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Dear bc.news readers,

	Please find addended below our recently-approved Greater 
Victoria Chamber of Commerce Policy Statement on Sustainable 
Development. We hope  that it represents a starting point for 
the business community in our region to adopt a long-term vision
for the future of Victoria. I thought it might be of interest to 
this newsgroup, perhaps as an indication that a community organization 
is attempting to grapple with concerns for the environment. Is it 
possible to expect 'development' without damaging growth?
Do you know of other B.C. Chambers that have similar policies?

Thank you,

John Newcomb,
member, Environment Committee,
Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce (Victoria, British Columbia)


TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

	Statement of Policy approved by the Board of Directors, 
	Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, 28 September, 1995. 

Rationale

1.1 Given that the mission of the Greater Victoria Chamber of 
Commerce is to create and maintain a favourable business climate; 

1.2  And one of our roles is to promote economic development;

1.3 It is the goal of the Environment Committee to foster an
economically healthy environment in a manner which supports an
environmentally healthy economy; and

1.4 To that end, we have developed this Policy in accordance 
with the mandate of the World Business Council for Sustainable
Development which was formed in January of 1995 and evolved in 
response to the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development.

Commitment

2.1 In adopting this Policy, the Greater Victoria Chamber of 
Commerce is expressing its commitment to sustainable develop-
ment, which entails meeting the needs of the present without
compromising the needs of future generations; and

2.2 Its further commitment to assume a pro-active role by
providing business leadership as a catalyst for change.

Goals

3.1 To encourage the adoption of environmentally sensitive
business practices by:
	
	a) recognizing that economic growth and environmental
	protection are inextricably linked;
	
	b) increasing awareness of the entire life cycles of our
	products;
	
	c) advocating changes towards more sustainable forms of 
	consumption and production;
	
	d) participating in federal, provincial, municipal and 
	private business policy development to create an atmos-
	phere in which businesses will be rewarded for effective
	contributions towards sustainable development; and
	
	e) producing attitude changes through the promotion of
	new ways of doing business.

3.2 To facilitate meaningful co-operation between the business
sector, government, and the community by:

	a) encouraging businesses to assume more social and
	environmental responsibility by expanding the concept of
	those who have a stake in their operations to include 
	all members of the community;

	b) supporting initiatives designed to absorb the 
	increasing environmental costs of production, use,
	recycling, and disposal;

	c) voluntarily striving to achieve high standards of 
	environmental management in business;

	d) supporting partnerships designed to transfer the 
	technology needed for sustainable development from those
	who have it to those who require it; and

	e) working together to develop and refine strategies to
	achieve more efficiency while preventing pollution, 
	through good housekeeping , materials substitution, 
	cleaner technologies and cleaner products;

3.3 To promote business opportunities in the environmental 
industry sector by:

	a) focusing attention on business which demonstrate 
	innovation and progress towards continuous improvement
	of the efficient use of resources; and
	
	b) sharing leading edge practices among members.