Environmental management systems: Plotting a profitable course
- ENSR, Acton, MA (United States)
A new top-down focus on proactive environmental management moves beyond compliance to consider the impact of environmental practices on a company`s profit picture. In short, its goal is to balance the four major factors of risk, cost, market forces and regulatory/environmental requirements. One hundred Fortune 500 companies have already established committees for the environment at the board level. Of 445 companies in a recent Price Waterhouse survey, 40% maintain boardroom oversight of environmental practices and 75% conduct environmental audits. In this move to integrate environmental and business issues, many companies are adopting systems-based environmental management. A systems approach sets priorities by considering the technical, environmental engineering, and scientific aspects of the company`s Environmental Health and Safety (EHS)concerns and the bottom-line business considerations. In this process, management focus shifts from a reactive, compliance-oriented model of operation to a proactive, forward-thinking mode that reaps a healthy return on the EHS investment.
- OSTI ID:
- 509268
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Solutions, Vol. 10, Issue 5; Other Information: PBD: Jul-Aug 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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