ENVIRONMENTAL

MANAGEMENT TOOLS &

TECHNIQUES
Chapter 4
1. Analyze the different
environmental tools and
techniques;
2. Describe the environmental
policy;
3. Define environmental
management system.
Chapter Objectives:
Considering the significance of
sound environmental
management, environmental
management is worth investing.
Now there is a need for a company
or an organization to know how to
go about it. To undertake any task
one needs appropriate tools.
 Environmental Management
Tools & Techniques
• In the early 1990s the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) recognized
the need for standardization in the field of environmental management tools and in
1993 it set up a committee to write standards relating to the following environmental
management tools:
1. environmental management systems
2. environmental auditing
3. environmental labeling
4. life cycle assessment
5. environmental indicators
6. environmental policies
7. eco-balances
8. environmental reporting
9. environmental charters
 Environment Policy
• An environmental policy is a document which clearly sets
out the overall aims and intentions of a firm/company with
respect to the environment. Developing an environmental
policy is often the first step taken by firms/companies who
wish to undertake environmental management.
• An environmental policy signals a commitment to
environmental management and can prepare the way for
further environmental management activities.
 Environmental Management
Systems
• An environmental management system (EMS) enables a
firm/company to manage its environmental affairs in a planned
and systematic way and thus identifying ways of improving its
environmental performance that most benefit its business
performance.
• This section focuses on the requirements of two EMS schemes:
1. ISO 14001, the international environmental management system
standard
2. EMAS, the European Community’s eco-management and audit scheme.
 Environmental Management
Systems
In order to develop an EMS that meets the requirements of
these schemes a firm must take the following steps:
1. First it must produce an environmental policy that contains
commitments to legislative compliance and to continually
improving its environmental performance.
2. Next it must set targets relating to these commitments and
devise a programme for meeting these targets. Targets for
improving environmental performance should be based on a
comprehensive review of its environmental activities.
 Environmental Management
Systems
In order to develop an EMS that meets the requirements of these
schemes a firm must take the following steps:
3. It must then take the measures necessary to implement the programme.
4. Having implemented the programme, it needs to check that it has been
successful in meeting its targets. Corrective action must be taken in instances
where this is not the case. The EMS must be audited periodically to check it is
functioning as it should.
5. Finally, the firm needs to carry out a management review of the EMS, making
any changes necessary in light of the audit results and changing
circumstances. Having met its first set of targets the firm must set itself a new
set of targets so as to meet its policy commitment to continual improvement.
 Environmental Auditing
• Environmental auditing is a tool for checking whether a firm or an organization is
doing what it should be doing. For instance a legislative compliance audit checks
that those activities of the firm covered by environmental legislation (i.e. what it is
doing) actually comply with that legislation (i.e. what it should be doing). An
environmental audit will tell a firm or an organization whether its waste
management practices (i.e. what it is doing) conform with the industry sector best
practice guidelines it has committed itself to following (i.e. what it should be doing).
• Auditing is an important part of an environmental management system. ISO 14001
requires that an audit to be undertaken to check whether a firm’s EMS meets its
requirements and the same is true for EMS. Given the importance of environmental
management systems, a detailed explanation of the EMS audit process is given in
this learning material.
 Environmental Indicators
• Environmental indicators allow a firm to measure both its
environmental performance and its efforts to improve its
performance. Indicators can be used within an
environmental management system to check that a firm
has met the targets it is required to set for itself, but can
equally well be used in firms that have not developed an
EMS.
 Eco-balance
• A company eco-balance records the various raw materials, energy,
resources, products and wastes entering, held within and leaving a
company over a specified period of time. In other words, it provides a
record of a company’s physical inputs, stock and outputs.
• Once a company knows exactly what is coming in and going out, it
can begin to assess the particular environmental impacts of those
inputs and outputs. An eco-balance therefore enables a firm to
undertake the comprehensive environmental review of its activities
required by ISO 14001 and EMAS and to go on and set targets for
improving its environmental performance.
 Life Cycle Assessment
• Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool for identifying and assessing the
various environmental impacts associated with a particular product.
• LCA takes a “cradle to grave” approach looking at the impacts of the
product throughout its life cycle i.e. from the raw materials
acquisition (the “cradle”) through its production and use to its final
disposal (the “grave”).
• LCA allows manufacturers to find ways of cost-effectively reducing
the environmental impact of a product over its life-cycle and to
support their claims about the environmental impact of their
products.
 Environmental Labeling
• Environmental labeling schemes award an environmental label to those
products that are judged to be less harmful to the environment than others
within the same product group. Firms that wish for their products to be
considered for a label must apply to the scheme organizer.
• To be awarded a label, a product has to meet a set of environmental
criteria drawn up for its product group by the labeling scheme organizer.
The criteria relate to the complete product life-cycle and are drawn up
using LCA. They are set so that only a certain percentage of products
within a group, say 20-30%, can meet them. Hence environmental labels
can be used as marketing tools as they signify that a product is one of the
least environmentally harmful products in its group
 Environmental Reporting
• Having undertaken various environmental management initiatives to
improve its environmental performance, a company or an
organization may wish to communicate the results of these initiatives
to the outside world.
• One way of doing this is by publishing an environmental report.
Issuing an environmental report can improve a firm’s public image
and lead to improved relationships with stakeholders.
• To date, it is mainly large companies that have issued such reports
but small and medium scale companies may also find environmental
reporting a useful tool.
 Environmental Charters
• There are a number of environmental charters and
guidelines to which a firm/company or an organization can
subscribe in order to demonstrate its commitment to
responsible environmental management.
 HOW CAN A
FIRM/COMPANY MAKE USE
OF THESE TOOLS?
 If a firm wishes to make use of these environmental
management tools, it has a number of options. It can,

• read the relevant literature on the tools

• get staff trained to use them
• use external experts/consultancy
ENVIRONMENTAL
POLICY
WHAT IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL
POLICY?
• An environmental policy is a document prepared by a company or
an organization which clearly sets out its overall aims and intentions
with respect to the environment.
• An environmental policy provides a sense of direction for a company
and shows that it is committed to managing its environmental affairs
in a responsible way.
• The policy should be endorsed by the company’s senior management
and should be publicly available. It should be an integral part of the
business strategy and be compatible with company’s other policies
(e.g. on quality and on health and safety).
 NEED TO FORMULATE AN
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
• There are a number of reasons for producing and
formulating an environmental policy:
1. Producing a policy is an important first step towards achieving
effective environmental management.
2. An environmental policy provides important information to
external stakeholders on company’s aims and intentions with
respect to the environment.
WAYS AND MEANS TO PRODUCE
AN ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
• Before a company commences
• Sources of information when preparing a policy
• Guidelines on format, style and content
• Disseminating policy
• Implementing policy
 Sources for developing
environmental policy
• Other companies’ environmental policies
• Company’s employees
• Other relevant stakeholders
• Environmental management system (EMS) schemes
• Environmental charters
 Guidelines on format, style
and content
• Be bright but short
• Simple and careful language
• Making sure that a policy is relevant to a company