FEW ISSUES on the global industrial landscape have changed more during the last 30 years than the relationship between commerce and the environment.

Creating sustainable industrial processes while minimising harm to the environment is now the single biggest issue on the business agenda and it is constantly developing.

One U.S. scientist recently commented that climate change presents a bigger and more immediate threat to the West than terrorism.

For businesses, the global and local threats and opportunities were highlighted at the Business and The Environment conference hosted recently by Denison Till at the Central Science Laboratory - beyond just the "polluter pays" principal into a greater understanding where green sense is good business sense in more ways than simply avoiding the financial penalties.

Research for the conference showed that many firms in York and North Yorkshire are involved in highly-innovative and sustainable environmental processes.

These include manufacturers, service industries and local business organisations which have developed products and processes that are sustainable and add real value to the bottom line. These enterprises are achieving real competitive advantages in increasingly hostile markets.

For this reason, Denison Till is pleased to be able to gain an even greater insight to the wealth of environmental innovation in this area by sponsoring the Evening Press Environment Award for a second time.

We want to hear from businesses which are able to demonstrate a lasting commitment to the environment and sustainable development, either through new products, services, or actions that have proved to be of real value to the environment and a successful step commercially.

The environment is not just at the heart of our business life but, perhaps, our very survival. If you are a local businesses setting the pace, let us know. You are a candidate for the Evening Press Environmental Business of the Year.

Updated: 09:52 Tuesday, June 01, 2004