Labour rights and ecological sustainability

Cleaner production lies in incorporating environmental, social and economic aspects for a sustainable framework

- Dr SOUMEN GHOSH

Competition today has become a defining feature of market dynamics, driving firms and enterprises to maximise their economic profits.

This relentless pursuit of market share, however, often comes at the cost of significant environmental and social violations.

Over the past decade, policymakers, along with various local and global organisations, have increasingly emphasised the necessity of cleaner production as a sustainable alternative. Before delving into this discussion, it is crucial first to define what cleaner production means. Why is this required? To establish cleaner production, what aspect should we focus on?

Cleaner Production

In simple terms, we can say that in the sphere of production economy, producers should run their operations responsibly. More precisely, if a producer is following all the standards in its operations across all the stages, we can call it cleaner production.

For instance, in a tannery, workers are continuously in contact with harmful chemicals without safety gear. Other examples include a factory releasing harmful effluents affecting the residents of that particular locality or a production unit not complying with guidelines —all these amount to not following the cleaner production framework.

Clean is Crucial