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Last week we dedicated this column to remembering the catastrophic effects of the Bhopal chemical disaster in India.  We highlighted the deadly effects of corporate mismanagement at the facility, and the impacts upon the local population: almost 4,000 died within days, with a further 20,000 dying since then due to on-going toxic pollution and long-term health damage.

Calls for Corporate Social Responsibility
During December, which marks the twentieth anniversary of the Bhopal disaster, human rights and environmental groups from around the world have called for an increase in corporate social responsibility and accountability, in an effort to ensure that a disaster of this nature never happens again.

Yonge Nawe’s partner organisation, Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland are calling for a legally binding international framework to ensure that companies have a liability for any environmental or social impact from their overseas operations, to replace voluntary programmes currently in existence.

"The Bhopal disaster is an appalling example of environmental injustice and corporate irresponsibility," said Friends of the Earth’s Corporates Campaigner, Hannah Griffiths.  "The example of Bhopal shows how for a company like Union Carbide, voluntary measures are simply not good enough. Communities need to be able to hold companies legally liable. It is time for governments to learn the lessons of Bhopal and prevent a re-run of this atrocity".

World 'failed' Bhopal gas victims
Meanwhile, Amnesty International claims that the world has failed to help survivors of the Bhopal gas leak in India 20 years ago or to punish the guilty.  The human rights group says India's government has not distributed most of the $500m compensation paid by US firm Union Carbide, the plant owner.

Amnesty has blamed the Indian government for not tackling safety problems at the plant, and negotiating a settlement "without the participation of the victims".

Corporations putting Profits before Lives
Yonge Nawe’s partner organisation in South Africa, groundWork, commemorated the Bhopal anniversary with a community "Speak Out" against industrial pollution.  This served to highlight that twenty years since the world’s worst-ever industrial disaster, not enough is being done to prevent any more Bhopals from occurring: corporations are still putting profits before peoples’ lives.

Could Bhopal happen in Swaziland?
It is clear that global experts do not think enough has been done to improve environmental standards at industrial facilities in the 20 years since the Bhopal disaster.  Lessons simply have not been learnt.  But could such a catastrophic disaster ever occur in Swaziland?

Yonge Nawe’s Environmental and Socio-Economic Justice Programme aims to empower disadvantaged people to ensure that their health and well-being is safeguarded and that communities are not victims of pollution and environmental injustices.  We are concerned about environmental controls and negligent management practices at a variety of industries in Swaziland, for example paper mills and collieries, where workers rights and occupational safety and health legislation are being violated on a daily basis.  It is in businesses such as these where there is always potential for large environmental disaster.  Yonge Nawe appeals to the appropriate Ministries to properly enforce workplace and environmental regulations: this is the only way to make these companies smarten up their act!

All the staff at Yonge Nawe would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our members and supporters a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Please remember the environment this Christmas and consider how you can reduce the impact of your festive celebrations: think about saving water wherever possible; minimising plastic bag use; recycling cans and bottles; and avoiding unnecessary car journeys.