Environmental Management Systems

environsal instruction SystemsWill environmental Management Systems and associates environmental Reporting initiatives attending the concept of Sustain up to(p) Development in act?The International Organization forStandardization (ISO) is a federation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs)created to elaborate and improve internationalistic standards. The ISO initi anyycreated general management standards (the ISO 9000 serial publication) for organizationsand industries that acknowledged the value of a constitutionatic cuddle tomanagement. However, as economic growth and the environment tolerate often been inconflict with one and only(a) and other (and industries today face many political, socialand economic pressures to improve their environmental doing Gale, 1996)the ISO further articulateed the 14000 Series, which applied the same managementsystem as the 9000 Series to companies environmental issues (The LexingtonGroup, 2005 5).The principles behind the ISO 14000 S eries apply to any organization, public or private, whose activities, products or services interact directly or indirectly with the environment (The Lexington Group, 2005). The ISO 14000 Series quickly became the environmental policy standard for companies to follow, and since its holdment in 1996 thousands of organizations have adopted the environmental Management Systems (EMSs). EMSs ar practice sessiond in the public and private arenas, at all scales, from national to local government, and from immense multi-national corporations to small privately owned vocationes.This essay pull up stakes discuss if, and towhat extent, EMSs (and particularizedally the environmental Reporting subsidiary)will aid the concept of sustainable development in application. This essay isstructured as follows maiden, it discusses the approximately important of the ISO 14000standards, the EMS second, it considers a nonher ISO 14000 component,environmental Reporting third, it break downs and cons iders the variables andapplication of sustainable development fourth, it turns to a few case studiesto gild how EMSs work in habituate and finally, it draws some conclusionsab start how legal these standards are in aiding the concept of sustainabledevelopment.Environmental Management SystemsAs discussed in the Introduction,the ISO 14000 Series was developed to apply the ISOs widely recognizedmanagement systems to a associations environmental issues (The Lexington Group,2005). The EMS, or ISO standard 14001, quickly became the internationallyrecognized framework for environmental management, measurement, evaluation andauditing (GreenBiz, 2005 1). To list a few voices, the responsibilities ofthe EMS include creating a enlarge environmental policy for an organization,examining the environmental impact of its products, activities and services,establishing environmental objectives, assisting the organization in meetingits legal and regulatory requirements, providing training to em ployees, andoverseeing the companys auditing procedure.The EMS meets international standards, provided is tailored to specific operations, allowing companies to get the hang the environmental impact of their activities, products, and services (GreenBiz, 2005 1).though an organization could, ofcourse, establish these very guide funds and parameters themselves, companiesoften find that ISO 14001 adherencehelps to meet the ever-increasingenvironmental standards and concerns of the global marketplace (GreenBiz,20051). Other probable benefits for a company effectively implementing an EMSare numerous and include, among others.a more effective and systematic approach to managing itsinteractions with the environment (The Lexington Group, 2005).improving cost-effectiveness (by saving the money and faculty timenecessary to manage environmental affairs independently The Lexington Group,2005, as thoroughly as by improving efficiency and in turn reducing the be of vigor, materials, fine a nd penalties Morrow and Rondinelli, 2002162).allowing companies to convey their environmental policies moreeffectively to neighbouring communities and other stakeholders (The LexingtonGroup, 2005).and improving their image and attracting customers by dint of theestablishment of a strong image of corporate honesteousness (Morrow andRondinelli, 2002 163).All of these benefits, of course,increase the likelihood that companies will help contri scarcee to sustainabledevelopment. However, the cost and benefits of an EMS (and in turn, theprobability that the EMS will walkover a role in sustainable development) fluctuateconsiderably depending on a be sick of criteria. These might include the type oforganization, its existing eco-efficiency,the organizations potential environmental impacts or risks, the extent towhich a company precedingly implemented surveys of environmental sustainability,and the exchange premium placed on sustainability by the organizations stakeholders andcustome rs (The Lexington Group, 2005).Whilst this section has outlined EMSs and their potential beneifts, the succeeding(a) section will discuss Environmental Reporting, its association and figure out on