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Newsletter and Technical Publications
<Technical Workbook on Environmental Management Tools for
Decision Analysis>
Slide No. 27
- There is no single best approach to the development and implementation of an
EMS, but a number of core elements should be present, namely,
- Environmental Policy - expressing the commitment of senior management
to improving environmental performance
- Environmental Program or Action Plan _ describing the measures the
organization will take over the coming years
- Organizational structures - setting assignments, delegating authority
and assigning responsibility for actions
- Integration of environmental management into business operations _
which includes procedures for incorporating environmental measures into other
aspects of the organization's operations such as the protection of workers,
purchasing, research and development, product development, mergers and
acquisitions, marketing, finance, etc.
- Monitoring, measurement and record-keeping procedures to document and
monitor the results of specific actions and programs as well as the overall
effects of environmental improvements
- Corrective and preventive action to eliminate causes of actual or
potential non-conformances to objectives, targets, criteria and specifications
- EMS audits to check the adequacy and efficacy of the implementation
and functioning of the EMS
- Management reviews on the status and adequacy of the EMS in light of
changing circumstances
- Internal information and training to ensure that all employees
understand why and how to fulfill their environmental responsibilities within
the context of their work activities
- External communications and community relations to communicate the
organization's environmental goals and performance
Slide No. 28
- EMS brings many benefits to organizations in the form of market performance
improvements such as quality and reliability, user / client satisfaction and
safety, risk avoidance, increased efficiency, greater assurance of regulatory
compliance, access to markets, attractiveness to investors, environmental
protection and waste reduction.
- EMS benefits to local governments include the following:
- Activation of the local area by the local government's positive actions _
e.g., by enlightening residents on environmental protection and creating new
business opportunities
- Improvement of administrative efficiency through clearly defined roles and
responsibilities, energy and resources cost reduction, administrative procedure
simplification
- Promotion of environmental protection in the local area and reduction of
environmental risks
Slide No. 29
- The next featured tool is Environmental Profiling. This is used to identify,
assess and clarify urban environmental issues to provide a systematic overview
of a city's development activities and how they interact with its environmental
resources. It is presented here in the context of the Sustainable Cities
Programme (SCP) process, which consists of a general pattern of Assessment and
Start-up, Strategy and Action Planning, Follow-up and Consolidation. The EP
occurs in the first phase. It serves as a source of relevant information and,
through the process of its preparation, helps to identify and mobilize
stakeholders.
Slide No. 30
- SCP is currently active in 22 cities in Africa, Asia, Middle East, Latin
America, Central and Eastern Europe. The SCP cities share a common approach E
(read from slide).
Slide No. 31
- Decisions about Strategy and Action Plans for an SCP Project are based on
findings from the Assessment Phase in which EP is normally the first project
activity to be undertaken. The outline of the contents of an EP is as follows:
- City Introduction
- Development Setting
- Environment Setting
- Environmental Management Setting
Slide No. 32
- The City Introduction, which is Chapter One of the EP provides a short,
concise summary of background information on the following headings : its key
physical features and characteristics, main features of city development,
population, economic activities, social and administrative aspects.
- The Development Setting examines environment-development relationships from
the point of view of development activities. It discusses the city's Activity
Sectors, i.e. the development activities of the city such as manufacturing,
mining, fisheries, transport, housing. Its main purpose is to describe the use
of environmental resources by each activity in terms of type, quantity and
quality of resources used as well as the impact of each activity sector on
environmental resources, and the environmental hazards.
Slide No. 33
- The third chapter of the EP looks at the city's Environment Setting. This
chapter considers the environment-development relationships from the point of
view of the city's environment. It identifies and analyzes the city's important
environmental resources and environmental hazards. It highlights conflicts of
interest over particular resources (such as water sources) and hazards.
- The fourth chapter examines the Environmental Management Setting of the city
- the political, social, administrative and managerial organizations and
activities which determine how the city deals with its environmental development
issues. It identifies the key local actors and interest groups, the institutions
directly involved in managing urban development and urban environment; and how
the city's overall environmental management system is operating with respect to
the key development/environment issues.
Slide No. 34
- The EP reflects current knowledge and hence is built upon existing
information and data. It can be assembled quickly, and at low cost. There is no
need for expensive and time consuming research. It focuses on information
directly relevant for environmental management and is analytical rather than
descriptive. In most cases, such relevant data is available at the level of
detail necessary for planning and management. Relevance and relatedness of
information are more important than precision and scientific certainty.
Slide No. 35
- If we are serious about our responsibilities to the next generation, we must
recognize the importance of tools, such as those presented, in helping us make
better decisions and enabling us to become better environmental managers. And,
in the long run, we must accept that when we say we must learn to "manage the
environment," we actually mean we must learn to "manage ourselves."
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