This article was first published in The Forest Scribe, a sister website.
PROPER is supervisory program for industries which is aimed at encouraging compliance to environmental regulations. This program was launched in 1995 and each year, hundreds of companies are evaluated and assessed in order to rank them.
There are five different PROPER ranking, each identified by a specific color.
The PROPER ranking, from the best to the worst:
Gold
Consistently shows the superiority of the environment in the process of production or service and engages in business ethically and honoring its social responsibility.
Green
Engages in environmental management that goes beyond the required compliance of regulations, through an efficient environmental management system and use of resources, and conducting its social responsibility in a good manner.
Blue
Engages in efforts to meet the required environmental management in line with the prevailing laws and regulations. Meets all aspects required by the Environment and Forestry Ministry and this is the minimal ranking that has to be achieved by companies.
Red
Engages in efforts to manage the environment but has not yet been able to meet the requirements as stipulated in the laws and regulations.
Black
Purposely engages in causing, or is negligent so as give rise to, pollution or environmental damage, and violates the prevailing laws and regulations and or ignore the administrative sanction. It is at high risk of getting its operational permits revoked by the Environment and Forestry Ministry.