Implementing environmental with other standardized management systems: Scope,sequence, time and integration

The aim of this article is to analyze how the implementation of the environmental management system (EMS) in accordance with the ISO 14001: 2004 standard has been carried out in organizations having more than one standardized Management System (MSs). In particular, four implementation aspects will be discussed, namely the different management system standards (MSSs) used for registration, for example ISO 14001, ISO 9001, OHSAS 18001, ISO 27001 and SA 8000, the order in which they were implemented, the time required for each implementation, as well as the scope of integration of these MSSs into a single Integrated Management System (IMS).In order to do so, some of the results of a survey carried out in 176 organizations registered to, at a minimum, both ISO 14001: 2004 and ISO 9001: 2000 standards for environmental and quality management, respectively, are presented. As one of the few existing empirical studies regarding the integration of multiple MSs, this research reveals the importance of the different possibilities which organizations can opt for when considering EMS implementation. For example, while most respondents implemented ISO 9001 before ISO 14001, others did so simultaneously or even applied ISO 14001 first. Furthermore, although a large majority of organizations integrated their EMS with additional standardized MSs, a small percentage did not. Apart from illustrating the survey outcomes, the article contains a detailed case analysis of four specific organizations with high environmental awareness that have implemented quality and other standardized MSs.     

Finding the connection: environmental management systems and environmental performance

With more than 130,000 organizations worldwide certified according to ISO requirements, business people, regulatory authorities and other stakeholders have reason to wonder whether the purpose of ISO 14001, which is to help improve environmental performance, is being fulfilled. There is a growing body of literature attempting to answer this question. The results, however, are inconclusive.This meta-study analyzes a pool of 23 studies connecting environmental performance to environmental management systems. It shows that the reason that earlier studies arrived at mixed conclusions is twofold. Firstly, there is no agreement on what environmental performance is or how to measure it. Secondly, there is neither clarity nor agreement about how or why environmental management systems are expected to aid performance. It is therefore unclear whether the mechanisms that lead to improvement are expected to be the same for all companies or dependent on each implementation.The authors conclude that it is more fruitful to research how environmental management systems affect performance, rather than whether they do so or not. The recommended starting point for such studies is environmental performance as each organization defines it. This in turn implies a case by case approach and a need for much more research in the field.     

Stakeholders and environmental management systems: a synergistic influence on environmental imbalance

This article analyzes the combined effects of stakeholder pressure and the implementation of environmental management systems on organizations’ environmental behaviors. Beyond their individual effects, the implementation of an environmental management system should enhance the effect of stakeholder pressure on environmental imbalance, defined as the divergence between what the organization does and what it should do. Information collected from 3748 industrial plants in seven countries provides empirical evidence that supports the study propositions. Therefore, this study contributes to both the debate about the effectiveness of environmental management systems and the effort to explain the complex relationship between organizations and their stakeholders in environmental matters.     

环境监测站质量管理工作存在问题

环境监测是环境保护的支撑,文章分析了基层环境监测单位质量管理工作存在的问题,探讨其改进方法.     

环境监测站质量管理工作存在问题

环境监测是环境保护的支撑,文章分析了基层环境监测单位质量管理工作存在的问题,探讨其改进方法。     

县级环境监测站的质量管理

环境监测是环境保护工作的眼睛,监测结果对于把握污染现状和预测污染发展趋势起着非常重要的作用,因此加强环境监测过程中的质量管理非常重要。文章指出了县级环境监测站质量管理过程中的问题及解决问题的办法。     

An empirical study on the integration of management system audits

The objective of this paper is to analyze how internal and external audits of standardized management systems are conducted, with specific focus on the actual integration of audits performed against different management system standards. The research is based on a survey of 435 organizations registered to, at a minimum, both the ISO 9001: 2000 and ISO 14001: 2004 standards. A multivariate cluster analysis is applied in order to obtain distinctive typologies of the organizations participating in the study. The results show that the majority of organizations registered to multiple standards integrate their internal audits and are also externally audited in a similar manner. In addition, three distinct groups of organizations are detected, characterized and compared with respect to their audit conduct and integration.     

Managing environmental quality at the enterprise: the role of project management

An exploratory field study conducted in Europe and the U.S. examines the challenges of managing environmental quality at the enterprise level. The results show that effective environmental quality management depend to a considerable degree on the ability to deal with the multidisciplinary organizational, technical, social, and cultural issues involved in the integration of environmental cost accounting at the enterprise level. The study suggests that the tools and techniques of modern project management can provide an important framework for developing and implementing environmental quality control systems. The recommendations put considerable emphasis on the human side, focusing on the criteria under which environmental quality is best achievable. Strong senior management leadership, people skills, organizational linkages, and alliances, all are critical for dealing with the complexities of managing responsibly toward sustained developments in today’s organizations.     

Assessment of environmental aspects and determination of environmental targets within environmental management systems (EMS) – development of a procedure for Volkswagen

Since the revision of EMAS (EMAS II), a central role within this EU-regulated environmental management system has been assigned to the assessment of significant environmental aspects as the basis for identification of an organisation's environmental targets. However, EMAS only provides some general guidelines on the assessment of environmental aspects. To comply with the requirements of EMAS II, Volkswagen AG initiated the development of a comprehensive systematic approach which is now to be applied throughout Volkswagen's production sites. This article describes the elements of this approach. A methodological section discusses issues concerning the scientific assessment of environmental aspects, taking into account reproducibility, scientific acceptance and geographical representativeness of existing methods as well as time consumption and understandability for decision-makers. In addition, practical procedures to define environmental targets were worked out during two audits of Volkswagen's production sites, focusing on collaborative workshops with environmental experts, process experts and decision-makers to identify production-integrated improvements and enhance environmental sensitivity throughout the company.     

