Expansion of Environmental Management Systems to Address Sustainability

1 Expansion of Environmental Management Systems to Address Sustainability 

At the very basic level, a management system provides a structure that allows an organization to systematically manage a particular issue by  

These functions of a management system are reflected by specific processes, procedures, and tools necessary to manage the relevant issues. 

Environmental management systems have an advantage over many management systems with respect to expansion toward sustainability. Environmental management systems already address one of the components of sustainability. This aspect makes them a perfect starting point for further advancements. 

The doing stage of the cycle also addresses roles and responsibilities within the system. Expansion of the management system to address sustainability may require the assignment of role and responsibilities to individuals whose activities were not primarily associated with the original system activities. These may include representatives from human resources, accounting, investor relations, or even marketing departments. 

---