Can environmentalists and industrialists learn to speak the same language and work in partnership? How will small businesses afford higher environmental standards? What are the prospects for the harmonisation of environmental liability within the European Union? This book, which includes a contribution from European Environment Commissioner Ritt Bjerregaard, brings representative industrialists, bankers, economists, policy-makers, lawyers and environmentalists to the debate about the environment and its effect at the corporate level. Although there are still areas of disagreement, two decades of environmental action and growing awareness have, it is suggested, created the potential for a new consensus between the key players. In analysing the fundamental shifts in economic and social patterns over the next decade, the book draws lessons from specific case studies and from the US experience. However industry responds to the challenge, the message of the book is that business as usual is not an option and those who ignore environmental issues will face increasing financial penalties, inefficiency of resource use and damage to public profile and profitability.