Diffusion of ISO 14001 environmental management systems in China: rethinking on stakeholders’ roles

Since the release of ISO 14001 in 1996, China has witnessed a surge in the number of ISO 14001 certification. As an international environmental standard, ISO 14001 has two basic functions: one is playing as an environmental management instrument, while the other as a signal of firms’ better environmental performance to stakeholders. Based on the stakeholder theory, we have examined the effects of community, regulatory and some organizational stakeholders on the diffusion of ISO 14001 certification at Chinese provincial levels. Using a panel data of ISO 14001 certification from each province for the period of 2004-2008 in China, empirical evidence of such relations is found. The finding reveals that signaling to foreign customers and community stakeholders plays a dominant role in encouraging diffusion of ISO 14001 certification. However, as an important organizational stakeholder, foreign investors have shown no significant effect on the diffusion of ISO 14001 in China.     

A survey of the implementation status of environmental management systems in U.S. colleges and universities

A census of 925 U.S. colleges and universities offering masters and doctorate degrees was conducted in order to study the number of elements of an environmental management system possessed by small, medium and large institutions. A 30% response rate was received with 273 responses included in the final data analysis. Overall, the number of environmental management system elements implemented among the 273 institutions ranged from 0 to 16, with a median of 12. The proportion of U.S. colleges and universities that reported having implemented a structured, comprehensive environmental management system is discussed. Stratified analyses were performed by institution size, Carnegie Classification and job title.     

水质监测质量管理的实践与思考

水质监测全程序质量控制检查是质量管理的一项重要手段,是提高分析结果总体可靠性、了解或证实各实验室提供优质数据的能力的有力措施。本文对地表水监测质量检查情况进行了论述,分析总结所发现的问题,并根据具体情况提出解决的办法和建议,旨在为水质监测质量水平的提高起到借鉴作用。     

基层环境监测站环境质量评价的现状分析与对策

对基层环境监测站的环境质量评价现状进行了分析,并对存在的问题提出了建议和对策。     

金舵陶瓷:打造国际化优质环保建陶制造基地

佛山市金舵陶瓷有限公司是一家集科、工、贸;产、供、销于一体的大型知名陶瓷企业.公司始建于1993年,经过14年的发展,已经发展成为国内著名的大型优质高档建陶生产企业之一.公司是最早大规模采用进口设备生产抛光砖的企业,也因此享有"中国抛光砖鼻祖"的美誉.     

伊宁市生态环境质量评价及保护对策

＂十二·五＂初对伊宁市＂十一·五＂末期生态环境质量进行综合评价,对今后的生态环境保护以及治理都具有很强的参考和指导意义。本文在生态环境质量评价结果统计分析的基础上,找出当前的主要生态环境问题及变化情况,并对此制定出相应生态环境保护具体对策。     

编写《环境质量报告书》体现环境监测站价值

<环境质量报告书>的内容、作用都体现了环境监测站的价值,能促进环境监测站工作的发展.     

地下水水质分析及相关环保策略

本文研究了地下水对混凝土及金属的腐蚀作用,对水的化学成分进行了分析及评价,为地下工程建设提供了依据。同时,也让我们注意到工程建设对地下水也有严重污染,继续注意和采取相应措施来改善目前的状况。     

Drivers,barriers and incentives to implementing environmental management systems in the food industry: A case of Lebanon

The shift in policy towards prevention and towards making producers responsible for the pollution they cause has lead corporations to limit environmental liabilities through the improvement of environmental performance. The implementation of an Environmental Management System integrates the precautionary and polluter pays principles into a firm's operations and demonstrates commitment to sustainable development. This research aims at assessing the factors influencing the implementation of ISO 14001 Environmental Management System in developing countries taking the Food Industry in Lebanon as a case example. For this purpose, primary data were collected using a field survey questionnaire that was administered to a representative sample of facilities. The results revealed that the food industry is generally more concerned with safety and quality issues rather than environmental issues. Following international food sector trend, improving environmental performance and enhancing company image are the most salient drivers to adopt ISO 14001. The lack of government support and stakeholder demand as well as the fact that ISO 14001 is not a legal requirement constitute the most salient factors hindering the adoption of the standard. Economical and organizational factors are the most significant incentives required to motivate the food industry to adopt ISO 14001. The industry is less likely to voluntarily consider adopting ISO 14001 before acquiring a quality management certification or until ISO 14001 certification gain more recognition in the international food sector. The study defines the foundations for developing strategies, policy reforms and incentive schemes to reduce the barriers of implementing ISO 14001.     

Preventive environmental strategies for product systems

The paper describes a model for environmental quality and resource efficiency parameters to be used in evaluation of options for improvement of product systems in a life cycle and system perspective. Four main preventive strategies for product system improvements are described and discussed in the paper. (1) Reformulating user needs and requirements to the system; (2) improvement of product system performance; (3) substitution of the whole product systems or system components on different levels; (4) optimization within and between system units and components. These main strategies are discussed with respect to the structure of the product system (the domain theory), and with respect to efficiency in general. It is concluded that at present, it is not possible to make any definite rank of priorities between the different strategies, but that this should be evaluated when more systematic studies of cases are available.