There's a lot of potential, but also the danger that things will fizzle if PCSD doesn't hear from the grassroots about community priorities. PCSD is considering one proposal, attached below, which I think should be a high priority. What this means is that a U.S. company would be assessing the impact of all major materials their products, including, for example, using copper mined in Irian Jaya, rubber from plantations in Malaysia, or lumber from clear-cutting in Thailand. The impacts of products would be assessed also, including selling pesticides that get used by banana farmers in Costa Rica, or leaded gasoline for cars in Mexico City.
Information is a cornerstone of sustainable development.
In order for environmental or social impacts to be avoided or mitigated, they must first be identified. By understanding the impacts along the entire lifecycle of manufactured goods, companies can create internal strategies for minimizing these impacts. By sharing their understanding with the public, companies can foster dialogue, debate and action towards a sustainable future. Mechanisms for identifying relevant issues in the environmental and social arenas, and for broadly disseminating information about these issues, are a necessary step on the path towards sustainable development. In the chain of events involved in the production of goods and services, information is rapidly lost as to the environmental and social impacts associated with such production.