of our comprehensive e-learning programme. This year, B.I.O. is cooperating with the European Council on Managing the Environment in the organisation of a major conference in Athens to address the subject of environmental management and corporate social responsibility.
References
PROCEEDINGS
- BIOPOLITICS – THE BIO-ENVIRONMENT – VOLUME II
Bios in the Next Millennium
A. Vlavianos-Arvanitis (Ed.) Proceedings from the Second B.I.O International Conference, Athens, October 1988
– Industrial restructuring for sustainable development – three strategic elements
Udo E. Simonis
– Environment protection expenditures – the German example
Christian K. Leipert and Udo E. Simonis
– Good environmental practices – good business practices
Donald Huisingh - BIOPOLITICS – THE BIO-ENVIRONMENT – VOLUME III
The International University for the Bio-Environment
A. Vlavianos-Arvanitis (Ed.) Proceedings from the Fourth B.I.O International Conference, Athens, January 1990
– Motivation of personnel for more environmental protection in practice
Georg Winter - BIOPOLITICS – THE BIO-ENVIRONMENT – VOLUME IV
The Bio-Assessment of Technology
A. Vlavianos-Arvanitis, R. Keles (Eds.) Proceedings from the Fifth B.I.O International Conference, Istanbul, May 1992
– The environmental imperative in decision-making
Albert ten Houten - BIOPOLITICS – THE BIO-ENVIRONMENT – VOLUME V
International Sakharov Festival
A. Vlavianos-Arvanitis (Ed.) Proceedings from the Sixth B.I.O International Conference, Athens, July 1994
– How to escape from the cycle of environmental degradation
Assimakis Fotilas
– Environmental leadership: a new business and marketing era
Panayotis Vongas
– Exploring links between business and the environment
Julia Panourgia-Clones - BIOPOLITICS – THE BIO-ENVIRONMENT – VOLUME VI
A. Vlavianos-Arvanitis, J. Morovic (Eds.) Proceedings from the Seventh B.I.O International Conference, Bratislava, June 1997
– Commerce and biopolitics
John Tzen
– Bio-business for the sake of prosperity: co-operation along the Danube
Stanislav Sokolenko - BIOPOLITICS – THE BIO-ENVIRONMENT – VOLUME VII
A. Vlavianos-Arvanitis, L. Kapolyi (Eds.) Proceedings from the Eighth B.I.O International Conference, Budapest, September 1998
– Environmental impact assessment – a tool for sustainable development
Akos Redey and Istvan Kiss
– Civilised entrepreneurship and harmonisation with the environment
Stanislav Sokolenko - BIOPOLITICS – THE BIO-ENVIRONMENT – VOLUME VIII
Racing to Save the Environment
A. Vlavianos-Arvanitis (Ed.) B.I.O. International Conferences, Athens 2000-2001
– Environmental management
George Diamantis and Andreas Nicolaou
– Insuring the future – integrated management of world coastal areas
Francine Cousteau - BIOPOLITICS – BUSINESS STRATEGY FOR THE BIO-ENVIRONMENT – VOLUME I
A. Vlavianos-Arvanitis (Ed.) Proceedings from the Second B.I.O Business Conference, Athens, December 1993
– Cleaner production – preventing pollution at source
Donald Huisingh
– Prevention – green chain of production
Constantinos Yapijakis
– Investing in survival
Asimakis Fotilas
– Business and environmental protection
Christos Tsiliyannis
– Manufacturers and prevention policy
Jared O. Blum
– Resource conservation and recovery – action against over-consumerism, pollution and poverty
J. Patrick Nicholson - BIOPOLITICS – BUSINESS STRATEGY FOR THE BIO-ENVIRONMENT- VOLUME II
A. Vlavianos-Arvanitis (Ed.) Proceedings from the Second B.I.O Business Conference, New York, February 1995
– The third eye of industrial ecology
Carl L. Henn
– Business strategy for the bio-environment – the technical policy
Constantine Yapijakis
– The changing role of The World Bank and the bio-environment
Julia Panourgia-Clones - BIOPOLITICS- BUSINESS STRATEGY FOR THE BIO-ENVIRONMENT VOL. III
Profit and the Bio-Environment
A. Vlavianos-Arvanitis (Ed.) Proceedings from the Fourth B.I.O. Business Conference, Athens, October 1995
– The corporate role in protecting health, safety and the environment
Nicholas Ashford
– The bio-dimension of profit
Basil Kapsokavadis
– The myth of “jobs versus the environment”
Constantine Yapijakis - BIOPOLITICS- INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION IN THE NEXT MILLENNIUM
A. Vlavianos-Arvanitis (Ed.) Proceedings from a Hellenic-Ukrainian Symposium, Athens, November 1996
– Balancing economic development and environmental protection in Ukraine
Stanislav Sokolenko
Bio News
- Bio News 4
– Page 1, From Zero Defect, through Zero Inventory, to Zero Emissions, G. Pauli - Bio News 5
– Page 3-14, Conference on Profit and the Bio-Environment - Bio News 12
– Page 11, Environment and Globalisation
– Page 13, Toward a New Civilisation - Bio News 16
– Page 4, Bio-Management
– Page 10, Environmental management: A tool for sustainable development, A. Redey - Bio News 18
– Page 6, Managing the air
– Page 7, Caring for land - Bio News 22
– Page 5, Bio-Environment: A New Renaissance in Business - Bio News 28
– Page 10, Environmental Management, G. Diamantis
Events
2013
- Co-sponsorship of awareness raising event on behalf of the Hellenic Wildlife Hospital, under the auspices the Region of Attica–Regional Islands Unit and the Municipality of Aegina Poster (GR), Press Release, Photo, Music
2012
- “Innovative Practices in Biotourism” implemented in the framework of the Greece–Albania IPA Cross-Border Programme 2007-2013. Local communities in Lake Prespa and Korca benefit from the ΙΡΑ Cross-border Programme. Press Release: English, Greek
- The Land of Fthiotis – Biotourism and Development. B.I.O. implements EU Leader program promoting comparative advantages in Central Greece.Poster
2010
- as a main speaker at the 20th international conference on “Environmental Protection is a Must” in Alexandria, Egypt Programme Photos Abstract
2005
- Co-organisation of the annual conference of the European Council on Managing the Environment, Athens
2004
- Profit and the Bio-Environment: Building a Culture of Social Responsibility, Athens Money Show. Roundtable discussions with the participation of environmental experts and business executives.
