A regional conservation body, Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS), will start exposing manufacturers guilty of pollution and waste mismanagement.“The private sector has an important role to play in helping developing economies grow while preserving the environment in their activities and services,” observed Paul Buckley, ARCOS Chairman, at the launch of an environmental protection programme, yesterday.ARCOS is a regional conservation body with the sole focus on the Albertine Rift biodiversity conservation. The environmental protection programme launch was part of activities in line with this year’s World Environment Day, held on June 5. The Day was marked under the theme, “Green Economy: Does it include you?” Buckley explained that the new programme aims at promoting and sharing sustainable practices that benefit the environment and alleviate poverty.ARCOS Executive Secretary, Dr Sam Kanyamibwa, noted that the private sector operations in the region have grown over time, adding that industrialisation and activities like mining and oil exploration among others gradually lead to a negative impact on the environment.“There should be sustainable solutions from the private sector in collaboration with environmental institutions to fight environmental destruction,” Kanyamibwa urged.He explained that through the Albertine Rift Corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility Platform (ARCSERP), mechanisms have been put in place to engage the population in weighing the impact of the latter’s operations on the environment.Kanyamibwa added that, the organisation would encourage industrialists to integrate environment protection in their businesses so as to minimise the effects of their operations, promote private-public partnerships in the fight as well as information exchange amongst manufacturers in the region.
