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1、原文Banklendingandtheenvironment:policiesandopportunitiesPaulThompsonSeniorLecturerinAccounting,HuddersfieldUniversityBusinessSchool,Huddersfield,UKInrecentyearstherehasbeensignificantgrowthinpublicconcernforthestateofournaturalenvironment,promptedlargelyb
2、ythephenomenaofapparentlyunusualanddestructiveweatherpatterns,decliningairqualityinurbanareas,risingconcentrationsofgreenhousegases,andsoforth.Thesealarmingtrendshavebeenlinkedinparttoindustry’sunsustainableconsumptionofnaturalresources,andtheattendan
3、tpollution.Thisrealisationhaschangedtheattitudeofthegeneralpublicwhichnowregardsbusinessashavingaroletoplayin,ifnotaresponsibilityfor,safeguardingtheenvironment(Shrivastava,1993).Furthermore,thegovernmentsofmanycountries,especiallydevelopedones,havebe
4、guntoimplementmoredetailedlegislationtoprotecttheenvironment.Forinstance,theUKhaswitnessedtheEnvironmentalProtectionAct1990andtheEnvironmentAct1995,whichhavesoughttoraiseenvironmentalstandardsandmoretightlyregulatebusinessactivity.Theeffectonbusinesse
5、shasbeenprofound.Duringthe1980s,environmentalissueschallengedandchangedtheattitudesandpracticesofmanynaturalresource-basedcompanies,resultingintheincorporationofenvironmentalconsiderationsintoeverystageofaproduct’slifecycle.Thefinancialconsequencesofen
6、vironmentalproblemsandpoorcorporateenvironmentalperformancecanbeconsiderableandmaythreatencorporateviability.Forexample,ExxonisestimatedtohavespentUS$3.5billioncleaningupaftertheExxonValdezoilspillinAlaska.Thisfinancialburdenhasbeencompoundedbycivilcla
7、imsfordamagesinexcessofUS$15billion.IntheUK,theAtomicEnergyAuthorityestimatedthatclean-upcostsfordecommissionednuclearpowerplantsintheUKcouldexceed£8.2billion(Vaughan,1994).Inthe1990sincreasedattentionhasbeenpaidtotheroleofthefinancialsectorincausingen
8、vironmentaldamageand,converselyhelpingtoraiseenvironmentalstandards.Inparticular,thereisanemergingconsensusamongstacademicsandprofessionalsthatbanksareinextricablylinkedbytheirlendingandinvestmentpracticestocommercialactivitythatdegradesthenat
