Integrated management systems – three different levels of integration

Different approaches to integration of management systems (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 and SA 8000) with various levels of ambition have emerged. The tendency of increased compatibility between these standards has paved the road for discussions of, how to understand the different aspects of integration. The focus of the article is primarily to discuss three ambition levels of integration: from increased compatibility of system elements over coordination of generic processes to an embeddedness of an integrated management system (IMS) in a culture of learning and continuous improvements. At present, national IMS standards are being developed, and the IMS standards in Denmark and Spain are being analysed regarding the ambition level for integration. Should the ISO organisation decide to make a standard for IMS, then it would be necessary to consider the different levels of integration in order to make a coherent standard. So far, management systems have had major focus within organisations. However, in order to create competitive advantages for the organisation and contribute to a sustainable development, the IMS has to be expanded to include the whole product chain and all the stakeholders.     

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.     

How integrated are environmental,quality and other standardized management systems? An empirical study

The aim of this article is to analyze the extent to which environmental management systems are really integrated with the quality and other standardized management systems implemented in organizations. To this end, an empirical study was carried out on 435 companies that were registered to multiple management system standards, including ISO 14001: 2004 and ISO 9001: 2000 at the minimum. Overall, 362 of those organizations indicated that they had integrated all or at least some of their standardized management systems. Results from the cluster analysis show three types of organizations in function of their level of integration of management system goals, documentation and human resources, as well as procedures. The results also illustrate which particular management system components are integrated and to what degree.     

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.     

Environmental management systems' awareness: an investigation of top 50 contractors in Egypt

The construction industry, as an economically strategic sector and a large contributor to pollution generation, is expected to face enormous obstacles if it doesn't respond to the new business and regulatory environmental requirements in an increasingly competitive market after international trade liberization. A practical tool to achieve sustainable construction is through adopting Environmental Management Systems (EMS). Movement towards environmental management systems is getting momentum in the construction industry of most developed countries. However this field is still a relatively new and the concept is still marginalized in most of the developing world. It is suggested that lack of awareness is a major contributor to this lag.This paper reports on the results of a research on the environmental awareness of the top 50 contractors in Egypt. It investigates their ISO 14001/EMS awareness, opinions about contractor's responsibility towards the environment, necessity of ISO 14001, and obstacles and potentials for ISO 14001 adoption. These results will pave the way for effective implementation of EMS by contractors in Egypt. The paper also discusses integrating sustainable construction principals with EMS. This integration should result in environmental, social, as well as economical benefits.     

Qualitative evaluation of three ‘environmental management systems’ in the New Zealand wine industry

The wine growing industry is increasingly important to the New Zealand economy and increasingly its marketing is associated with the country's ‘clean and green’ image. Over 60% of New Zealand's wine companies have adopted at least one of three main environmental management systems: Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand, ISO 14001 and Bio-Gro. We undertook a qualitative, survey based, comparative evaluation of these systems within 15 wine companies. The key findings are that while each system appears to have its own strengths, in general, no one environmental management system is better than the other. However, implementation of an industry specific system, for example SWNZ, in combination with a generic process-based system, for example ISO 14001, aids in the development of a more sustainable wine industry.     

Integrated management systems: experiences in Italian organizations

Integrated Management Systems (IMS) are becoming more and more important, but experiences may differ across regions and companies of different size and sectors. The study reported in this paper has been developed using a sample of Italian companies to investigate the potential for integration starting from an analysis of the common aspects in terms of real motivations (company image, costs saving, etc.), obstacles (unclear regulations, lack of financial support, etc.), driving forces and external pressures that companies meet when implementing each of the management systems analysed: Quality (ISO 9001:2000), Environmental (ISO 14001:2004), Occupational Health and Safety (OHSAS 18001:1999), and even, Social Responsibility (SA 8000:2007) management systems.     

Do integration difficulties influence management system integration levels?

The objective of this article is to empirically analyse whether there is a relationship between the difficulties found in the integration process and the level of system integration achieved.A sample of 362 organisations registered, at least, to both ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004, is examined. Structural equation modelling is applied to their responses to a mailed survey. Two different groups are studied depending on the number of management systems implemented: two systems for the first group and three for the second.The results demonstrate that organisations with three implemented management systems face difficulties in the integration process that affect the level of integration, while this relationship is not significant for those organisations with two management systems.This paper is one of the first studies focussing on integration difficulties and their effect on the level of integration achieved.     

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.     

