|
|
Protecting the Environment Big picture issues such as the greenhouse gas emissions of developing countries, international carbon trading and rainforest preservation are generally seen as being in the realm of governments to deal with, but there is also increasing need for actions at all levels right down to consumers using energy efficient light bulbs. Small to medium sized businesses have a considerable part to play in all of this given that SMEs comprise a very significant proportion of UK businesses. There is little doubting that governments (via the EU in Europe) will wish to impose more and more stringent environmental controls on businesses relating to their emissions, resource usage, waste disposal, product end of life issues etc. and this is likely to add even more burdensome "red tape" to smaller businesses that already suffer high levels of workplace legislation. There is therefore a good case for enacting common sense environmental controls voluntarily as a means of delaying or even preventing the onset of further Government legislation, and this type of approach does have some history of working. Responding to media and growing consumer and employee pressure the larger corporates are starting to look at ways of being seen as more environmentally friendly and enhancing their "green" credentials. This approach can and should be taken on also by SMEs, and as well benefiting the environment can also provide more direct benefits to companies in terms of costs savings. Historically waste was seen as simply that, and was usually regarded as an unavoidable cost, but there are more imaginative ways of looking at this area, and a fledgling industry is now in the making that will find more uses for waste as form of resource in itself. So rather than industry just disposing of its waste, probably at a considerable cost, there will be scope for selling it on to be reused elsewhere. Usage of resources is another area where we can not only help the environment, but accrue potential cost savings - e.g. just by switching off lights when not in use. In addition many smaller firms are now finding that the usual Tender process by which they obtain work is now increasingly asking for proof of their environmental standards in the same way that questions relating to Quality standards have always been asked. The environmental management standard ISO 14001 helps with all of these issues by providing a framework that any organisation can use to help progressively improve its environmental performance. The main benefits derived from certification to ISO 14001 include:
If you want more specific information about using ISO 14001 in your organisation, just email or call for an informal discussion, or even just for some advice. |
|
|
|||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
Top | Home Copyright © Brian Mead 2008. All rights reserved. |
