An empirical study on the driving mechanism of proactive corporate environmental management in China

Environmentalism in China is under transformation from the traditional command and control model to emphasize the advantages of economic tools and encourage the participation of the public. Firms are much more aware of the importance of environmental issues, and some of them have practiced environmental activities beyond compliance. In order to help understand the driving mechanism of proactive corporate environmental behaviors from the firm’s perspective, this paper identifies the drivers affecting the proactive environmental management level (EML_p) based on the institutional theory, and gives an empirical study on the firms based in Changshu city of Jiangsu Province, China. The usable data, collected from the 117 valid respondents in a questionnaire survey, indicates that EML_p is still moderately low currently. Less than 10% of the samples are practicing all the six categorized types of voluntary environmental activities. The econometric exercise confirms a significantly positive effect of the externally mimetic pressure on EML_p, which may attribute to a higher sensitivity of Chinese companies to the market factors. However, the roles of the general public and industrial associations are not significant, showing the marginal power of selected normative pressures. Regarding internal factors, firms, which view environmental issues as opportunities and often arrange internal environmental training, are more likely to adopt proactive environmental activities. More concerns from the general public like neighborhood communities and mass media shall be addressed to enhance the normative power to improve EML_p in China from the future perspective.     

基于重点排污单位的上市公司环境信息披露现状分析

本文选取264家母公司属环保部门公布的重点排污单位的上市公司作为研究对象,将样本企业在2016年年报、2017年半年报及2016年度社会责任报告等定期报告中披露的环境信息,对照上市公司年报与半年报中环境信息披露的要求与规范,对上市公司环境信息披露合规性进行评估。评估认为:上市公司通过定期报告披露环境信息在形式上和内容上均有所进步,但距离基本的形式上合规披露仍有显著差距,信息披露的全面性、有效性与针对性更远远不能满足强化环保监管与优化资本市场的目标本意与政策需求。基于上述评估结果与发现的问题,本文提出了制定管理办法与技术导则、提升政策层级与规范披露标准,强化部门协作等政策建议。     

From a culture of fixing to a culture of preventing at arm & hammer brand

Companies with a total quality management program in place are beginning to understand the need for of a fuller integration of environmental and health and safety functions within their overall quality framework. Intense international competition, a flat global economy, and an increasingly stringent environmental and health and safety regulatory climate are forcing management to consolidate whatever gains they have made on the compliance side. At the same time, a total quality approach demands flattening of hierarchies, increased empowerment in divisions and plant floors, and much greater integration through a team approach of most management functions. Making all of this work puts a heavy premium on communication and individual responsibility. As companies that are going through the process now understand, this calls for major changes in corporate culture and a deep commitment from top management. This article describes the quality improvement process at Church & Dwight, makers of the Arm & Hammer line of products, where the TQEM challenge is orchestrated by a triumvirate representing three management functions: engineering, quality, and marketing/public relations.     

Environmental management information systems: New tools for measuring performance

Successful implementation of environmental management information systems (EMIS) has become essential to the success of total quality environmental management (TQEM) programs. Effective TQEM programs will be early indicators of which companies survive and thrive in today's competitive business environment. Highly competitive industries such as chemicals, electronics, and oil and gas are becoming very effective in cooperating to develop metrics, models, and tools that are based on business processes rather than regulatory edicts. Now electric power companies, newly exposed to market competition, are starting to develop and implement these metrics, standards, and tools. That industry provides a model for joining TQEM and EMIS.     

