Organisational impacts on the environment have been a primary topic of discussion for several decades, prompting a need for organisations to eva- luate and manage their environmental impacts. Environmental management systems have since been adopted by companies worldwide for numerous reasons and benefits. In more recent years, IT solutions have been designed to meet the various needs of environmental management but with little at- tention drawn to a standardised approach.   The following thesis aims to determine the use of IT adopted by organisa- tions to support their environmental management systems (EMSs). In doing so, the importance of EMSs, IT solutions to support EMSs and the benefits of IT for such systems are addressed. A small number of informative inter- views were conducted with EMS consultants and numerous representatives of ISO 14001 certified companies to establish what IT solutions are availa- ble to support EMSs and identify the differences between such solutions.   This thesis demonstrates that IT solutions adopted by organisations to sup- port their EMSs differ in complexity and depend upon the expected results of the EMS itself. Depending on how integral the EMS is to the organisa- tion’s business processes, IT can benefit the EMS and ultimately the organi- sation in a number of ways. In conclusion, EMSs can be implemented with little technical aid. However, IT is a communicative tool adopted to review, manage and monitor environmental data and enables easier handling of en- vironmental data enhancing the performance of the EMS.

The purpose with this report is to make a contribution to Bodycote heat treatments workshop in Värnamo, how to introduce, establish and constantly improve its environmental system. The rapport will help Bodycote with there certifying in ISO 14001: s demand standard. Organizations who continuously work with environmental issues have a lot to gain. Two things an active environmental development process will convey are, building of thrust within the circle of customers, and great financial savings. An increasingly numbers of organizations realize the importance to introduce a functioning environmental system into their activity. The investment in a functional environmental system normally has a pay back time in just a few years. A perusal was carried out of the current documents and routines in the environmental system of the workshop. This perusal has later been presented through comments and by proposals to improvements. The result of the perusal showed that there are certain areas of the environmental system that not are properly fulfilled by the standard demands. For example the guaranteed concern for the important environmental aspects, when the system is established, introduced and supported. The problem is rooted in the lack of information documented by the organization. There shall be a list documented over the most important environmental aspects. Other important demands that the standard proclaim, is the comprehensive and the detailed environmental goals. These goals are not established, introduced or supported. Each environmental goal shall have an achievement plan, plans that are yet not active or documented. According to the demands in standard, the workshop shall guarantee that the measurement of environmental performance is performed in a proper way. A routine on these demands was not found during the perusal. The conclusion of the perusal is that the most of the criteria’s in the standard is fulfilled by Värnamo workshop. To succeed with the certifying, the workshop shall especially look at demands concerning the important environmental aspects, the comprehensive and the detailed environmental goals. These demands are vital through out the whole environmental system. However, the other demands that are not fulfilled are also important. / Syftet med denna rapport är att bidra till att Bodycote Värmebehandlings AB:s verkstad i Värnamo skall klara av att införa, upprätta och ständigt förbättra sitt miljöledningssystem för att senare klara av en framtida certifiering inom ISO 14001:s kravstandard. Organisationer som arbetar kontinuerligt med miljöfrågor har mycket att vinna. Tre saker ett aktivt miljöarbete ofta medför är att organisationen bygger upp ett förtroende hos sin kundkrets samt att man effektiviserar och minskar kostnaderna inom organisationen. Fler och fler organisationer inser vikten av att införa ett fungerande miljöledningssystem i sina verksamheter. Investeringen i ett fungerande miljöledningssystem brukar redan ha betalat tillbaka sig självt efter bara några år. En granskning genomfördes av Värnamoverkstadens dokument och rutiner i det nuvarande miljöledningssystemet, denna granskning har sedan redovisats genom kommentarer och förslag till förbättringar. Resultatet av granskningen visade att det finns vissa områden i miljöledningssystemet som inte helt uppfyller standardens krav. Som exempel, säkerställandet av hänsynen till de betydande miljöaspekterna, där miljöledningssystemet upprättande, införsel och underhållning inte har uppfyllts. En lista över de betydande miljöaspekterna skall finnas dokumenterad. Andra viktiga krav som standarden ställer är krav om övergripande och detaljerade miljömål. Dessa krav är inte fastställda, införda och underhållna. Till miljömålen skall det även finnas handlingsplaner, vilket inte finns dokumenterat. Verkstaden skall enligt kraven från standarden säkerställa att mätning av miljöprestanda sker på ett riktigt sätt. En rutin över detta krav hittades inte under granskningen. Slutsatsen av granskningen är att de flesta krav som standarden ställer på Värnamoverkstadens miljöledningssystem är uppfyllda. För att lyckas med en certifiering skall verkstaden speciellt titta över kraven som rör de betydande miljöaspekterna och de övergripande och detaljerade miljömålen, eftersom dessa är så vitala genom hela miljöledningssystemet. Dock får inte de andra kraven som inte är uppfyllda ställas åt sidan.

