Proactive Environmental Management Research Articles

Challenges of global environmental issues on ecosystem management in Malaysia

Environmental problems and their management, particularly when related to urban ecosystems, are becoming increasingly challenging. The end-of-pipe method which has been practiced in the past, and is manifested in our laws and regulations, has gradually changed towards a more pro-active approach. Industries now recognize that environmental management and pollution control are no longer liabilities, but rather opportunities to increase their competitiveness. The general public is increasingly aware of the fact that they have to pay more for management of the environment that is based on the end-of-pipe approach. International agencies and industries world-wide are responding positively with a new paradigm shift towards proactive environmental management through voluntary initiatives. The most challenging task in Malaysia however, is to convince the small and medium scale enterprises to shift from the old to the new management system. While local government agencies remain the key players in the management of urban ecosystems, they still lack human resources and the capacity to handle new challenges. This paper discusses new initiatives towards achieving sustainable urban ecosystem management. It highlights the tools and approaches that are being used as alternatives to the existing end-of-pipe approaches. These tools include, eco-management, wastes minimization, ISO 14000 standardization, design for environment, eco-labeling, life cycle assessment and industrial ecology.

Using structural equation modeling to test environmental performance in small and medium-sized manufacturers: can SEM help SMEs?

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), defined as manufacturers employing 500 or fewer people, represent an estimated 70–98% of the manufacturing population globally and together have the potential to significantly impact the environment. Many of these small manufacturers throughout the world are not in compliance with environmental regulations, and even fewer see the need to focus on pollution prevention, implement environmental management systems, or to use life-cycle management or other proactive environmental management practices. A validated environmental performance model for SMEs holds the promise of providing a roadmap to more productive environmental results. This paper discusses structural equation modeling as a useful methodology to validate environmental performance models. The paper shares some insights from the use of structural equation modeling, which was used to evaluate the development of an environmental performance model for SMEs. The model was based on the Malcolm Baldrige Criteria. We review SEM methodology and share results from a population of SMEs in the plastics manufacturing sector. Fit statistics confirmed the overall model fit, but not all of the paths in the model were statistically significant. An assessment of the non-significant paths (from leadership and from the system components of the model to environmental results) led the authors to conclude that an improved definition of environmental results is critical. Education of SMEs on the benefits of improved environmental performance is also warranted.

ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION STRATEGIES FOR RURAL LAND MANAGEMENT

Land-use change and land-management practices affect a variety of ecolog- ical processes. Land-use impacts on ecological processes include local extirpations, intro- ductions of new species, changes in land-cover extent, changes in juxtaposition of land- cover types, changes to disturbance regimes, changes in vegetation structure and compo- sition, and effects on air, water, and light quality, and noise pollution. Effects of land-use changes on ecological processes are discussed with special reference to changes in rural environments. Our premise is that better understanding of ecological processes improves land management. Mitigation strategies are presented with respect to management of initial ecological conditions, of the changes themselves, and of the altered system. The paper focuses on proactive environmental management efforts and identifies key research issues as (1) quantifying land-use legacies, (2) determining conditions under which land use modifies impacts of other stressors, (3) identifying conditions under which deleterious impacts can be avoided, (4) understanding cumulative impacts of land-use change, (5) improving our understanding of how land use alters resistance or susceptibility to invasion and impacts of pollutants, (6) crafting socioeconomically reasonable incentives for restoring or reducing effects of land-use practices, and (7) accelerating the integration of social and ecological sciences

EFFECT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ON INVESTOR REACTIONS TO EMISSION INFORMATION.

While environmental management strategies both by the firms and the regulators are converging towards proactive environmental management, the key question remains: do investors, as major stakeholde...

Implementing ISO 14001—An International Survey Assessing the Benefits of Certification

The costs and benefits of ISO 14001 certification result in firms choosing this route as a tool for proactive environmental management, according to a survey of 131 companies across the world. The following paper examines the motivation to pursue ISO 14001 certification for companies in developed and developing countries. While the costs of ISO 14001 certification vary widely, almost all respondents report substantial cost savings as a result of implementation. This was especially the case in developing countries, where enthusiasm about the standard (among certified firms) is very high. Contrary to the concerns voiced by skeptics, many firms stated that they decided to implement an ISO 14001 in order to “be a good neighbor” and to raise their employee's level of environmental awareness. Surprisingly, very few respondents stated that their primary motivations for implementation were profit-related. The majority of firms appear to be using ISO 14001 as a tool for proactive environmental management, as its creators intended.

