Introduction to Environmental Management

Environmental management refers to the management of modern human society with, and its impact on, the environment. Because natural resources are finite and limited, they can only support a certain population within any species. Environmental management works on the principle of conservation of the environment in order sustain human development.

Factors

Because of the complexity of the environment and its interconnected nature with all species, environmental management incorporates both living and nonliving components of the environment. In other words, both biological and physical aspects of the environment are considered. Relationships within the human environment, like social, cultural or economic issues, are also factored. Environmental managers are affected by politics, programs and "unnatural" resources (like money or facilities) in their attempt to manage natural resources.

Standards

In order for environmental management to remain effective, standards and systems have been implemented. These standards attempt to measure the success of management, as measured by some objective criteria. ISO 4001 is a common standard for environmental management put forth by the International Organization for Standardization. Environmental Management Systems (EMS) are usually based on the ISO 4001 standard.

One Approach

Environmental Management System (EMS) is a structured, documented approach to respond to environmental challenges by focusing on environmental regulations and standards, and customer requirements. Environmental management involves conducting a life-cycle assessment of the process at hand, seeking ways to lessen environmental burdens discovered, and then optimizing the use of limited natural resources utilized.

Considerations

The goal of environmental management is to find effective ways to use limited resources. When businesses are involved, products and services are to be produced in an environmentally conscious way. EMS attempts to create, reinforce and improve a sound environmental policy through a cycle of planning, implementation, checking (involves monitoring and taking correcting action), and review. The cycle of "plan--do--check--act" moves towards continual improvement.

Planning

Within EMS, planning is considered an essential counterpart of environmental management. Any good policy needs to start with a solid plan that would consider all potential factors and offer a way to optimize resources. Effective planning anticipates future environmental changes or alternative scenarios, and leads to preventive measures. After implementation of the plan, checking and reviewing the results always lead back to more planning for a better policy.