Public regulatory relief and the adoption of environmental management systems: a European survey

An increasing number of organizations across the world have adopted Environmental Management Systems (EMSs) based on certifiable standards, notably the European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) and the ISO 14001 standards. Although the specialized literature has studied the motivations, obstacles and benefits of the adoption of these standards for EMSs extensively, the impact of the public incentives on the adoption of such environmental management tools has been overlooked. In order to fill this gap in the literature, this article aims to shed light on the level of companies' knowledge and application of the main regulatory relief initiatives provided by public administrations around the EU for organizations with a certified EMS. For that purpose, this article summarizes the main findings of a survey carried out with the participation of 244 European EMAS-registered organizations. The findings of the survey highlight the fact that most of the surveyed companies have adopted or benefitted from some form of regulatory relief, mainly by making use of the measures granting an extended duration of some permits (44%), reductions in financial guarantees in the waste-treatment sector (31%) and tax reductions (26%). Moreover, it emerges that, among countries, the role of regulatory relief to support companies in the path to the adoption of EMSs is not univocal.     

制度压力对企业环境责任的影响——来自中国上市公司的证据

环境问题是社会各界广泛关注的焦点,而企业是造成环境污染的主体之一,也是环境制度压力的主要调控对象,如何引导和控制企业履行环境责任已成为一个亟须研究的重大议题。根据制度理论,以中国上市公司7459个观测值为基础,采用固定效应模型系统评估了制度压力对企业环境责任的影响,还引入企业环境战略、内部控制作为调节变量进行分析。研究结果表明：制度压力能显著促进企业环境责任的提升;企业环境战略、内部控制等因素正向调节了制度压力与企业环境责任的关系,并且制度压力对企业环境责任的影响在非国有企业、地方国有企业中更强。以上结论在一系列的稳健性检验、反事实检验之后依然成立。这些结论启发了企业管理者运用企业环境战略、内部控制等企业自身因素强化企业环境责任,同时为政府根据企业不同情况有针对性地制定环境政策提供了理论依据。     

Does environmental compliance pay?

This paper examines the relationship between environmental compliance and financial performance of large US companies. The environmental performance is measured in penalties assessed for violations of environmental regulations. The financial performance is represented by the profit margins. The regression models developed in this paper suggest that the degrees of environmental compliance have a positive influence on the profit margins. Conventional economic wisdom is that regulations impose costs and restrictions and therefore put companies at a competitive disadvantage. However, this paper is consistent with the proponents of environmental regulations who argue that tough regulations force companies to be innovative and as a result make them more productive.     

环境质量管理新模式:启程与挑战

污染物总量控制是我国近10年环境保护中一个重要的治理模式。但在环境容量"硬约束"、公众对良好环境质量"硬需求"的大背景下,我国的环境管理应逐步从总量控制转向以环境质量改善为核心,改善环境质量已经成为环保工作的出发点和落脚点。2015年,随着新《环境保护法》的实施和"三大战役"的先后打响,法律保障、行动计划、政府问责、质量监测等逐步就绪,环境质量管理的基础手段不断夯实。2016年,环境质量管理新模式将全面启动,建议从强化公众环境健康、实行区域流域总量控制、改革生态环保管理体制、强化市场机制、推行排污许可证制度、加强信息公开和公众参与等方面着手,全面推进环境质量管理转型与创新。     

Monitoring and measurement systems for implementing ISO 14001

There is a lot of work involved in establishing an effective and useful monitoring and measurement system, but it can be a critical tool for business success. With reliable data based on important performance metrics, you can quantify environmental and business improvement; communicate success; provide valuable input to environmental objectives, targets, and programs; and make sound business decisions based on facts. This article details how companies can set up procedures, processes, and schedules using ISO 14001 to monitor regulatory compliance and help establish an integrated management system.     

双重环境规制、创新开放度与制造企业创新投入

如何在经济发展的同时实现有效的环境保护成为企业亟待解决的问题。本文以2011—2017年沪深A股制造业上市公司为样本,检验了双重环境规制、开放广度、开放深度与企业创新投入之间的作用关系。研究发现:政府环境规制对企业创新投入具有显著正向作用,有利于企业响应政府规制加大创新投入力度;公众环境规制对企业创新投入的影响不显著,企业倾向采用公关方式应对公众规制需求;开放广度越大,政府与公众环境规制对企业创新投入的正向影响越强;开放深度不会改变环境规制对企业创新投入的影响。本研究为企业有效整合内外部资源开发节能减排技术,响应对政府和公众双重环境规制的要求提供了一定理论支持和决策参考。     