PLANT‐LEVEL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ORIENTATION: THE INFLUENCE OF MANAGEMENT VIEWS AND PLANT CHARACTERISTICS

As customers, the public and other stakeholders are increasingly demanding that manufacturing firms improve their approach to environmental management, some plants have moved to develop an orientation that is increasingly proactive. Synthesizing earlier research, environmental management orientation is defined here to include system analysis and planning, organizational responsibility, and management controls. The relationship between a proactive orientation and two sets of internal factors, specifically the personal views of plant managers and plant‐specific characteristics, was tested using survey data from the furniture industry. The production outlook for the plant was critical, with a favorable outlook fostering a more proactive environmental management orientation. After controlling for plant‐specific factors, personal views also were influential; an increasing emphasis on short‐term economic value was related to a more reactive plant‐level orientation. Thus senior corporate management can foster strong plant‐level environmental management through a more balanced emphasis on economic and ethical values and continued investment in a plant's long‐term viability.

Environmental Management Systems for Caribbean Hotels and Resorts

Hotels and resorts around the world are now adopting environmental management systems as a means of improving resource use efficiency, reducing operating costs, increasing staff involvement and guest awareness, and obtaining international recognition in the travel and tourism marketplace. This article examines the cost savings and performance improvements at five hotel properties in Jamaica that were among the first in the Caribbean to adopt an environmental management system (EMS). The five hotels evaluated in the case study, Sandals Negril, Couples Ocho Rios, Negril Cabins, Swept Away, and Sea Splash have achieved remarkable improvements in environmental performance, and accompanying cost savings, since implementing environmental management systems (EMS).1 These results are outlined below and serve as direct evidence of environmental performance improvements that result from proactive environmental management.2 Total cost savings for the five properties is estimated to be $615,500, or $910 per room. The properties had a cumulative water savings of 41.4 million Imperial Gallons (IG) achieved; total electricity savings of 1.67 million kWh; total diesel savings of 169,000 liters; and total Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) savings of 259,000 liters. Expressing overall energy use in terms of kWh,3 the total energy savings is 5.67 million kWh.

ABSTRACT: Developing a Proactive Environmental Management System (PEMS) in Offshore West Africa -- a Classical Approach

ABSTRACT: Developing a Proactive Environmental Management System (PEMS) in Offshore West Africa -- a Classical Approach

Multimodal transportation, logistics, and the environment: managing interactions in a global economy

As transportation and logistics systems continue to integrate, their impacts on the physical environment (air, water, and land resources) will become more complex. Economic globalization, agile manufacturing, speed-to-market delivery, and supply chain management are creating greater demand for intermodal transportation services and multimodal transportation infrastructure. Coping with the environmental impacts will require the transportation industry and its customers and stakeholders to move from strategies based on regulatory compliance to those emphasizing proactive environmental management. Proactive management of environmental issues requires corporations to identify: (1) the interactions among transportation activities that have negative environmental impacts, (2) the types of environmental impacts emanating from transportation operations and facilities, and (3) alternative means of controlling and preventing environmental pollution and natural resource degradation.

Gestão ambiental proativa

As empresas industriais que procuram manter-se competitivas ou mesmo sobreviver e se ajustar a um ambiente de negócios turbulento e imprevisível percebem cada vez mais que, diante das questões ambientais, são exigidas novas posturas, num processo de renovação contínua, seja na maneira de operar seus negócios, seja em suas organizações. Nesse sentido, as empresas industriais estão desenvolvendo novas formas de lidar com os problemas ambientais, mediante mecanismos de auto-regulação ou por meio de uma gestão ambiental proativa.

The Proactive Environmental Management-The Case Study of CSC

Historically, management theory has ignored the constraints imposed by the natural environment. In the 1970s, consumers have begun to realize that their consumption activities may have a direct effect on the rate of environmental degradation. In the 1990s, management of the natural environment has become one of the most important issues. The advanced companies are shifting rapidly from a approach of regulatory compliance to one of proactive environmental management. First, this article tries to review some environmental management literature and to find some approaches how to manage their environmental impacts effectively and efficiently for firms. Next, this paper introduces the impact on the environment in the steel industry. Then we examined them by a case of China Steel Corporation (CSC) which is an integrated steel mill.

