Saudi- Meet environmental standards to get license companies told

(MENAFN- Arab News) With aims to protect environment the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment Protection has taken moves to protect environment by withholding issuance of licenses to companies until they meet the environmental standards.

Sources at the presidency revealed that the authority will withhold licenses granted for projects installations and new industrial and developmental activities until the companies meet the green standards of the presidency.

According to Dr. Omar bin Abdulaziz Al-Jasser general president of the environment body this new trend will be applied in coordination with the concerned government department for licenses of projects facilities and industries.

According to the royal decree concerning the environment 'the companies seeking a license need to ensure that they have conducted the environmental assessment at the feasibility stage of the projects' he said in a press statement in Jeddah.

Al-Jasser said the projects' compliance with environmental standards contribute to the preservation of the environment and conservation of the natural resources.

He praised the growing interest by many government agencies demanding entrepreneurs' commitment to obtain the necessary environmental permits and hoped to reach full cooperation in this regard.

He said that the new approach will be compatible with the new environmental standards of air water and noise quality approved by the Kingdom recently pointing out that the intention of the presidency with the other concerned governmental authorities is to apply those standards on new projects without exception particularly those projects that are still in the feasibility and design stages.

He also said that the existing facilities which had obtained a license before the adoption of the new measures will be given a period of five years to modify their situation.

He said that the presidency is entrusted with preparation issuance review development and analysis of environmental protection standards and developing a system of environmental standards and guidelines that achieve the principle of the protection of human health and the preservation of the environment and conservation of natural resources and the implementation of the national strategy for sustainable development approach in various sectors: health economic industrial agricultural and development.'

He stressed that the new approach is intended primarily to protect the environment and keep up with the requirements of the present and future needs to include aspects of air water and noise quality standards and make the Kingdom one of the first countries to apply these measures to all facilities and development projects in the pipeline.