2.3
Environmental Management System (EMS) and Sustainable
Development:
Over last two decades, the idea of
‘sustainable development’ has become the main focus of the process and design
experts due to growing awareness about environmental concerns (Marcus et al 1997 p. xi, Fortunski 2008 p.204)
and has become the integral part of business policy (Pun and Hui:2001).
Depletion of natural resources, consumption more than generation, land
degradation, biodiversity, climate change and global warming has shifted
attention of policy makers towards sustainable development (Christie et al, 1995 p.1 , Abdullah and Foung
2010 ) and cleaner production rather than ‘command and control approach’. It
has been estimated by an economist that about 3-5 % of GDP is spent on cleaning
up some of pollution produced by industrialized countries (Taylor B. Et al 1994: 32).
These environmental constraints are
outcomes of human economical and industrial activities regardless of the impact
of these activities on environment and community. With changing scenario, increase in
productivity and competitiveness with environmental performance improvement; is
a challenging aspect for manufacturing sector. In view of Wilson and Sasseville
(1999: XVIII) EMS is developed in such a way that it represents a model of
cultural change, awareness to create and
hold environmental management system, to identify opportunities, identify
,assess and control the impacts and to create better procedure. So, to overcome
such issues and to improve the environmental performance, decision was made to
develop standard environmental management system for sustainable development.
Fortunski (2008) points that the concept of
sustainable development provided foundation for development of ISO 14000
series. He argues that ‘a relationship exists between ISO 14000 series and BCSD
of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). These two aspects have a
concern with countries; and with organizations accordingly. Hillary R. (1997:
p.2) states that “cleaner production, like environmental management system, is
a strategic approach to environmental protection” and cleaner production. In
addition, it is considered as promotion of EMS that overall covers the concept
of sustainable development. Although, many approaches of sustainable
development has been discussed but Brundtland Report (WECD: 1987) provides common
definition of sustainable development is given as
“Sustainable development is development that
meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs (Christie et al 1995 p.2)”.
A relation between environmental
management system and ICC Business Charter for Sustainable Development is
evident from table, labelled below.
Table 2.3.1:
The relation between ICC’s Business Charter for Sustainable Development and the
Environmental management systems according to the ISO 14000 series
ICC
Business Charter for Sustainable Development
|
Environmental
Management System ISO 14000 Series
|
Item 3- Process of
improvement
|
Permanent Improvement- the pillar of the model of environmental
management system
|
Item -4 Education of employees
|
Organization of training for employed. Guidelines are in the
standard PN-EN ISO 14001:1998
|
Item-5 Prior assessment of environmental impacts
|
These aims are represented in the ISO 14000 standard, in
particular in the ISO 14004 Standard
|
Item- 6 Products or
services - environmental impact or
safety assessment
|
Related to life cycle assessment
|
Item -7 Customer advice
|
ISO 14001:1998 , Chapter 4.4.3 emphasis communication related to
environmental issues with external partner , Eco –labelling is an example
|
Item-10 Precautionary Approach
|
Pollution prevention is one of the aim of the ISO 14000
|
Item -11 contractors and suppliers – communication of
environmental management principles
|
See remarks under item -7
|
Item- 12 Emergency Preparedness
|
ISO 14001:1998
|
Source: Adopted from
Fortunski B. (2008) p.207.
In addition to that, adoption of
cleaner production technologies as an environmental management tool is
necessary for sustainable development. Christie (1995) describes cleaner
production technology as a new integrated approach for pollution reduction and
prevention at source. Sebhatu and Enquist (2007:478) argue that EMS- ISO 14001
is not only useful to monitor and improve the environmental performance but can
also play a significant role for sustainable development.
However the implementation of such techniques
cannot be isolated from environmental management system which is a key element
for sustainable development. Although the main focus is on the principle
definition of sustainability but there are many other key ideas are associated
with sustainability, two of them are stated by Christie et al (1995) as,
·
“the need to minimise use of processes and products that
degrade or may degrade environmental quality
·
The need to reduce or prevent the activities that endanger
the critical ecological processes on which human and other life depends.
These two points support the idea of development of new policies and
plan to reduce the environmental degradation for green future. Globally,
sustainable development has become the hall of mark for better achievements and
benefits at both, public and private sector. In last few years, not only the
national authorities were committed towards sustainable development but also
the international authorities like Asian Development Bank, NGOs UNO and other
relevant, were remained mentor and still. It is suggested that, developing
countries can get benefits by using experience of developed countries and those
countries which will use cleaner production technologies, automatically fulfil
many environmental related restrictions (Hoo D in Hillary (ed.):1997).
In Pakistan, Three years ago, a project under
the vision of ‘Switch Asia’ has been introduced with the partnership of UNEP,
Lead Partner, Cleaner Production Institute of Pakistan and Iqbal Hameed Trust
(IHT) for improvement of the environmental performance of industrial sector.
