Ford steers clear of controversy

Ford’s controversial new Brazilian factory in Bahia has been named Project Amazon, showing that the car maker is endeavouring to promote its policy of corporate responsibility. Kyle Copas, spokesman for William McDonagh Partners, the architects that developed the land-use plan for the site, said Ford was aiming for, “regeneration and recuperation of indigenous vegetation and local species”. The site’s buildings rely on local materials and construction methods, responding to the regional climate and architectural forms.

Ford invested approximately $1.2bn in the project and plans to produce 60,000 vehicles in 2002. It is the largest investment currently being made by Ford and is also one of the largest industrial undertakings under way in Brazil.

Premier’s pakistan oil foray criticised

Despite challenges from Friends of the Earth International (FOE) and Pakistani environmental groups, British company Premier Oil has won the rights to explore for gas in Kirthar National Park. The park is in the Dunbar block, where Premier was awarded the rights in 1997 by Pakistan’s ministry of petroleum and natural resources to start exploration activities.

Premier Oil submitted gas exploration plans, including an environmental impact assessment (EAI), earlier this year. “Premier worked closely with the Pakistani government and local NGOs on making sure that a proper assessment was carried out. NGOs helped us lay down the perimeters of the block” said Charles Jameson, managing director of Premier Oil. The EIA was carried out independently by the University of Melbourne and revealed, according to Mr Jameson, that the exploration for gas would have no significant effect on the human or animal population.

However, environmental groups claim the governor of Sindh province, Mohammed Mian Soomro changed the law so exploration and production can be “undertaken in accordance with an environmental impact assessment”.