medium-, to 24 — Wednesday, January 8, 1997 — North Shore News Environmental industry shows global growth By Michael Becker News Editor A West Vancouver company is finding success in the environ- mental industry. Hatfield Consultants Ltd. is taking part in the Team Canada trade mission to South Korea, the Philippines : and Thailand. Hartfield is but one exam- ple of a growing business sector. *“ According to information provided by the Trade Opportunities Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, there are approxi- mately ’ 4,500 small and medium-sized _ businesses ‘ active in the field across the ‘country. The businesses employ about 150,000. About two-thirds of the companies. offer . services '. such as. consulting, environ- mental and ener; ea ing, and’ scientific nical ‘services. “The balance of the group includes manufacturers of ineer- tech- — products.. > The’ manufacturing com- : ponent. generates about $6 ilion of an estimated industry. total of $11 billion in annual revenues. Approximately 20% of “total industry revenues come “from exports... . Firms’ located in Ontario _ generate: 40% of revenue, Quebec and the Prairies account for 26% each, 15% ‘in’ B.C. and -5%: ‘in the Atlantic region." . _. Canada is well regarded internationally due to: competitively priced, ualiy products and services at meet.or- exceed most - existing international regula- ‘tions and emission-control “standards; | qualified people; B. good market intelligence for: product ~ ‘development "and marketing; - oe i good local representation arrangements ‘to support long-term : 80% of the wor! development; @ financial and contractual support from trade develop- ment agencies such as EDC (Export Development Corporation) and the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC); a well-established co-opera- tive relationships with devel- oping countries, including the high-quality internation- al development assistance programs of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Canadian companies have captured about 3.5% of the world market. It is estimated that the market will grow to U.S.S600 billion by the year 2000. The competition is fierce. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Develop- ment (OECD) countries dominate the. cnvironment sector with approxiinately id market _Meanwhile, developing countries are developing increasingly sophisticated domestic — environmental expertise. ‘The situation makes local partners a prerequisite for doing business in many countries. The United States i is the world’s largest market, fol- lowed by Western Europe and Japan. Forecasts call for an aver- age annual growth rate of 8% to 1998. Southeast Asia (at 16%) is the fastest-growing market, followed by Eastern Europe (at 14%) and Latin America (at 12%). The United States is the largest and must accessible market for Canadis-compa- nies. The market priorities in the U.S. include integrated waste management and air- pollution controls. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has Canadian industry took- ing at trade, investment and technology-development south of the border. South America is a mar- WINTER” ~ CLEARANCE further reductions on g* Ladies ond men’s skiwear wid O% on : ‘B ° Evening wear. . * French faux furs s¢ Purses and accessories = MON.-SAT. 10-6 30-70% ou wr00% off . 50% ca] SUN. 12-5 1447 Bellevue Ave, West Vancouver 925-9454 ket swith promise, providing an oppor- tunity for furthering Canadian investment in coun- tries such as Chile, Argentina. and Brazil. Canadian embassy offi- cials identify the environ- mental sector as one of the most promising in terms of opportunities for Canadian exporters. Rapid growth in China, Korea, Taiwan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has attracted many Canadian firms. Companies are espe- cially active in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. “4 In Europe, environmen- tal requirements:.and- stan- dards have become an important trade policy issue, causing many European companies to improve their environmental performance. Other factors. are. also emerging as forces in the international market. International _ financial institutions are increasing their commitment to envi- ronmental projects. They. are also requiring close examination of the environmental implications of projects chosen for financin In 1994, the World Bank loaned more than U.S.$10.2 billion to. projects support- ing environmentally sustain- able development. Public demand for the cleanup of environmental problems is- doing much to drive the demand for envi- ronmental products and ser- vices. The industry is evolving. Some areas of the globai market are growing faster as a result of a burgeoning demand for energy efficiency and renewal, sustainable How are | we doing? ‘When we fall short of your expectation, please cell us. When a newspaper story does not seem to seflect fairly what was said, Jet our editors know, When we are unable to solve your complaint, we encourage you to submit it to the: BC Press Council Box 5414 Victoria, B.C. V8R 654 Tek (604) 595-2571 Fax: (604) 595-2573 The B.C. Press Council was created in 1983 as an independent review board to protect the public from press inaccuracy or unfairness and to management of natural resources and biodiversity, and for response to issues such as climate change and ozone depletion. The federal government’s Canadian — Environmentz! Industries Strategy calls tor the following to enhance international business devel- opment ‘in the environmen- cal industry sector: ® collect and: disseminate industry product and market information’'and industrial intelligence; JB transfer Canadian public and private-sector expertise and training regarding regu- lations, policies. and techni- cal programs to developing countries, with a view to the subsequent export of Canadian environmental sys- tems, equi ment, expertise and technologies; IR identify and target specific projects and programs that arise from. international agreements; @ support the establishment of consortia and alliances among businesses with com- plementary strengths. Other activities include: could M establishing country-to- country co-operative arrangements to improve trade and market access; “@ offer .a- program of Canadian —_ environmental training courses in Canada for people from other coun- tries. WEST Vancouver-based Hatfield Consultants Ltd. has found success in the burgeoning global field of environmental management. These shelifish farms in Thailand were developed with exper- tise provided by the North Shore company. ; NEED MORE CASH _—~ TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS?. Ideally suited for companies ‘with : Call The Pyx Financial G Group at (604) 921-7334. Ask for Bari-: featuring guest speake and financial author. GAIL KENNED Canada’s #1 RRSP specialis plus . : A MUTUAL FUND EXHIB including over 150 mutu 1 fun products: © 10 rules to maximize your RRSP © Asset Allocation © Investing your foreign content © Pay down the mortgage vs RRSP © Best alternatives to GIC’s and term denosi!s © Obtaining the best professional advice ‘© Getting a low-cost RRSP loan This Seminar would be most suited to individuals with investment assets in excess of $50,000 Vancouver Saturday, January ith - 10am... | Waterfront Centre Hotel - Ballroom be sponsored FORTUNE PIN AN CUAL by Al Lind