Environmental Management Finals

. A business planning tool called ______ analysis (a framework used to identify the external forces that may affect an organization positively and negatively) can help provide this overview.

This includes factors that determine the impact of government and government policy on a particular organization or a specific industry. EMS must devise ways to track political changes considering trade, fiscal, and taxation policies, among others.

This includes factors that determine the impact of the economy and its performance on an organization and its profitability. These include interest rates, employment or unemployment rates, raw material costs, and foreign exchange rates, among others.

This includes factors that determine the impact of the social environment and emerging trends on the business profitability of an organization. EMS must consider stakeholder pressures (such as cultural trends, attitude changes, and changes in lifestyles, among others), and companies must find ways on how to deal with them.

This includes factors that determine the impact of technological innovation and development on a particular market or industry. These include changes in digital or mobile technology, research and development (R&D), and automation. Moreover, these also include technological influence on methods of distribution, manufacturing, and logistics. EMS must identify how technological advancements may add or lessen the environmental impacts of firms

This includes factors that determine the influence of the surrounding environment and the impact of ecological aspects on a market or industry. Firms must understand its environmental aspects and impacts and establish programs relating to climate, recycling procedures, carbon footprint, waste disposal, and sustainability.

  This includes factors that determine the importance of understanding legal laws and procedures in a given territory where a business operates. These include employment legislation, consumer law, health and safety, and international trade regulation and restrictions.

To establish an effective policy, all members of an organization must possess a positive environmental outlook. Commitment and responsibility are the glue that holds the policy together. Firms need to involve relevant staff in drafting the policy (from line managers to rank and file employees) and ensure that they understand why the policy is being crafted and its implications for the business. The final version of the policy must be approved by senior management to ensure that it satisfies the standard requirements of a firm.

The environmental policy must set out goals in an open, accurate, and realistic way. The recipients of the policy (whether customers, contractors, suppliers, or staff) must be convinced that what has been set out is realistic for the business and them.

Resources will be required to move the policy from paper intent to active performance and amplify the efforts of those involved in implementing the EMS. Resources will include both staff time and money. The mix and allocation will depend on identified business priorities.