Board of Environmental Sciences

ENVS211 Research Philosophy Design & Methods

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Environmental Management Systems
Introduction

Human societies have long had a major impact on their environment, and their tendency to exploit it as if it were an inexhaustible resource has repeatedly led to disaster. Growth in world population and economy, increased and widespread industrialisation and the development of international trade and society have occurred on such a scale that severe environmental damage and unsustainable exploitation of the Earth's resources are taking place on a global scale. The issue of how to tackle those problems is therefore of central importance. While efforts are being made to help resolve the environmental imbalance through international and national political and economic strategies, it is imperative that everyone makes a positive contribution to achieving sustainable development if we are going to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This part of the course helps to explore some of the environmental issues and provides the background in how to analyse and manage the environmental performance of small and medium enterprises. It discusses the advantages of implementing an organised system of managing the environmental affairs of a business concern known as an Environmental Management System (EMS).

Lecture notes are available here

What is an Environmental Management System?

An Environmental Management System (EMS) is the system that controls the activities, products and processes that cause, or could cause, environmental impacts.

Impacts (Effects) are the things that have, or could have, an adverse effect on the environment. Aspects (Causes) are things that take place within an organisation that cause the impacts. Standards are developed by respected organisations such as the International Standards Organisation (ISO) or the European Union (EMAS). There are various series (or families) of ISO standards which are designed for the management of other business areas such as Quality Management (ISO9000) and Occupational Health and Safety (ISO18000)

Examples / Case Studies

PVC manufacturer - Hydro Polymers 
– EMAS in the supply Chain
http://www.polymers-uk.hydro.com/

Paper Company - Stora Enso 
http://www.storaenso.com/

Alkali Company Brunner Mond
http://www.brunnermond.com/envir/index.htm