ABSTRACT
Risk management programmes are likely to go beyond the requirements of legislation and may even pressure regulators into the provision of further guidance and standards in environmental areas. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has recently produced a discussion document on improving environmental regulation based on a survey of members. It stated that risk assessment is a key tool in achieving sustainable development as it requires business and regulators to assess tolerable risk against the cost of reducing it. The CBI survey noted the desire for greater integration at an operational level, while cautioning that the strategic aims of health and safety and environment could differ and even contradict. Corporate functions such as treasury, internal audit, and property and risk management have been moving towards a broader range of responsibilities including environmental concerns. Any person concerned with environmental risks must therefore be cognisant of these developments in communication and integration along with their likely implications.
