Environmental Management Solutions are Now Under Widespread Adoption

Posted under environment by Daniel Stouffer

Up until the latter third of the 20th century, few in commerce and industry were willing to recognize the threat posed to us all by bad business practices. Environmental management was, back then, something discussed by politicians and scientists and was not a topic for the boardroom in general. However, we have seen more recently the damage that is being caused to the planet and realize that it is time for us all to focus.

For the longest time, big business decisions were based on how much better and how much bigger we could become and driven by consumption needs. Fossil fuels were seen as the best way forward to create energy for our burgeoning needs. Sustainability was far from people’s minds and our environment was constantly ravaged as we sought to go the extra mile.

Following the introduction of the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act in the late 1960s, environmental management solutions became more widespread. When the International Standardization Organization introduced its ISO 14001 standard, following closely on the heels of the European Eco-management and Audit Scheme, everything took off. Now a series of criteria had been laid down and it was the right thing to do for organizations to adopt the standards and for others to see that they were doing so.

There are a number of environmental management solutions, based on or complementing the ISO 14001 standard. For some organizations, full compliance with the main standard is too onerous and may be too challenging, and for certain upstart businesses and developing countries this could have adverse trading repercussions.

Ecological issues and social performance should be viewed with as much enthusiasm as a financial report according to the United Nations. They advocate environmental management solutions based on a “natural capital” approach, which is very similar to the concept of the triple bottom-line approach to accounting.

Some proponents of alternative environmental management solutions advocate self-regulation as a better way to proceed rather than through enforced compliance, auditory checks and other standards. As an example, consumable and durable products would then be seen as distinct from “unsalables,” otherwise classified as toxic products.

Every member of an organization has a significant role to play in the world of environmental management solutions, as each department has its own contribution within the overall lifecycle of the organization in general. As more emphasis is placed on the reduction of greenhouse gases, this approach is being widely adopted.

Every organization must now focus on achieving sustainability, a buzzword of our modern times. This will involve the adoption of environmental management solutions to not only reduce direct impacts such as carbon emissions, but to adopt other elements affecting the environment, including a concerted effort to reduce wastage. Should an organization not comply, it faces the risk of attracting fines as well as the potentially more damaging reputational effects within society.

Daniel Stouffer has much more information about environmental management solutions and how a visit to www.verisae.com will benefit you. Visit the Uber Article Directory to get a totally unique version of this article for reprint.