Training for environmental technologies and environmental management

Abstract

During the past five to ten years, increased public and government attention has been drawn to the harmful effects on the environment of business and industry. Consequently, legislation and encouragement in the form of incentives have acted to pressurize industry to review its practices and processes in connection with their effects on the environment. As a result, environmental technology as a specialist area of knowledge and skill has emerged. National capacities, particularly in scientific education and training, need to be strengthened. This will enable governments, employers and workers to attain their environmental and development objectives by facilitating the transfer and assimilation of new environmentally sound, socially acceptable and appropriate technology and know-how. With this development there is an increasing need for specialists in this field, for technologists in other areas to be able to put into practice environmental applications, for assessors of the environmental impacts of specific technological developments and for general managers with a knowledge and understanding of environmental management. Thus, there is now an increasing need for environmental education and training in clean production to be applied to a vast array of industrial processes and applications. This paper will: 1. • review environmental technology and environmental management in relation to sustainable development; 2. • describe the basic components of environmental management systems in relation to environmental technology; 3. • examine the tools available for monitoring and assessment (e.g. technology assessments, environmental impact analysis, environmental auditing, etc.) and their training requirements; 4. • access the training requirements of chief executives, management and the workforce.