This project is specifically for textile industry and leather industry at
initial phase, will lead implementation and improvement of environmental
management practices for other manufacturing industries like pulp and paper,
sugar, steel rolling etc for long term initiatives. The aim of this project is
to assess the different resources and environmental aspects of manufacturing
industry and to develop the sustainable and cleaner production chain (European
Commission: 2010) and to prepare industrial sector for adoption and
implementation of EMS.
The focus of industrial sector and
government is to improve the environmental performance and to control the
environmental impacts of industrial secto. In order to resolve and overcome
such issues like solid waste, waste water dispose off, water and ground
contamination, discharge of lead and chromium to water streams ‘Cleaner
Production Centre (CPC) has been established in Sialkot district which is
centre of tanning industry. (Cleaner Production Centre: 2003-2004).
The
correspondent in Tanning industry in Pakistan have realized the importance of
EMS adoption and implementation. A project “Cleaner Production in the
Tanneries” (CPIT) has been initiated in Sialkot with the mutual funding of
Export Promotion Bureau (Government of Pakistan), Norwegian Agency for Cooperation & Development
(Government of Norway) under the management of Pakistan Gloves Manufacturers
& Exporters Association (GMEA). The main goal of his initiative is to
introduce in-house cleaner and sustainable production techniques, improvement
of working conditions, and to control the heavily polluted waste water
discharge. (Cleaner Production Centre: 2003-2004).
Other objective of this project is to
enhance the technical capacity and sharing of technical information at
industrial and institutional level. These objectives will be obtained through
different assessments and research work like ‘Life Cycle Assessment (LCA),
assessment of local equipment manufacturers, transfer of technology to
institutes and universities. Targeted benefits are considered the reduction in
cost, improvement in energy utilization, adoption of sustainable and cleaner production
techniques and methodology. Induction of Cleaner Development Mechanism (CDM) by
ministry of environment is reflects commitment towards sustainable development
and management of environmental issues. (European Commission: 2010). Schmidheiny
S. (Marcus et,al 1997) introduced a concept of Eco-efficiency which is an
extension of sustainable development in
connection with EMS. Furthermore, in
third stage of sustainable enterprise creation following requirement suggested
by him shown as in a model confirms the relation between sustainable
development and implementation of EMS.
Requirements Create Sustainable Enterprise
Figure 2.3.1
Path to Eco-Efficiency through ISO 14000
Stage
III
Requirements Create Sustainable Enterprise
·
ISO
14001
·
Life
Cycle Assessment
·
Design for Environment
Design for Environment
·
Conformance
with Ecolabelling Scheme
Benefits
·
Enhanced
Market Advantage
·
Improved
Business Performance
·
More
Efficient Use of Capital
·
Improved
Access to Capital
Source: Adopted from Marcus et al (1997), p Xiii
The author supports this model and this model shows mutual integration
of the concept.
One example of sustainable
development and adoption of ISO 14001 is Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL) which
is situated in Karachi. PRL is ISO 14001:1996 and OHSAS 18001:1999 certified
since November 2002. PRL is fully committed to control the pollution, zero
emission, and minimum waste and conservation of natural resources under long
term object of sustainable development.
The overall concept of cleaner
production and EMS is the same one with single purpose is to improve the
environmental performance and capacity building of the organization (Wangen G.
In Hillary: 1997) but might be it require separate legislations. It is being
considered a step towards sustainable development and environmental
management. The concept of integration
for single environmental management system is evolving and urging people to
think towards single Sustainable Management System (SMS) (Esquer-Peralta J. et al 2008).
PRL is an excellent example of
incorporation of environmental policy of health, safety and environment
(Environmental Report 2004, PRL.p.3, 2009). Besides that many other
multinational and national manufacturing industries like Attock Cement Limited
and Haleeb Foods are certified under ISO 14001. According to federal bureau of
statistics of Pakistan, an increasing trend has been reported regarding export
in fiscal year 2009-2010 as compared to last year including textile and
clothing, agro food, minerals and mining,
industrial goods and manufacturing industry. Over past two and half decades, it
has been observed that the numerically export and import difference of Pakistan
fluctuated between fifty to sixty percent overall. These aspects of economy
receive directly or indirectly enough effect from up gradation and management
aspects of the industrial sector likes adoption of quality and environmental
management system
.Finally, it is evident from previous
literature with practical example that EMS has a strong interaction with
Concept of sustainable development and vice versa. It would not be wrong to say
that the concept of sustainable development generated the idea of development
of environmental management system. Adoption and implementation of EMS has
become mandatory but many constraints are in way to impede the process, have
been discussed in next part of this chapter.
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