EMS, and its contri unlession to the sustainable development of organizations.Environmental ReportingCorporate coverage is an internalcomponent of business management. It is defined as the voluntary public bewilderation of nurture about an organizations non-financial performance -environmental, social and economic over a specified period, usually afinancial course of instruction ( department of Environment and Heritage, 2005 1). These toilet bemade public in a variety of ports, including as a stand-alone document, on a companywebsite, or as a component of an Annual Report (Department of Environment andHeritage, 2005).An Environmental Report is a key component of the ISO 14000 Series, and an essential step to increasing transparency and, as a result, accountability in a companys en vironmental practices (Department of Environment and Heritage, 2005). The practice of Environmental Reporting is becoming more common because of pressure from stakeholders, as well as a general public train for increase openness on environmental issues (Kolk, 1999). Further, some countries have now begun to obligate legal obligations on firms to produce Environmental Reports (Kolk, 1999).A Corporate Environmental Report( conditioned emotion) is, in essence, a means to imparting a companys environmental performance.Arguably, the most important function of the CER is to allow the organizationto prize its observance of the environmental policies, goals and objectivesset out in its EMS (United Nations Environment Programme, 2005). It is alsoused to exhibit a companys EMS and corporate responsibility try tokey stakeholders, as well as to customers, that it is complying with theirdemands help a company track its own progress and identify internal strengthand weaknesses (United Nations Environment Programme, 2005) and evaluate itscurrent performance and set further future goals.The general societal demand for increased transparency on environmental issues, and in turn environmental reportage, is exemplified by the fact that the most complete reports are published by industries with poor or controversial public images, i.e., the chemical or caliber industries (Davis-Walling and Batterman, 1997).In so long as in that respect is objectivityand honesty, environmental reporting can be conducted either internally orexternally (Rice, 2005). Undeniably, for environmental reporting to beworthwhile, it moldiness be credible, and there is increasing pressure from twospecific directions to verify environmental reports premier(prenominal), there is a material move from environmental descriptions and intentions to quantified,comparable, verifiable, and even verified information (Kolk, 1999 225) andsecond, the requirement of independent, third-party baulk andcertification as an almost expected element of every worthwhile effort(Rice, 2005 1).Though Environmental Reporting hasa big role to play in aiding the long-term sustainability of an organization,it is nonethe slight a process plagued with problems. Research seems to indicatethat environmental reporting is typically deficient and not of a standard tosatisfy the information inevitably of respective(a) classes of report readers (Deegan andRankin, 1999). An independent study of the environmental reports of the Fortune50 firms found that none provided information that was sufficient forcomprehensive or comparative analyses of environmental performance(Davis-Walling and Batterman, 1997 1432). Research suggests that one of thebiggest problems is that a company can begin its environmental reportingwhenever it wants, and that this often leads to disappointing results.Environmental Reporting, then,typically comes before the EMS, and could therefore only act as a statement ofobjectives, and not the rese arched and analysed report on the achievement ofenvironmental objectives under an EMS that its meant to be. To be practicaland stiff (and not simply a statement of environmental policies)environmental reporting should actually be developed further along theimplementation of the ISO 14000 Series. Additionally, it should be a continuousprocess, and referred stake to again and again in an attempt to consolidate theEMS and effectively analyse the companies progress.This chronology supports the ISOspecification that organizations seek continuous improvement bycontinually reporting, as opposed to providing a one-off initial report,organizations can buy outedly evaluate and adapt their EMS. In essence, it isimportant to underline that the CER is a means to environmental improvement andgreater accountability, not an end in itself (United Nations EnvironmentProgramme, 2005 1).Consideration of the variables and application of Sustainable DevelopmentThe term Sustainable Developmentwas firs t used in 1987 in Our Common Future, also known as theBrundtland Report of the United Nations Commission on Environment andDevelopment (WCED). The definition offered by the Brundtland Report is stillthe most commonly used today, and describes Sustainable Development simply, andarguably vaguely, as development that meets the needs of the present withoutcompromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs (WCED, 