Shanxi provincial government decided to launch a campaign to promote model enterprises in environmental protection with a view to urging all firms to reach state-prescribed environmental standards and fundamentally improving the environmental quality.
The province's environmental protection administration worked out rules for the examination of such model firms. The rules stipulate that those firms that strictly follow the national and local environmental laws and decrees, engage in clean production, report their pollution discharge truly and pay the pollutant discharge fees will be rated as the model firms. Those firms that pass the certification of ISO14000 environmental management system will be given preference in such a rating.
Those that wish to become a model firm will have to apply to the provincial government with letters of recommendations by the local government, environmental work summaries and technical reports. The provincial government group in charge of the work will examine the applications and organize experts to go on an on-the-spot investigation tour.
The model firms will have the priority to get funds for technical transformation and environmental treatment facilities, the national special-purpose loans and foreign funds. The provincial government will conduct a re-examination once every two years and those that fail to meet state-prescribed environmental standards will be deprived of the title.
According to a spokesman for the province's environmental protection administration, the campaign is an important step to improve the investment, working and living environment and create favorable conditions to break the green trade barrier and enhance the competitiveness of the province's firms.
(www.cenews.com.cn November 11, 2002)
