Implementation of the Environmental Management Systems (ISO 14001 and EMAS)
Introduction
Nowadays, the implementation of Environmental Management System is not done in a random manner, as the policy makers and consultants have developed specific standards that allow companies to implement EMS in a structured and comparable manner. In the early 1990s, different countries had identified their own EMS standards, in which each State had an objective of making the implementation of EMS prominent and successful. In addition, Steger (2000) reveals that since the mid-centuries, a significant number of organization or businesses have been applying Environment Management System (EMS), in particular, ISO 14001 and EMAS. The study by Steger (2000) further states that companies that implement the 1SO 14001 and EMAS view the two form of environmental system as the new management tools that will lead make them more effective in their operation and tools that will enhance ecological and economic benefits for the organizations,
The discussion above shows that EMS has become an integral part of the companies that are applying the environmental systems, as it gives the companies many benefits. Despite the awareness of the advantages that are related to the implementation of the ISO 14001 and EMAS, some of the companies in the global market have been reluctant when it comes to the implementation of the two environmental management tools. Thus, this study focuses on discussing the implementation EMS, with the key focus being on the benefits that companies will have when they apply ISO 14001 and EMAS Environmental Management System tools. As some of the companies in the international market have become reluctant to implement EMS tools, this paper will review the empirical evidence concerning the validity of EMS and review studies that touch on the implication that is there when organizations implement the EMS management tools.
Historical Overview of Environmental Management System (EMS)
According to Steger (2000), the concept of EMS was first introduced in America in the mid-eighties. In the United States Environment Management System was introduced so that companies’ can comply with the increasing environmental legislation within all field of business operation. In the similar era (mid-eighties), the innovative businesses in Europe also played a major role in the development of the EMS as the companies in Europe identified a more proactive attitude toward environmental issue, as this allowed the companies across Europe to perceive environmental issue as business opportunities rather than a burden (Steger 2000). Through the search of the managerial tools that would help companies in the implementation of the environmental management system, companies that were operating in the Europe in the mid-eighties came up environmental audits as one of the environmental risk management tools. From the development of such instrument, the European companies contribute to the evolvement of the EMS concept, in which later the companies in the region implemented ISO 14001 and EMAS environmental management tools. Steger (2000) point out that the growth of EMS was perpetrated by the spreading EMAS in German-speaking countries whereas the spreading of the 1SO 14001 was promoted by the introduction of Environmental Management System programs in Japan and the United Kingdom.
The Process of Implementing the Environment Management System (EMS)
Currently, companies implement Environmental Management System (EMS) as a top-down process. Steger (2000) says that as the process of implementing EMS in the organization is not complex because to carry out the procedure it takes the organizations 6 to 12 months. As a process that is recognized for its benefits to the organizations, the EMS standard in each stage requires interpretation, learning, and discussion with verifiers. Here, the people verifying the process in each step certifies the implementation of the EMS program (Steger 2000). In the process of implementing EMS programs both financial and human resources are needed, in which the resources are used to handle the implementation procedures. In bigger or smaller organizations, the process of EMS implementation starts with approximately 50 employees, but the organizations may outsource external staffs, where the outsourced teams will assist the companies to conduct the EMS implementation process. For a successful process, the organization relies on the people such as the suppliers, service contractors, and customers. The involvement of such people is a requirement for the implementation of both EMAS and ISO 14001, as the individuals assist in creating the value chain that in turn makes the EMS to have specific potentials and benefits that can influence the company’s performance in different ways (Steger 2000). The EMS process is importance to the business because through the process organizations get opportunities to identify the possibility of win-win chances that can be discovered through ISO 14001 or EMAS Environmental Management System (EMS).
Benefit of Implementing Environmental Management system (ISO 14001 and EMAS)
For the modern organizations, an EMS can be a powerful tool that can improve the organization’s environmental performance and make sure that the businesses carry out their operation in an efficiency manner. Psomas, Fotopoulos, and Kafetzopoulos (2011) assert that implementation of EMS assists companies to minimize environmental liabilities. For instance, in the study it is noted that ISO 14001 as an EMS tool helps companies to maximize the efficiency use of resources, reducing wastes, allowing the companies to have a good corporate image (Psomas, Fotopoulos, & Kafetzopoulos 2011). Besides, ISO 14001 gives the businesses an opportunity to build the awareness that is needed for the business, especially concerning environmental impacts that the companies activities have in the environments. Whitelaw (2004) assert that the implementation of EMS gives an organization the benefit of commitment. As such, since the implementation of EMS is a process that involves all members of the organization, for a successful program, the top management team is required to show the commitment. The implementation of EMS makes the top management in the organization get committed to the environment protection programs, in which they carry out their organizational responsibility and roles that concern environmental protection programs according to their authority within the organization (Whitelaw 2004).