198743).Sustainability is often regarded as the buzz-word of development policy in the 21st Century. Indeed, as The Economist aptly stated No one in their right mind is against sustainable development. Everyone thinks it would be terrific if there were less poverty, less pollution, less disease, less war, less corruption (2002). As an umbrella-term, its WCED definition has been subservient in creating a consensus, but less helpful in creating and outlining a framework for its achievement.Currently, there are in the region of 70 diametric definitions for Sustaina ble Development, and each allows organizations to interpret the term in whatever way they see fit. For that reason, EMS and Environmental Reporting are especially important for swelled public and private organisations alike, from a national to a local level, the exchangeable framework necessary not just for demonstrating their commitment to the practice of sustainability, but for making progress towards its actual achievement.As mentioned in the Introduction,economic growth and the environment are often regarded as being at odds, andthe ISO 14000 Standards are peculiarly important for helping organizationsand industry to reach their desired level of sustainability, and to incorporatethe environment into their general framework. Determining an EMS is anorganizations first, and most vital step in establishing what itsenvironmental aspects are, and how it is overtaking to deal with them. That said,any organization can develop an EMS, and though it is an important startingpoint, it proves elflike about an organizations sustainability in and ofitself.Environmental Reporting is therefore essential not just to act as the companys own environmental audit, but to demonstrate to stakeholders and society that they are indeed conducting themselves in a sustainable manner. Moreover, achieving sustainability is a complicated and long-term (if not permanent) process Environmental Reporting allows a company not only to evaluate its accomplishments, but also the probability to re-evaluate its target. The following section outlines some case studies of how organizations have used EMS and Environmental Reporting to minimize their environmental impact.Case StudiesThis section will present a fewcase studies to illustrate the value of EMSs and Environmental Reporting. Eachcase study has been selected to show take to the woods in the applicability of thestandards as well as to demonstrate their use in two the public and privatesectors.Solid Waste Management Division, Departm ent of prevalent Works. Berkeley,California, USA.DescriptionThe Solid Waste Management Divisionis Berkeleys municipal drive out collection and disposal facility. It collectsplant debris, refuse and recycling from approximately 40,000 residential andcommercial properties, as well as operating a transfer station, anoil-recycling depot, and a shake off and buy-back recycling centre. The SolidWaste Management System decided to implement an EMS (involving about 25 percent of their 102 employees) for a variety of reasons, including improving thefacilitys environmental performance, as well as employees participation inthis improvement making the particular division unvarying with the Citysoverall environmental principles the EMS value as a marketing/publicrelations tool the decrement of costs and finally, an increased competitiveadvantage.ConclusionsThrough implementing an EMS, theSolid Waste Management Division was able to jointly determine whatenvironmental impacts the facility had, or might have in the future. These werethen ranked and goals set to lessen the environmental impact of the facility.These included eliminating 98 per cent of dust particles, reducing theelectricity used by 250Kwh annually, improving the control of hazardousmaterials brought into the site by 75 per cent, adding lead mailings per yearto enhance consumer participation in recycling collection, reducing water supplyconsumption by 25 per cent, and reducing number of pickups schedule to reducefuel consumption and emissions.Some of the direct benefits andcontributions to Sustainable Development have been a reduction in airpollution for the entire City of Berkeley gaining respect and bettercooperation from the Department of Public Works, including budget changes andconsultation by other City of Berkeley Departments and other Solid Wastepractices all over the United States. Additionally, conducting an EnvironmentalReport to determine the effects of the EMS allowed the facility not only to s eethe improvements that it had already made, but to analyse them and set modernistictargets such as revising the job descriptions, rerouting to reduce the numberof miles covered each day, and implementing a new dust suppression system. beacon fire Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, United Kingdom.DescriptionOne aspect of the Beacon CouncilsEnvironmental Reporting System is a fully computerised monitoring andtargeting (MT) system for evaluating performance at all 600 of theirbuildings. Data from all utility providers (including electricity, gas, coal,oil, biomass, and water) are recorded in the specialist system. These