Flaws of Environmental Management Systems
Introduction
Environmental Management Systems had been around informally for a long period of time before they were made official. At the time, they were implemented specifically for the purpose of compliance with particular regulations as opposed to the systematic approach used today.
Following the industrial revolution, numerous great advancements were made in terms of technology which in turn boosted the overall production. Globally, the leading sectors were the construction and production industries that used raw materials that were obtained directly from the environment. This also significantly resulted into rapid settlement into previously forested areas due to the then growing effect of urbanization. This obviously led to deforestation of these concerned areas, significant displacement of wildlife and pollution of the environment by the industries.
After a prolonged period of time, the effects were inevitable; ranging from moderately severe to disastrous. Desertification, human-wildlife conflict and global warming were just but a few of the problems faced. This created the need for the formation of the Environmental Management Systems.
It serves as a tool to improve environmental performance by helping companies, organizations and governments manage their potential environmental impacts and ultimately reduce them to make way for sustainability.(Stead & Stead 3)
However, despite the positive basis of its creation, there are various shortcomings that are faced by this set of processes and practices. This paper captures a few of them and attempts to put forward some possible solutions.
The first shortcoming is that it is very difficult to develop a single system of management that caters for each company’s need. Differences always arise from cultural, social and economic settings. Varying geographic locations also means that the impact on the environment will differ from place to place thus making the task of developing goals much difficult.
In my opinion, I think that development of suitable legislation should be done by categorizing the organizations on the basis of their geographical location and the nature of their production processes. This is because if they are situated in a similar area, they are likely to share environmental features and hence bear similar implications on the environment.
Another issue would be the high cost of developing and implementing these conditions and goals that an organization must achieve. This involves those who are in charge of formulating the law. Quantifiable data on current emissions, waste generated, raw materials used, energy consumed, water resources used among others has to be keenly analyzed so as to from the framework for the regulations. This data collection and analysis is a very costly endeavor.
The proposed solution for this; first and foremost would be permanently placing environmental auditors in companies as a mandatory requirement as opposed to the system of having them operate from the outside moving from company to company. They will then be required to report, providing all the necessary information from their organization of operation. This will cut the cost of implementing and assessment significantly.
Political and administrative barriers have also greatly posed a challenge to the proper functioning of Environmental Management Systems. The method of leadership and governance varies from region to region. Some leaders do not appreciate any external interference or criticism of the manner in which they manage their organizations. Some communities also portray a lot of hostility which discourages the implementation process of Environmental Management Systems.
A possible solution would be the use of regional organizational bodies that assist in regional cooperation of these states. This would ease the process of implementation of the stipulated goals.
Reluctance to make the necessary financial commitments by some organizations has also frustrated the efforts of some Environmental Management Systems. (Watson, Klingenberg, Polito & Geurts 624). From the gathered information, it is evident that most of the efforts that are aimed at achieving environmental sustainability are quite expensive to adapt and maintain. This usually causes extra costs to be incurred by organizations and this sometimes makes them reluctant to adapt these policies.
A likely solution would be entrenching laws in the constitution that ensure these demands are met by the companies during the onset of establishment. This will ensure that they are followed to the latter and that these goals are also included in the organization’s budget.
Inadequate skills and technology has also been a flaw and major hindrance to Environmental Management Systems and their role in sustainability.( Clayton & Bass 31). Being an international system, this means that it is operational across varying regions; some of which are very poorly developed. This means that it is sometimes impossible for organizations; especially those in third world countries and war torn nations to acquire the necessary skills and technology required in upholding the stipulated environmental goals for sustainability.
A possible solution for this issue would be provision of cheap and affordable training for the organizations in third world countries as well as introduction of cheaper methods and techniques of achieving these goals.
The final flaw of the Environmental Management Systems that I intend to discuss is that they are better suited for larger organizations and this therefore puts smaller organizations at a disadvantage. This is because larger organizations have larger and more developed systematic approaches to management processes. This therefore eases the implementation process.
This issue would be solved by introducing more basic goals that are smaller in structure and better suited for the smaller organizations to implement. They may include grading of the waste produced by the organizations and recycling of plastics.
References
Stead W.E. and Stead J.G. Management for a Small Planet: Strategic Decision Making and the Environment, Sage Publications, Newberry Park, CA.1992. Print
Kevin Watson, Beate Klingenberg, Tony Polito and Tom G. Geurts. Impact of Environmental Management System Implementation on Financial Performance. 2003. Print
Barry Dalal-Clayton and Steve Bass. The Challenges of Environmental Mainstreaming. 2009. Print
