What is Environmental Responsibility?

girl with a leaf representing environment responsibility

Environmental responsibility is the duty of a company to conduct business in a way that keeps the environment safe. From complying with legislation to managing waste, recycling and pollution prevention, environmental responsibility programs touch on many aspects of operations.

At Apex, environmental responsibility begins with a commitment to finding innovative ways to reduce the environmental footprint in every aspect of our business. Our customers in resource industries such as oil and gas, mining and forestry rely on our products and solutions to support their sustainability targets. Whether we are making a long-term commitment to improve and enhance environmental resources or applying the 4Rs (rethink, reuse, reduce, recycle), protecting the environment starts with taking responsibility.

What is the meaning of environmental responsibility?

Environmental responsibility means assessing the sustainability of our business and our industry and applying that knowledge to decisions.

Unsatisfied with the status quo, Apex innovates with new ideas that make our equipment and multi-product solutions more environmentally responsible. For example, by designing a proprietary Integrated Fluid Management (IFM) solution, we help clients recover fluid, generate less net waste, and keep more mix-off material out of the landfill. Helping clients meet their environmental targets is integral to our role as a site operations solution provider.

Why is environmental responsibility important?

Every business needs to commit to environmental responsibility so that collectively we preserve our planet for future generations. Companies cannot continue to operate without a sustainability mindset. 

At Apex, we are driven by a feeling of responsibility towards our environment. We regularly evaluate products and equipment, looking for new ways to increase efficiency and optimize processes to mitigate waste.

Examples of environmental responsibility

Your business is legally responsible for its impact on the environment. However, companies now realize that caring for the environment is the right thing to do and is good business. From lowering environmental footprint to reducing waste, environmental responsibility is good for the planet and a business’s bottom line. 

Complying with environmental legislation

Engineering solids control equipment to generate less waste ensures that clients meet government-mandated waste-to-landfill criteria.

Environmental legislation and hazardous substances

Companies need to consider the consequences of hazardous substances stored or generated by a process associated with their work. All use or storage of hazardous substances – such as oil, solvents, and electrical components – must comply with environmental legislation.

Recycling and waste

Waste your business produces must be stored, transported, and disposed of correctly and according to local environmental guidelines. There are no shortcuts – if waste isn’t managed correctly, then any conservation efforts leading up to disposal were for naught. 

Conservation and biodiversity

All the animals and plants in the areas where your equipment operates are considered biodiversity. Businesses that operate in ecologically sensitive zones or near protected areas need to be aware of their responsibilities.

Purposeful site selection, reducing footprint where possible, and ensuring equipment is working optimally via a regular maintenance schedule – to avoid leaks or spills and reduce waste – are all ways that a company can contribute to protecting biodiversity.

Importance of environmental responsibility

Environmental responsibility is usually part of a company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program. Under a CSR model, a company commits to making an effort to operate in a way that is better for the environment.

Why is environmental responsibility important?

  • To protect ecosystems for future generations
  • Show conservation leadership to other companies and individuals
  • Ensure sustainable use of resources
  • Reduce issues in areas that businesses want to operate
  • Customers want to buy from environmentally responsible businesses

Individual Responsibility for Environmental Protection

Companies are individually responsible for thinking about how their activities, processes and products impact the environment. Every business should be planning how it can reduce damage, lessen its environmental footprint and help the planet.

Taking environmental responsibility requires effort. Environmental protection needs integration into planning cycles and sustainability targets set. Apex has been leading with green for years – it’s our ongoing commitment to folding sustainability into our planning and business processes.

Importance of corporate environmental responsibility

Corporate environmental responsibility is key to reducing the impact of your business on the planet and improving the way your operations interact with the environment.

As a company, playing a leadership role with environmental responsibility is also valuable modelling for other businesses in your industry. When clients can see the upside of environmentally sustainable practices, they expect better from all vendors. If other companies see you raising the bar on environmental responsibility, it will push them to be more sustainable – which is better for the industry and the planet.

Being a corporate environmental responsibility leader allows Apex to help our clients in resource-based industry adopt more sustainable practices. As a client, you benefit from environmentally responsible thinking that is already part of our operational DNA:

  • Optimally maintained equipment is more efficient
  • Innovative solutions offer smaller footprints
  • Fluid management systems that extend mud life 
  • Solids control that results in less waste
  • Trenchless technologies that lessen ground disturbance

Environmental responsibility in business ethics

Environmental responsibility in business ethics refers to adopting policies and procedures that ensure the company conducts itself as environmentally sustainably as possible.  

Business ethics apply to moral or ethical challenges in a working environment. If we question the assumption that the natural environment is there for our benefit, it naturally leads to a company considering its stance on sustainable operations. But it’s one thing to talk about ethics in principle and another to implement tangible policies and procedures that put environmental responsibility at the forefront every day. 

If your business has been operating in a particular industry for a long time, embracing environmental responsibility may require stepping back and thinking differently. Can operations become more sustainable? Will creating a new policy or procedure – no matter how large or small – create a step forward? It can be hard to counter, “We’ve always done it that way” thinking, but the potential benefit to the environment and your business is worth the investment of planning time.

Is it the government’s responsibility to protect the environment?

The government’s responsibility and role in protecting the environment can be a polarizing topic, especially for resource-based sectors. Some businesses may feel unfairly penalized for the actions of companies in their industry that do not adhere to environmental standards. Others may support government regulations and the guidelines they provide for sustainability efforts. 

We strive to outperform government-mandated regulation by continually looking for ways to maximize the 4Rs within our business and support customers in their quest for sustainable environmental practices.