ABSTRACT
The environment has traditionally been viewed as a free good by organisations, whether they be governmental or private. However, over the past few decades there has been a growing appreciation by the general public, governments and also, most recently, by corporations, that the environment plays a vital role in underpinning economic success at both the national, regional and corporate level. Broadly speaking, this awareness dates from the Kyoto Protocol and was initially concerned with climate change caused by increased levels of carbon in the atmosphere. However, more recently, attention has also turned to biodiversity. For example, 2010 was deemed the International Year of Biodiversity. There was a meeting of the United Nations in Nagoya, Japan, attended by politicians, governmental organisations and businesses.
