银行贷款和环境政策和机会[文献翻译]

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1、原文Banklendingandtheenvironment:policiesandopportunitiesPaulThompsonSeniorLecturerinAccounting,HuddersfieldUniversityBusinessSchool,Huddersfield,UKInrecentyearstherehasbeensignificantgrowthinpublicconcernforthestateofournaturalenvironment,promptedlargelybythephenome

2、naofapparentlyunusualanddestructiveweatherpatterns,decliningairqualityinurbanareas,risingconcentrationsofgreenhousegases,andsoforth.Thesealarmingtrendshavebeenlinkedinparttoindustry’sunsustainableconsumptionofnaturalresources,andtheattendantpollution.Thisrealisa

3、tionhaschangedtheattitudeofthegeneralpublicwhichnowregardsbusinessashavingaroletoplayin,ifnotaresponsibilityfor,safeguardingtheenvironment(Shrivastava,1993).Furthermore,thegovernmentsofmanycountries,especiallydevelopedones,havebeguntoimplementmoredetailedlegisla

4、tiontoprotecttheenvironment.Forinstance,theUKhaswitnessedtheEnvironmentalProtectionAct1990andtheEnvironmentAct1995,whichhavesoughttoraiseenvironmentalstandardsandmoretightlyregulatebusinessactivity.Theeffectonbusinesseshasbeenprofound.Duringthe1980s,environmenta

5、lissueschallengedandchangedtheattitudesandpracticesofmanynaturalresource-basedcompanies,resultingintheincorporationofenvironmentalconsiderationsintoeverystageofaproduct’slifecycle.Thefinancialconsequencesofenvironmentalproblemsandpoorcorporateenvironmentalperform

6、ancecanbeconsiderableandmaythreatencorporateviability.Forexample,ExxonisestimatedtohavespentUS$3.5billioncleaningupaftertheExxonValdezoilspillinAlaska.ThisfinancialburdenhasbeencompoundedbycivilclaimsfordamagesinexcessofUS$15billion.IntheUK,theAtomicEnergyAuthori

7、tyestimatedthatclean-upcostsfordecommissionednuclearpowerplantsintheUKcouldexceed£8.2billion(Vaughan,1994).Inthe1990sincreasedattentionhasbeenpaidtotheroleofthefinancialsectorincausingenvironmentaldamageand,converselyhelpingtoraiseenvironmentalstandards.Inparticu

8、lar,thereisanemergingconsensusamongstacademicsandprofessionalsthatbanksareinextricablylinkedbytheirlendingandinvestmentpracticestocommercialactivitythatdegradesthenat