Business And The Environment

Product Description

Business & the Environment Course In 1990 the concept of the environmental management system (EMS) was new to many organisations. However, it has subsequently developed very rapidly, becoming the subject of a number of international standards & schemes. The first national environmental management standard, BS7750, was published in 1992 & the European Union (or Community as it was then called) adopted the same basic approach in 1993 with the introduction of its Eco-Management & Audit Scheme (EMAS). An international standard, ISO 14001, replaced BS 7750 in 1996. In this course we look at how these standards & schemes have developed, the differences between them, & what benefits an organisation can expect to gain from adopting a recognised EMS. While neither ISO 14001 nor EMAS prescribe the level of environmental performance to be achieved, they do require a commitment to continual improvement. The extent of this improvement is for the individual organisation to decide & should be quantified in objectives & targets where practicable. At first glance, continual improvement may appear to be a particularly onerous commitment, but it is vital if the environmental management system is to be seen as credible by interested parties. This course looks at the importance & benefits of continual improvement, how it can be achieved, & how some of the barriers to its achievement can be overcome. Any organisation undertaking a programme of continual improvement needs not only to establish procedures for its work processes but also to regard all procedures, & the processes to which they relate, as being capable of improvement. This course focuses on what is involved in improving work procedures & processes in order to reduce the environmental impacts of your organisation. A sudden environmental crisis - such as a large fire, explosion, release of toxic gas or major water pollution incident - is probably the most feared occurrence by individuals with responsibility for an organisation's environmental performance. However, slow-acting pollution incidents can create a crisis that damages not only the environment but also the organisation, both financially & in terms of its reputation - & the reputation of its products - among the public. Emergency planning is required to deal with any incident that could result in loss of life, ill health or damage to the environment.