are thenmonitored and benchmarked against national performance, and create the abilityto instigate corrective action to improve performance.ConclusionsAs reported by the Beacon Council,the MT system carries out the following functions sets energy targets andmonitors performance sets energy budgets and controls expenditure validatesand verifies bills and recover s overcharges and monitors and reduces CO2emissions. The continual reporting of the MT system has been vital in itsconstant monitoring and improving of the Beacon Councils environmentalsustainability.Gillepsie Decals, Inc. Wilsonville, Oregon, USA.DescriptionGillepsie Decals, Inc. is a40-employee screen-printing company in Oregon. To develop an EMS, the companytook the following steps first, it developed its environmental policy second,it identified the companys environmental aspects and then ranked them in orderof importance and third, it set out environmental goals and developed programsto achieve them.ConclusionsThe company made a number ofimprovements and took significant steps towards achieving environmentalsustainability. Two noteworthy examples are one, they reduced the amount of waste matter ink by developing standards for ink mixing, and a computer record ofcolours and mixes for repeat jobs and two, they reduced their water usage by requestinginformation from other companie s on their water recycling systems, bypurchasing bottled drinking water for employees (and thereby improving employeespirits) and by initiation low-flush toilet models.Gillespies have stated their commitment to continuous environmental improvement, and have decided to develop other environmental aspects in the future. It is unclear whether Gillespies carried out Environmental Reporting, but it is apparent that this process would be effective for both confirming the environmental improvements already made, and determining what remains to be through to achieve the desired level of sustainability.ConclusionEMS and Environmental Reportingwill indeed aid in the concept of Sustainable Development in application. TheCase Studies in the previous section demonstrated some of the positive resultsof an organizations implementation of an EMS. All three examples illustratedhow an EMS, and Environmental Reporting, contribute to the improvedenvironmental performance of the institutions in questi on. The Gillespie CaseStudy was a very pocket-sized example of EMS that demonstrated how the systemcould work even for a small company.Furthermore, the first two case studies certainly are a demonstration of how the EMS and Environmental Reporting can contribute to more than just their institutions environmental performance. In the Berkeley example, it showed not just how an EMS can contribute to Sustainable Development for the angiotensin converting enzyme institution, but also how this affects the city as a whole, and can influence similar institutions nation- (or even world-) wide. The Beacon Council Case Study is a useful example of how EMS can make not just environmental sense, but financial sense as well.The first two examples also servedto illustrate what a vital component Environmental Reporting really is. Theyvalidated Rices line of reasoning that for an EMS to be effective, theEnvironmental Reporting not only has to advance, but occur continuously.Environmental Reportin g needs to be pushed further down the time-line of theISO 14000 Series, and be something that occurs afterwards the EMS has beenimplemented (so it acts not just as a statement of objectives but as an actualreport), and on a continual basis because sustainability it not a one-off andsimple achievement.The Gillespie example is therefore a useful illustration of how EMS can be effective, but without consistent re-evaluation and continuous reporting, the first set of changes are unlikely to be followed by another set. If this is the case, an organizations environmental performance will at better remain stagnant, but more likely decline, instead of continuously improving. This will certainly not aid the concept of Sustainable Development in application.EMS and Environmental Reporting arenot, however, the panacea for Sustainable Development. Critiques of thestandards that are proffered simply because they do not guarantee SustainableDevelopment are contrary, and risk throwing out the ba by with the bathwater,or rejecting the essential with the inessential. EMS and EnvironmentalReporting are rather two single parts of a contingent solution with an infinitenumber of components. They should be seen, and valued, as such.Works CitedBerkeley,City of (2005) Solid Waste Management Division, Department of Public WorksCase Study, available from Eco-efficiency is the primary way in which businesses can contribute to theconcept of sustainable developmentThe vision of eco-efficiency is simply toproduce more from less. Reducing waste and pollution, and using fewer energyand raw materials is obviously good for the environment. It is alsoself-evidently good for business because it cuts companies costs, excerptsfrom the Bulleting of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development(The Lexington Group, 2005 6).