Environmental Management Solutions

Environmental Management Solutions Needs to Be Put Into Practice

Environmental management is no longer something for scientists, environmentalists and politicians to debate, rather it is a theory that must be put into practice as a result of boardroom initiatives across the land. Until the latter third of the 20th century these kinds of environmental issues had been largely ignored in real terms by commerce and industry, even though it was clear that there were potentially serious repercussions down the road.

In general, big business decisions during the 19th and early 20th centuries were based on consumption needs first and foremost. Widespread adoption of fossil fuels as a basis for creating energy formed the basis of an organization's sustainability and natural lands were impacted with impunity in the name of expansion and development.

Environmental management solutions started to take hold in the US following the introduction of the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act in the 1960s. However, it was not until the introduction of the International Standardization Organization, ISO 14001 standard and the European Eco-management and Audit Scheme that solutions really started to take hold. With the standards came an objective criteria and it became the right thing to do for organizations to adopt the spirit of these standards and to be seen to be doing so.

A number of other environmental management solutions exist to complement or extend the ISO 14001 standard, many of which have been introduced to smaller organizations for whom the main ISO standard may be too onerous. It is recognized that full implementation of an ISO 14001 standard may have adverse trading repercussions for smaller organizations and developing countries alike.

Environmental Management Solutions Call for Simple Distinctions

Environmental management solutions have been put forward by the United Nations based on a natural capital approach. This advocates using accounting reform and the adoption of the triple bottom-line philosophy, to take into account ecological and social performance in addition to traditional outputs.

Several environmental management solutions call for simple distinctions to be made, rather than introduction of standards, enforced compliance and auditory procedures. For example, one such system advocates that unsalables are toxic products which are neither consumable nor durable and environmental self-regulation would identify and eliminate these for the better good.

Environmental Management Solutions Can Be an Integrated Management Approach

An integrated management approach to the introduction of environmental management solutions is currently favored. All elements within an organization must be aware of their contribution to the life cycle of the business product and must be internally responsible for their impact environmentally. This is in particular focus as new legislation is discussed to reduce one of the greatest environmental hazards, emission of toxic greenhouse gases.

Environmental management solutions can form part of a wider goal to help ensure that an organization achieves sustainability. As particular focus is placed on reducing a carbon footprint, the organization must also ensure that it is environmentally efficient as a whole. Wastage at all levels will not be tolerated from a societal or economic point of view, with the twin threats of harming reputation and regulatory penalty ahead.

About Verisae

Verisae helps measure, manage and reduce equipment and energy costs including the related business and environmental impacts of carbon emissions. The Sustainability Resource Planning (“SRP”) software platform improves operational efficiency, protects brand integrity and helps ensure regulatory compliance for distributed enterprises across many industries. Verisae delivers a broad range of sustainability solutions to dozens of clients globally with thousands of daily users including an extended network of third-party suppliers. Verisae’s integrated sustainability platform actively tracks millions of assets across thousands of sites worldwide.

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