What Is Environmental Policy?

Environmental policy is complex and multidimensional issue.

Environmental protection varies according to one’s place in the society and the nature of one’s professional training.

For business manager,  a set of rules to understand to be out of trouble.

      è  Environmental policy is a nuisance or at least impediment to profit

 

To an Engineer, the environmental problem is essentially physical and subject to solution through the application of technology.

  è   Engineers focus on changes in manufacturing processes or end of pipeline controls to protect environment

 

Lawyers view the environment as an issue of property rights and contracts, and the regulations needed to protect them.

 

Economist perceive the environment as a set of market failures resulting from problems of consumption or production.

è  Search for market driven alternatives to regulation

 

Political scientists view environmental policy as a political concern.

è   It is a problem generated by conflicting interests

 

 

Philosophers, the environment is an issue of values and different world views.

 

Difficulty: each view tends to oversimplify environmental problems, contending with only one facet of the situation

 

Example: Problem of leaking tanks

ü  Not technical problem.

ü  Economic problem.

ü  Market mechanisms.

ü  Management problem.

 

Environmental Planning and Management

Successful companies nowadays measured by how they seek to protect the environment.

 

The issues concerning the environment are not purely scientific but also relay on planning and management (EMS). (Part of corporate vision, mission, and strategy need to be effective planned to remain competitive).

 

Competition as Motivation

As reaction to the environmental situation nowadays world communities have adopted international and national laws to ensure compliance to environmental standards.

       è  Green products add competitive advantage

Many examples on green trend nowadays 

ü   Photovoltaics

ü   Hybrid cars

ü   Electrical cars

ü   Energy saving

ü   Paint companies producing (ZVO) compounds.

ü   etc

Other Motivations

ü  No international trade barriers.

ü   Zero accidents.

ü   Regulatory compliance.

ü   Operational cost saving.

ü   Reduction of waste generation and disposal cost.

ü   Energy conservation.

ü   Reduction of raw materials / resource usage

ü   Good public opinion.

ü   Many others,… 

 

Environmental Management System (EMS)

Main Objective of EMS

Basically to solve the issue of environmental impacts

Example

Air emissions from buildings

Impact: Air pollution, global warming

 

What is EMS?

Self Regulation

Management System

Technical standards to mutually recognized technical details taking into account organization's personnel, structure and etc. (Quality Management System)

 

The environmental equivalent quality management system è  ISO14001       

        In EU è EMAS      

 

 

EMS Components

ü  Environmental Policy

ü   Planning

ü   Implementation and Operation

ü   Checking and Corrective Action

ü   Management Review