Completion criteria - Case studies considering bond relinquishment and mine decommissioning: Western Australia

ABSTRACT The Western Australia Government Agencies controlling environmental bond assessment and land relinquishment after mine decommissioning advocate proactive environmental management. Meeting environmental objectives ensures return of bond monies and facilitates release of the Company from environmental obligations. Completion criteria that confirm establishment of a self-perpetuating and resilient vegetation cover over mine waste are being developed. Post-mining land use generally reverts to maintaining the natural ecosystem or rangeland. Within this climatic zone very distinct vegetation communities are closely linked to soil substrate classification. Matching surface waste characteristics from a mine waste dump with those of surrounding analogue communities is the first step in determining an achievable vegetation cover. Examples of the methodology as applied to one Western Australian mine site, a semi-arid location (annual rainfall 320 mm) (Westonia - 31°18'S, 118°42'E) is presented. There has, at Westonia, been establishment of Eucalypt Woodland on mildly saline waste surfaces. The combination of direct seeding at the appropriate sowing time and good topsoil management, has led to successful revegetation of a suite of species with all life forms represented.

Pollution prevention incentives and responses in chinese firms

Pollution prevention (P2), which the Chinese define to include process changes, energy and water conservation, as well as materials reuse and recycling, stands in sharp contrast to the traditional approach to pollution control: generate waste and then treat it. Based on our study of 26 electroplating enterprises in four Chinese cities, we divided factors motivating firms to adopt P2 measures into three groups: economic incentives, environmental policy incentives, and individual and social incentives. We then used four variables to categorize an electroplating factory's use of P2 as a response to these incentives: awareness of the P2 concept, leadership commitment to P2, presence of a P2 champion in the factory, and goals for P2. Firms we viewed as having a “proactive” environmental management strategy scored highest on all four variables and adopted the largest number of P2 measures. At the other extreme, firms using “resistive” strategies scored poorly on all four variables and never adopted P2 measures intentionally. Other firms (i.e., those with low scores on some but not all of the four variables) used “reactive” strategies: they deliberately adopted P2 measures, but usually in the narrow context of a particular workshop or environmental medium (e.g., air or water). Only proactive firms viewed pollution prevention as a factorywide management strategy for enhancing profits while abating pollution. Our analysis suggests actions that might increase the number of firms using proactive environmental management strategies.

Mine decommissioning: Environmental completion criteria for gold and nickel mine waste dumps in arid regions of Western Australia

ABSTRACT The Western Australia Government Agencies controlling environmental bond assessment and land relinquishment after mine decommissioning advocate proactive environmental management. Meeting environmental objectives ensures return of bond monies and facilitates release of the Company from environmental obligations. Completion criteria which confirm establishment of a self-perpetuating and resilient vegetation cover over mine waste are being developed. Quantitative assessment of ecological processes is the basis for development of completion criteria, and includes plant cover, revegetation density, species richness, and reproductive potential. Field sites are in arid ( desert: summer and more effective winter rainfall) and semi-arid ( semi-desert: Mediterranean) regions of Western Australia on Crown Land, with all but one being on pastoral (rangeland) leases. Post-mining land use generally reverts to maintaining the natural ecosystem or rangeland. Within this climatic zone very distinct vegetation communities are closely linked to soil substrate classification. Matching surface waste characteristics from a mine waste dump with those of surrounding analogue communities is the first step in determining an achievable vegetation cover.

Strategic and environmental management in the corporate value chain at shaw industries

AbstractIn an effort to strategically structure its supply and customer linkages to gain a competitive edge in its industry, Shaw Industries, the world's largest manufacturer of tufted carpets and floor coverings, realized the benefit of integrating proactive environmental management practices into its value chain. This article examines the competitive challenges facing Shaw Industries, describes its strategy for integrating its value chain, assesses its experience in combining environmental management with value‐chain leadership, and explores various lessons for other companies that are competing globally in mature industries.

Proactive corporate environmental management: A new industrial revolution

Executive Overview Corporations in North America, Europe, Japan, and in most newly industrializing nations are embracing environmental protection as part of their international competitive strategies. For many firms, the shift to proactive environmental management is driven by pressures from governments, customers, employees, and competitors. Both consumers and investors are beginning to see more clearly the relationship between business performance and environmental quality. The trend toward proactive environmental management is being accelerated by public pressures on governments almost everywhere to assure a cleaner environment. Government regulations have become more stringent, legal liabilities for environmental damage have become more burdensome, and customers have become more demanding. But more importantly, there is growing evidence that firms that adopt proactive environmental management strategies become more efficient and competitive. In many countries, the public has become more vocal in deman...

