Measures Environmental Management

The problem for environmental management institutions and industrial establishments in developing countries (and in developed countries as well, but to a lesser extent) is that they are not aware of the potential of preventive measures, such as the reduction of excess process inputs and the utilization of nonproduct outputs to meet environmental norms. In some cases, these countries... 

De Koeijer TJ, Wossink GAA, Stmik PC, Renkema JA. Measuring Agricultural Sustainability in Terms of Efficiency The Case of Dutch Sugar Beet Growers. Journal of Environmental Management. 2002 66(1) 9-17. DOI 10.1006/jema.2002.0578... 

As informed Dr. A.I. Korableva from Institute for Environmental Management and Ecology under the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in the report "Environmental impact of automobile transport by example of Dnepropetrovsk", Dnepropetrovsk with its annual discharge of air pollutants of 177,000 t (as of 1996) is among the worst affected cities in Ukraine. In these, the automobile transport was found to be responsible for at least 30 % of the total emissions which are 15 times the maximum permissible level. Aside from the dust, chemical, photochemical and noise pollution, there is the aspect of street washout of automobile-related pollutants into the River Dnieper. The measured annual receipts of lead, particulates and petroleum derivatives via rainwater and thaw water to the river are 0.45, 80,000+ and 1.8+ t respectively. The actual levels of petroleum derivatives in storm water sometimes were 206 times the maximum permissible concentration (MPC) for the fishery basins. At 34 km downstream from the city, the estimated levels of petroleum derivatives and particulates are 61 and 10.8 times the respective MPCs. The airborne lead is mainly accumulated in the soil of housing areas. 

The pT-index allows the assessment and comparison of the toxic potential of sediments and dredged material. It is one example of an integrated bioassay-battery approach developed for the purpose of environmental management. This sediment assessment index relies on the use of an appropriate battery of bioassays at different trophic levels (decomposers, primary producers, and consumers) allowing the measurement of various types (acute, chronic) and levels (lethal, sublethal) of toxicity. 

Lack of practical tools to measure and manage the business implications of social and environmental performance ... 

Global Environmental Management Initiative (GEMI), Measuring Environmental Performance A Primer and Survey of Metrics In Use, GEMI, Washington, DC, 1998. 

Ward and Loftis (1986) recommend the calculation of measures of central tendency, such as arithmetic means, or geometric means if data are highly skewed, and the plotting of these on charts or graphs as the easiest method for communicating differences in environmental quality to the public and environmental managers. Confidence limits should be reported always with measures of central tendency, such as means and lethal concentration (LC)/effective concentration... 

The key point about mandatory measures is that they force the company to introduce methods for measurement and control of environmental impact, which is fundamental to any environmental management system. This then places that company well on the road to both implementing an EMS and producing a CER. 

One important element, which is very rarely mentioned, is the actual cost incurred in setting up an environmental reporting system and producing the CER. It is obvious that one significant element of cost would be data measurement and gathering. However, if an environmental management system such as ISO 14001 has already been implemented, then much of the work in this respect has already been done. 

Environmental policies are of limited signiHcance in measuring environmental progress. Environmental practice is the only relevant measure of the effectiveness of environmental policy (Dean L. Buntrock, Chairman Waste Management Inc.). 

---