Silva and De Medeiros (2004) outline that implementation of EMS is significant for the company because it helps a business to improve its environmental performance prevent environmental pollution, conserve resources, attract a new group of customers, and market. From this benefit, it is clear that EMS ensures that a company does not spend more, and they make more profits than the expected return. In a different study by Proto and Supino (2000), it is clear that the implementation of EMS is importance to companies as the concept allows the companies to improve in the aspect of managing and controlling the companies’ activities. For instance, when a business does apply ISO 14001, the environment system allows the business to continuously monitor and control the business activities, especially the one related to the environmental performance. Moreover, EMS benefits an organization in a way that the concept defines better the employee’s responsibilities and tasks (Proto & Supino 2000). Consequentially, this gives the organization an opportunity to integrate the employees and environmental issue, as through EMS an organization defines the formal documents that describe the responsibilities of the employees in the implementation of the environmental protection programs.
On the other hand, Steger (2000) highlights that EMS is a cost saving system and the program is relatively important for the business implementing it, as EMS gives companies many competitive opportunities. For instance, it is believed that when businesses values and implement EMAS it has high chances to get a chance of venturing into new markets since the environmental management tool makes the organization prospective for the customers in the existing and new markets. Finally, it is evident EMS a system that is viewed as a quality assurance program, because EMS demonstrate that an organization is complying with the environment law and regulations (Psomas, Fotopoulos, & Kafetzopoulos, 2011).
Difficulties in Meeting Environmental Management System (ISO 14001 and EMAS)
The difficulties that relate to the implementation of EMS are the reason that makes organizations reluctant to the idea of implementing ISO 14001 and EMAS. According to Psomas, Fotopoulos, and Kafetzopoulos (2011), most of the business managers continue to experience resistance and challenges when carrying out the task of implementing and maintaining ISO 14001 and EMAS environmental management systems. In their study Psomas, Fotopoulos, & Kafetzopoulos, (2011) found out that despite ISO 14001 being one of the most important tools of environmental management, there are various factors may prevent the success of ISO 14001 implementation. One of the difficulties that make the managers in companies to become reluctant to the implementation of EMS is time and resources available in the implementation of EMS (Psomas, Fotopoulos, & Kafetzopoulos, 2011). The aspect of resources and time being influences the perspective of the managers who are given the responsibility of putting EMS in place. In fact, for many managers in the organizations, they believe that once EMS is implemented, there is no need of constantly reviewing it for improvement.
Due to the issues such as identification of environmental or quality aspects, training, and lack of the commitment from the top management, it has made the companies in the present days to become more reluctant on implementing the EMS programs (Psomas, Fotopoulos, & Kafetzopoulos, 2011). These issues affect the process of EMS implementation in a negative way because the organization’s EMS becomes less flexible and the managers work with little support to the organizations when it comes to the application of EMS programs. Whitelaw (2004) says that most of the modern businesses are unsure of how long they can be committed to the implementation of EMS. From this statement, it is clear that with the lack of knowledge on to the time a business need to be committed to the process of implementing EMS; it is likely for a company to be reluctant on conducting the process. Ann, Zailani, and Abd Wahid (2006) claim that the issue of organizational bureaucracy is another factor that makes many companies reluctant on implementing the EMS programs set to improve businesses environmental performance. In most of the global organizations, the issue of documentation in each department makes it difficult for the organization to implement the EMS programs. Ann, Zailani, and Abd Wahid (2006) report that many departments in organizations that operate in the international market believe that some of the documents that are used in the process of implementing ISO 14001 are unnecessary and they make the EMS implementation expensive. For this reason, organizations become reluctant to the issue of applying ISO 14001 and EMAS, which makes the EMS programs to be considered as a process that is not part of the essential activities done by the organizations.
Conclusion
In essence, the discussion is important as it clearly explains different points that concern the implementation of Environmental Management System. From the paper, it is mentioned that for a successful process in the implementation of the EMS, organizations should consider several factors such as the numbers of employees, the duration of the process, and whether to involve departments such as suppliers in the process. A realistic duration is essential to the success of the EMS process, and it is necessary for the organization to use the maximum number of employees in the implementation of the 14001 or EMAS systems. For companies that have already implemented both ISO 14001 and EMAS, it is evident that they are experiencing many benefits. In the discussion, it is suggested that organizations with EMS program in place, enjoys an improved market share, get opportunities to get new customers among other benefits that are related to EMS program. Finally, the paper present the reasons that make companies reluctant on the implementation of EMS. As such, the study outlines that time and resources are major factors that make organizations resist the implementation of EMS. Lack of commitment and training also makes companies unwilling to apply ISO 14001 and EMAS systems.
References
Ann, G., Zailani, S., & Abd Wahid, N. (2006). A study on the impact of environmental management system (EMS) certification towards firms’ performance in Malaysia. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 17(1), 73-93.
Proto, M., & Supino, S. (2000). Ecomanagement quality system: ISO 14000. The state of the art in Italy. Total Quality Management, 11(4-6), 767-772.
Psomas, E. L., Fotopoulos, C. V., & Kafetzopoulos, D. P. (2011). Motives, difficulties and benefits in implementing the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 22(4), 502-521.
Silva, G.C.S. and De Medeiros, D.D. (2004), “Environmental management in Brazilian
Companies”, Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 15(4), pp. 380-8
Steger, U. (2000). Environmental Management Systems: Empirical Evidence and Further Perspectives. European Management Journal, 18(1), 23-37.
Whitelaw, K. (2004). ISO 14001 environmental systems handbook. Amsterdam: Elsevier/Butterworth-Heinemann.