Challenges in internal environmental management reporting in Argentina

This paper concentrates on the internal reporting methods applied to cleaner production and environmental management accounting programmes in Argentina. Questions on how environmental costs and benefits are defined, the mechanisms adopted to measure the continuing benefits arising from certain changes in management and processes and practical issues of data collection and collation are included. Furthermore, situations in which the ideally desired information is not immediately available from existing accounting or other information systems within the companies are also discussed. The success of communication initiatives, in particular, rests on both the environmental accounting messages and the ability of the users to understand the information. From this perspective, the worksheets included are considered to be an important tool to following the programmes and communicating the results. The integration of data through a set of indicators organised according to an environmentally balanced scorecard methodology may provide important information for decision-makers and add real value to sustainable development by helping people become conscious of sustainability-related matters. In addition, accountants need to know about the information improvements they can obtain using the EMA methodology.     

环境管理体系ISO14000对环境保护的推动作用

ISO14000是对可持续发展的一个积极响应,是可持续发展的必然之路,实施以来对世界贸易和环境保护都有着显著的影响,我国加入WTO以来更加需要在多领域内推广环境管理体系认证,使其在我国发挥作用.     

Environmental management accounting in Lithuania: exploratory study of current practices,opportunities and strategic intents

There is a growing consensus among the Lithuanian policy makers, practitioners and industrialists that environmental policy must move from a reactive stance to a more proactive, sustainable development approach. As a result, many companies are increasingly interested in the application of economic incentives at least as supplements or reinforcements of environmental standards.The Institute of Environmental Engineering (EU Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Industrial Development (APINI – SID)) in 1992–2003 has been involved in introduction and implementation of preventive environmental strategy in industry in Lithuania and in other countries. In Lithuania, these efforts resulted in the implementation of more than 200 cleaner production innovations in more than 150 Lithuanian companies. It should be stressed that effective plant maintenance is becoming a higher priority to plant managers. It is important to ensure cost-savings, at all levels, that include maximizing productivity and implementing energy-saving approaches. Effective and efficient maintenance are not just desirable, but fundamental to profitable business operations. Therefore, central to the environmental view of sustainable development is the concept that economic and social systems are sub-systems of the global environment.APINI's experience shows that decision-makers at the company level often fail to recognize the economic values of natural resources as assets as well as the business and financial value of good environmental performance. Therefore, there is a need to upgrade the business decision-making process by including information on material flows and related costs to account for efforts of sustainable development [Staniskis JK, Stasiskiene Z. Promotion of cleaner production investments: international experience. Journal of Cleaner Production 2002;11(6):619–28. ISSN: 0959-6526, Elsevier Science]. Decisions are increasingly affected by environmental costs. Application of environmental management accounting (EMA), which integrates two of the main principles of sustainable development – environment and economics, can help to significantly improve corporate decision-making.EMA is becoming increasingly important not only for environmental management decisions and development of environmental management systems (EMS), but also for all types of routine management activities, such as product and process design, cost allocation and control, capital budgeting, purchasing, product pricing and performance evaluation.Companies, which use EMA as a part of integrated management system, are provided with accurate and comprehensive information for the measurement and reporting of environmental performance.This paper investigates the current state of EMA practices in Lithuanian SMEs that have already been or are being implementing EMS and which have implemented CP innovations. In this case, EMA is analysed as an innovative assessment and evaluation method of EMS and CP innovation's environmental impacts and economic benefits. It should be stressed, that there are obvious differences in case studies from different industries. However, review of the results shows that there are many similarities in what improvements can be suggested for environmentally concerned companies both in terms of environmentally sound operation and for reporting of environmental management accounting information.     

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.     

国际海洋保护区管理经验及其对我国的启示

建立海洋保护区是保护海洋生物多样性,实现海洋可持续发展的重要措施。本文通过美国、加拿大、澳大利亚、菲律宾,以及欧洲-大西洋公海海洋保护区的案例分析,概括了国外海洋保护区在体系完善、管理实践和协作维护等方面的经验。合格的海洋保护区管理机构需要有效的指导、监督及管理,应具备专业性、执行力和稳定性。对我国的启示:在国家层面上,需要一个经过充分研究制定的海洋保护区系统规划,对国家级海洋保护区应立法确立。沿海省份要配合国家系统落实本省辖区的国家级海洋保护区,也可以建立省级海洋保护区,并就特殊保护目标申请上升为国家级保护区。具体的海洋保护区应做好保护区管理规划和日常管理工作。地方社区可通过文化遗产保护、地域风俗传承等方式,培养地方性人才直接参与保护区管理。     

