Patong gets environmental certification
PATONG: Despite being embroiled in a brouhaha over whether it correctly handled Initial Environmental Examinations for the Villa Santi project, Patong Municipality has received ISO 14001 certification from the International Standards Organization, one of only 20 municipalities in Thailand to achieve this, and the first one in the South.
Ironically, the ISO 14000 family of standards, according to the ISO, exists “to help organizations (a) minimize how their operations (processes, etc) impact [on] the environment (ie, cause adverse changes to air, water, or land); (b) comply with applicable laws, regulations, and other environmentally-oriented requirements, and (c) continually improve in the above”.
The drive to have municipalities ISO 14001-certified is part of a project by the Thailand Environment Institute, Patong Mayor Pian Keesin told a press conference.
“The project is aimed at improving energy and environmental management through greater efficiency,” he said, explaining that the main purpose is to improve officials’ knowledge and understanding, and to instill in them greater consciousness about conserving and managing energy and the environment.