Demystifying the EMIS purchasing process and decisions: Look (and plan) before you leap

The proliferation of environmental, health, and safety regulations in recent years has increased the complexity and cost of regulatory compliance for companies. In response to the growing complexities of environmental management, many firms are turning to information systems for tracking, managing, and automating their environmental activities and information. An environmental management information system (EMIS), however, is not an end in itself. A successful EMIS supports and facilitates the integration of environmental management into business functions. Effective planning is essential for placing short-term information system development in the context of a long-range comprehensive environmental management strategy. This article presents specific pitfalls to avoid when purchasing environmental management software. Numerous companies have discovered that the true costs of EMIS implementation stem from the political and organizational costs of getting employees to use systems, particularly when they require alterations in existing work processes. The up-front purchase price often represents less than 50 percent of the total system implementation cost. Failure to adequately research and plan frequently results in costly training, high modification or user fees, incompatibilities with other applications, or vendor dependence. The article then discusses the range of options in the EMIS marketplace and offers many practical suggestions to approach and plan effective implementation of an EMIS.     

Voluntary environmental management system standards: Case studies in implementation

Many anticipate that over the next decade, voluntary environmental management system (EMS) standards will take on the same importance in the marketplace as the ISO 9000 quality standards; the draft international EMS standard (ISO 14001) is on pace to be completed by mid-1996. In the United States, despite rapidly growing interest in EMS standards, most companies and regulatory agencies are uncertain about their potential benefits and about the process of developing an EMS. Case studies of EMS implementation, particularly in small and medium-sized companies, are needed to demonstrate the process and identify areas in which further EMS guidance is needed for environmental managers. This article presents seven case studies of EMS implementation in small, medium-sized, and large companies. Each company is participating in an EPA-sponsored Demonstration Project in which a variety of organizations are piloting the implementation of EMS standards (the project is being coordinated by NSF International, a not-for-profit company specializing in environmental and public health standards and certification). The case studies, written by the companies themselves, share experiences of EMS assessment, planning, and implementation, and discuss challenges that are special to particular industries.     

Corporate environmental performance expectations in the 1990s: More than just compliance

What do General Motors and Ben and Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream have in common? Both companies have endorsed the CERES principles, a model corporate code of environmental conduct developed by the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES). This model code generally goes well beyond what is now typically required of industry to maintain compliance with already stringent requirements established by regulatory agencies. And the CERES principles are not the only game in town. Many other environmental initiatives have surfaced both in the United States and abroad over the past few years. This article discusses six sets of current initiatives and provides managers with a vital tool for discussing these initiatives with top management and others throughout their organizations.     

Developing new environmental excellence programs: Lessons from epa's environmental leadership program

Interest in the concept—and implementation—of environmental excellence is at an all-time high. A wealth of examples from individual companies, trade associations, states, industry coalitions, and the federal government illustrate the growing acceptance by a wide range of stakeholders of a management systems approach to environmental issues. Perhaps nowhere is this more clear than in the collection of public comments submitted to EPA in response to its January 15, 1993, Federal Register notice, which proposed the creation of an Environmental Leadership Program (ELP). The authors, both of whom worked on the ELP, review these public comments and offer a set of “do's and don'ts” for organizations interested in establishing an environmental excellence program. In addition, the authors outline the Green Track proposal, a plan to structure an alternate regulatory pathway based on environmental excellence.     