Eco-design implemented through a product-based environmental management system

Lucent Technologies (Lucent) has undergone considerable change in business strategy with the outsourcing of manufacturing activities. In order to control the significant environmental aspects of hardware products, Lucent's wireless business unit, Mobility Solutions, determined it would concentrate on the design of products: focusing on eco-design enables product sustainability to be improved, with each product generation providing a ‘start of pipe’ (front end) solution with attendant efficiencies.Mobility Solutions pioneered a product-based environmental management system (PBEMS) to formally address the impacts of wireless hardware products on the environment throughout the entire product lifecycle, regardless of where products are developed. This management system looks beyond the environmental impacts of manufacturing to include conceptual design, development, use by the customer, and final product disposal.The success of this approach can be attributed to the integration of eco-design with traditional hardware product realization processes. Through the PBEMS, business and environmental processes are simultaneously utilized to manage significant product aspects and to incorporate sustainability principles during product design. Many innovative eco-design tools are applied during the product realization process to identify areas for improvement of future products, and to verify that each generation of existing products is more sustainable than its predecessor. These eco-design tools include eco-roadmapping, design for environment guidelines and checklists, and lifecycle assessments.The Mobility Solutions PBEMS conforms to the requirements of the ISO 14001 international standard and has achieved third-party certification. By implementing environmentally responsible characteristics through eco-design programs, employees, customers, and the world community benefit from a consistent approach to the environmental management of wireless hardware products. Mobility Solutions continues to reap the value of sustainable product design that is both good for the environment and makes sound business sense.     

实施ISO14000系列标准应与我国实际相结合

简要介绍ＩＳＯ１４０００系列标准的特点，内容和目的，一年多试点工作表明实施ＩＳＯ１４０００环境管理系列标准将成为环境管理模式的一次重大发展，从６个方面阐述了实施ＩＳＯ１４０００系列标准必须与我国的环境保护工作实际尤其应与正在推行的清洁生产相结合。     

Participatory modelling for sustainable development: Key issues derived from five cases of natural resource and disaster risk management

Stakeholder participation is considered a key principle for sustainable development in the context of natural resource and disaster risk management. Participatory modelling (PM) is an interactive and iterative process in which stakeholder involvement is supported by modelling and communication tools. Planning and decision-making for sustainable development (SD)integrate three substantive dimensions − social, ecological and economic. The procedural dimension of SD, however, is equally important, and here we see great potential for PM. In this study, we evaluate five PM research projects against criteria for the procedural dimension of SD. This provides a basis for identifying key issues and needs for further research into PM for SD. While the cases show great potential, especially for supporting knowledge integration, learning and transparent handling of values and perspectives, they indicate a particular need to develop PM in respect of organizational integration. This issue is closely connected to the possibility of effectively implementing PM in practice.     

Does ISO 14001 work in Brazil?

As a result of increasing global awareness about the importance of the environment, depletion of natural resources and legal pressures for companies to manage their processes in a sustainable manner, ISO 14001 systems have been gaining increasingly more importance in the organizational scenario. These elements are even more critical in emerging nations due to less awareness and fewer demands by governments and the population in relation to environmental issues. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to verify the benefits and difficulties of Environmental Management Systems based on ISO 14001 at industries in the state of São Paulo – Brazil (an emerging country) by conducting a survey to subsidize the proposal for actions in the public, academic and private sectors to promote the use of this standard of reference and strengthen its results in Brazil. A questionnaire was sent to 194 companies from the National Institute of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality database. 69 answered, representing a return rate of 35.36%. The main benefits identified are related to the development of preventive environmental actions, reduction in the consumption of power, water, gas and fuel oil, and a positive influence on other internal management processes. The main difficulties are related to cost increases from ISO 14001 management systems and the constant changes in environmental legislation in Brazil. Some actions are proposed at the end of the analyses to intensify the use and improve the results of this standard, such as changes in government legislation and its collective development and implementation in industries.     

环境和质量管理体系一体化实质分析

阐述了过程方法在ISO14001（2004版）环境管理体系标准和ISO9001（2000版）质量管理体系标准中的运用。介绍了过程的概念、过程特性的概念、过程的输入和输出要求。分析了环境管理体系和质量管理体系一体化的实质及其意义。指出一体化管理体系不是将2个标准中要素的要求简单叠加。     

Environmental management and life cycle approaches in the Mexican mining industry

Mexico ranks among the 11 major producer countries of minerals worldwide; its open pit and underground systems are 500 years old. This paper presents an overview of the Mexican mining industry from technological development, historical and economic perspectives. The efforts made by mining companies to address issues of environmental management and sustainable development expressed in national and international frameworks, as well as the Mexican environmental regulatory framework for the mining sector, are analyzed. Since, among others, life cycle assessment (LCA) has been recognized as a key topic to promote sustainable development in the Latin American and Caribbean region, this paper also examines the application of LCA in mining. Two life cycle approaches are presented: a national life cycle inventory for base metals, and an integral life cycle model for the management of mining processes.