2003
- Profit and the Bio-Environment, Athens Money Show. Roundtable discussions with the participation of environmental experts and business executives
2002
- ”Rio+10 urgent steps beyond sustainable development,” roundtable discussion in view of the upcoming Earth Summit in Johannesburg, Athens Money Show. BioNews no. 30 April 2002, p. 1 , BioNews no. 32 Oct. 2002, p. 5.
- “The Environment is Profit” Biopolitics at the Athens Money Show. Roundtable discussion with the participation of environmental experts and business executives. BioNews no. 32 Oct. 2002, p. 5 Programme
- “Profit and the Bio-Environment – Vision of Hope” roundtable discussion at the Money Show in Thessalonica
2001
- Slovak participants from the TEMPUS Mobilities EU programme visit Greece to take part in a Biopolitics clean energy and environmental administration project in co-operation with the Regional Energy Centre of the Peloponnese and Action Link/Action Synergy SA
- “Profit and the Bio-environment” Biopolitics session at the Athens Money Show, June. Photos, Programme
- “Profit and Values – Bio-environment – Bio-Culture” Biopolitics session at the Athens Money Show, November
- Biopolitics at the London Money Show. Roundatable discussion featuring the British Ambassador in Athens as keynote speaker. BioNews no. 30, April 2001, p. 6-7 Programme, Photos
- Biopolitics at the Thessaloniki Money Show. The Mayor of Thessaloniki delivers the opening address at B.I.O.’s rountable discussion on “Profit and Values – Bio-environment – Bio-Culture”. Programme, Photos
- Keynote presentation on globalisation and the environment, at the conference sponsored by the Canellopoulos Foundation. Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry
2000
- Slovak participants from the above mentioned seminars visit Greece to take part in a Biopolitics clean energy and environmental administration project in co-operation with the Regional Energy Centre of the Peloponnese within the framework of the TEMPUS Mobilities EU programme
- Ten-day B.I.O. lecture series on environmental management and legislation for university teachers and government employees from Eastern Europe, in the framework of the EU Tempus Programme. Academia Istropolitana Nova, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Biopolitics seminars on environmental legislation and environmental management at Academia Istropolitana Nova, in Bratislava, Slovakia within the framework of the European Union TEMPUS programme
- “Bio-Environment – A New Renaissance in Business” B.I.O. conference with the participation of experts in legislation, marine protection, clean energy sources, finance and management, held within the framework of the Hellenic-Italian Chamber of Commerce’s 5th Annual Conference. Holiday Inn Hotel, Athens, Greece. Programme, Photos
1999
- “Biopolitics – Bio-Culture – A New Renaissance in Business.” Roundtable with the participation of Greek business leaders, held within the framework of the Hellenic-Italian Chamber of Commerce’s 4th Annual Conference. Holiday Inn Hotel, Athens, Greece. Bionews no. 18, April 1999, p.3. Programme, Photos
1997
- “Biopolitics in business: visions and projects of hope – cornerstones for a positive future,” B.I.O. symposium organised in co-operation with the Hellenic Foreign Trade Board and featuring Jakob von Uexkull, Founding Chairman of the Right Livelihood Awards, as keynote speaker. Photos
- “Bio-Diplomacy and Bio-Business,” B.I.O. meeting at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Boston, USA. Programme
1995
- “Profit and the Bio-Environment,” in co-operation with the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Fourth B.I.O. Conference on Business Strategy for the Bio-Environment
- Third Symposium on Business Strategy for the Bio-Environment, The Harvard Club of New York City, USA. Programme, Photos
1993
- Second Symposium on Business Strategy for the Bio-Environment, Athens. BioNews No. 1, October 1994, p. 4 Programme En, Programme Gr
1992
- First Symposium on “Business Strategy for the Bio-Environment,” with the participation of leading environmental consultants and business and government representatives, Athens. Photos
1988
- Opening lecture, High Technology Forum, Hellenic American Chamber of Commerce
1987
- Environmental Management was extensively discussed at the First B.I.O. International Conference. “Biopolitics and International Co-operation,” with the participation of leading representatives from 30 nations. Resolutions promoting B.I.O. ideals world-wide were unanimously accepted by all participants, who also pledged to become founding members of B.I.O. BioNews no. 1