Making sense of environmental accounting

Much as Total Quality Management (TQM) has helped companies decrease waste and enhance value, environmental accounting offers an approach and a suite of tools that can help organizations improve both environmental quality and bottom-line business performance. Its focus is to bridge the world of finance and economics with the world of environmental management. Companies in all sectors have discovered that they can increase profits by meeting and even surpassing environmental regulations. Through environmental accounting, companies can discover more of these opportunities and, ideally, bring environmental concerns earlier into planning, decision making, and operations. This article introduces environmental accounting and some basic principles that should guide organizations' thinking on environmental accounting and environmental accounting systems. It also describes several different objectives for environmental accounting that imply different requirements and orientations. Although the focus of this article is on environmental accounting as an aspect of forward-looking management and decision making in companies, much of the discussion applies to nonprofits and government units as well.     

Environmental performance rating and disclosure: China's Green Watch program

In this paper we describe a new incentive-based pollution control program in China, in which the environmental performance of firms is rated from best to worst using five colors--green, blue, yellow, red and black--and the ratings are disseminated to the public through the media. We focus on the first two municipal disclosure programs, which have been implemented at very different levels of economic and institutional development. In both cases, the increases in compliance with pollution regulations have been similar to increases produced by public disclosure programs in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The results suggest that incentives created by public disclosure may significantly reduce pollution in China, even though environmental NGO's play little role and there is no formal channel for public participation in environmental regulation.     

The environmental regulator and industrial development

Environmental regulatory agencies' administrative procedures have a significant impact on plant location. The authors review the basic reasons why companies build new plants and the constraints they operate under during site searches. The relationship between these issues and the regulatory agencies' administrative procedures is then shown, as well as the manner in which these procedures influence the site search. On the basis of this discussion, recommendations are made about how state environmental protection agencies can assist site seekers in a manner consistent with their regulatory responsibilities.     

Assessment of Compliance Performance of Environmental Regulations of Industries in Tuzla (Istanbul,Turkey)

Although environmental management in Turkey is evolving, its performance needs to be assessed in terms of the extent to which polluters and dischargers are complying with their legal obligations. In spite of this necessity, however, not a single study evaluating the effectiveness of command-and-control strategy of environmental management has been conducted. It is for this reason that it was decided to conduct an analysis of the impact of environmental legislation on a major industrial area in Turkey. Accordingly, Turkish environmental legislation was analyzed, and all relevant obligations and responsibilities of industry are identified. Based upon this appraisal, a questionnaire was prepared and used to conduct interviews in Tuzla, Istanbul. From the results, it can be concluded that environmental compliance performance of industry is low. The total of 92 parameters has been questioned. Fifty-three parameters have been found as satisfactory compliance, whereas 26 parameters have been classified as partial compliance and 13 as unsatisfactory compliance. The most important reason for inadequate performance is the lack of an effective national and local environmental compliance management system. The other leading reasons are found to be low-level environmental consciousness of the people, absence of environmental management system at the sites, inadequacies in environmental subsidies, and insufficiencies in public environmental infrastructure. Four recommendations are made to increase the effectiveness of compliance management: establishing an effective environmental compliance management system, accelerating public investment for environmental infrastructure, developing financial subsidies and incentive schemes for environmental investments, and encouraging voluntary initiatives.     

A study of compliance with environmental regulations of ISO 14001 certified companies in Korea

This article investigates the impact of ISO 14001 certification on the compliance with environmental regulations by Korean companies. The impact of ISO 14001 certification on the industry was studied through a questionnaire survey and the compliance of environmental regulations were investigated using government-released data. The motivation for an environment management system was a result of the current international situation and the need to maintain fair competition. ISO 14001 certification has been recognized as an essential strategy for industrial competition and to improve company/product recognition. The certified and non-certified companies' environmental regulation violation (ERV) rates were 3.5% and 11.6%, respectively, in 1997. In 1998, the ERV rate had an eight-time difference with 1.0% and 8.5% for certified and non-certified companies, respectively. Annual regulation violation rates were reduced from 3.5% in 1997 to 1.0% in 1998 with certified companies and from 11.6% in 1997 to 8.5% in 1998 with their non-certified counterparts, respectively. ISO 14001 certified companies showed more improvement than non-certified companies in regards to environmental performance.