Environmental Management in Transit Turnkey Procurements

A discussion is presented of how environmental and community issues affect project planning and development, and ideas are presented on how to proactively manage the environmental compliance process to capitalize on the flexibility and advantages of a turnkey approach and at the same time reduce the potential for major project risk factors to jeopardize successful project implementation. On the basis of the experience of traditional and turnkey projects during the project development process, major project risk factors (cost, delay, and public relations risks), which need to be identified and acknowledged as early as possible in the project development process, are explored. Mechanisms to compensate for these risk factors need to be developed and incorporated into the design of the turnkey procurement process. Assigning responsibility for environmental management functions to the parties best equipped to resolve the issues likely to arise at each stage of the development process is also important. Whereas reactive environmental management exposes projects to high levels of risk and has the potential to jeopardize attainment of turnkey objectives, proactive environmental management has the potential to support the turnkey concept by reducing the risks associated with environmental issues.

Industry's role in air quality improvement: Environmental management opportunities for the 21st century

AbstractMore than 200 years ago, Adam Smith, the founder of modern economics, wrote in the Wealth of Nations that “…consumption is the sole end and purpose of all production; and the interest of the producer ought to be attention to…that of the consumer.” In recent years, the rapid growth of the world economy has given Adam Smith's maxim new meaning. The age‐old desire for consumption grows unabated and increasing numbers of consumers around the world are attaching new value to the environmental quality of goods and services and expressing concern over the environmental impacts of industrialization. That concern is growing because more than 70 percent of the world's urban population live in areas where the air is seriously polluted and as many as 750,000 people—the majority in developing countries—die each year of ailments caused by air pollution.1Over the past 25 years, corporations throughout the world have made dramatic changes in the way they do business as more people come to understand how the ecological system works and how polluted air and water endanger human health. The key to increasing industry's participation in the drive for higher standards of air quality is the growing realization that effective environmental management, technological development, and technology dissemination are cost‐effective and profitable business strategies. Global competition is making firms around the world more customer‐conscious and, to the extent that consumers demand products that minimize environmental degradation and enhance the quality of their lives, businesses in every industry must respond in order to survive.2This article examines how changes in business practices, driven by a better understanding of how natural environments function, are converging to provide new opportunities for environmental management that go beyond regulatory compliance to reduce air pollution. Although sound and well‐enforced environmental regulations are an essential foundation for improving air quality, command‐and‐control systems alone are unlikely to achieve the lower levels of pollution that will be necessary to achieve sustainable development in the 21st century. In cooperation with government, businesses in every industry can play crucial roles in achieving higher standards of air quality while at the same time maintaining acceptable levels of economic growth. We explore three ways in which corporations can contribute to environmentally sustainable development: (1) by adopting proactive environmental management systems that focus on air pollution prevention; (2) by developing new technologies for air pollution control and reduction; and (3) by transferring air pollution control and prevention technologies through international trade and investment.

Dynamic responses of cattle to thermal heat loads

The focal point of this limited review is bioenergetic research conducted in the Biological Engineering Research Unit at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (MARC), using recently developed instrumentation and analytical techniques. The dynamics of observed thermoregulatory responses in cattle to thermal heat load challenges are explored, with an emphasis on physiological and behavioral parameters of body temperature, respiration rate, and feed intake. Observations of body temperature, especially tympanic temperature, have shown hot environments to cause phase shifts, increased amplitude, and increased means for diurnal rhythms. Fractal analysis of body temperature records obtained at 2- to 10-min intervals has been found to be robust for objectively differentiating among responses of cattle in cool to hot environments, and it indicates a stress threshold of approximately 25 degrees C (coincident with declining feed intake). Other analyses determined a 21 degrees C threshold for increased respiration rate. The reported observations and analyses provide further understanding of how and why the animals respond to environmental challenges, an understanding that is necessary for refining performance models and developing energetic and thermoregulatory models. The dynamic responses are discussed in the context of establishing criteria for proactive environmental management for cattle during hot weather, using heat waves as an example.

Directing Employees To Proactive Environmental Management

Directing Employees To Proactive Environmental Management