Today the ISO 14001 system is used within a rather wide spectrum of firms and industries, even if the early adopters of the standard mainly where organizations in the heavy industry and manufacturing sectors (Peglaue and Baxter, 2007). Many of those early adopters have now been certified for over 10 years, and during the years several surveys and case studies have been conducted to pinpoint the motives, benefits and challenges for why organizations chose to implement and maintain the system (Massoud, 2010; Jiang and Bansal, 2003). However, one issue with research about ISO 14001 up until now is that most studies have focused upon a managerial perspective where the managers´ attitudes have been in focus rather than the employees (Boiral, 2007). Therefore, this case study set out to explore how the employees, the production operators, inside one certified organization are involved in ISO 14001 through a Grounded Theory approach. The results of the study showed that the production operators relied upon different strategies in order to legitimize their involvement in ISO 14001. Further on, the study shows that the production operators where involved in ISO 14001 at a level which was required in order to keep the certification. However, they could not obtain enough legitimacy to motivate an involvement in ISO 14001 which extended what was required in order to keep the certification. Grounded in the discovery of the different strategies used by the employees, this study argues that environmental awareness could be seen as an internal barrier and as a source for unsatisfied employees. Something which risks emphasizes a feeling of being involved in a rational myth (Boiral, 2007).

The objective of this thesis is to reveal the perception of the Turkish contractors toward ISO 9001 Quality, ISO 14001 Environmental and OHSAS 18001 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems using questionnaires. All of the companies participating in the survey have already been ISO 9000 certified. Thus, the questionnaire prepared included more details for the Quality Management System. The results of the questionnaire outcomes are statistically analysed. Analysis of the survey results show that the most common motivators of Management Systems for Turkish contractors are to qualify to tender for local and international projects and to increase competitiveness in overseas markets, however the vision approach of top management is not less important than the financial issues. Most of the companies stated that they implement Management Systems as a part of their improvement strategy as well. This proves that the companies are aware of the benefits of certification in the long term period. Although the most expected advantages of the systems are qualification to tender for projects both locally and internationally, as well as gaining competitive advantage, it has been observed that other benefits are realizedby the Turkish contractors such as / more systematic record keeping, higher company prestige, increased client satisfaction. The major disadvantages realized by practicing the Management Systems are increased documentation and workload. The solution is proposed as to set an internal network and to integrate the systems to reduce paperwork. In conclusion, all of the Management Systems were believed to be as useful tools and Turkish contractors think that their advantages overcome disadvantages.

<p>The purpose with this report is to make a contribution to Bodycote heat treatments workshop in Värnamo, how to introduce, establish and constantly improve its environmental system. The rapport will help Bodycote with there certifying in ISO 14001: s demand standard. Organizations who continuously work with environmental issues have a lot to gain. Two things an active environmental development process will convey are, building of thrust within the circle of customers, and great financial savings. An increasingly numbers of organizations realize the importance to introduce a functioning environmental system into their activity. The investment in a functional environmental system normally has a pay back time in just a few years.</p><p>A perusal was carried out of the current documents and routines in the environmental system of the workshop. This perusal has later been presented through comments and by proposals to improvements. The result of the perusal showed that there are certain areas of the environmental system that not are properly fulfilled by the standard demands. For example the guaranteed concern for the important environmental aspects, when the system is established, introduced and supported. The problem is rooted in the lack of information documented by the organization. There shall be a list documented over the most important environmental aspects.</p><p>Other important demands that the standard proclaim, is the comprehensive and the detailed environmental goals. These goals are not established, introduced or supported. Each environmental goal shall have an achievement plan, plans that are yet not active or documented. According to the demands in standard, the workshop shall guarantee that the measurement of environmental performance is performed in a proper way. A routine on these demands was not found during the perusal.</p><p>The conclusion of the perusal is that the most of the criteria’s in the standard is fulfilled by Värnamo workshop. To succeed with the certifying, the workshop shall especially look at demands concerning the important environmental aspects, the comprehensive and the detailed environmental goals. These demands are vital through out the whole environmental system. However, the other demands that are not fulfilled are also important.</p> / <p>Syftet med denna rapport är att bidra till att Bodycote Värmebehandlings AB:s verkstad i Värnamo skall klara av att införa, upprätta och ständigt förbättra sitt miljöledningssystem för att senare klara av en framtida certifiering inom ISO 14001:s kravstandard. Organisationer som arbetar kontinuerligt med miljöfrågor har mycket att vinna. Tre saker ett aktivt miljöarbete ofta medför är att organisationen bygger upp ett förtroende hos sin kundkrets samt att man effektiviserar och minskar kostnaderna inom organisationen. Fler och fler organisationer inser vikten av att införa ett fungerande miljöledningssystem i sina verksamheter. Investeringen i ett fungerande miljöledningssystem brukar redan ha betalat tillbaka sig självt efter bara några år.</p><p>En granskning genomfördes av Värnamoverkstadens dokument och rutiner i det nuvarande miljöledningssystemet, denna granskning har sedan redovisats genom kommentarer och förslag till förbättringar. Resultatet av granskningen visade att det finns vissa områden i miljöledningssystemet som inte helt uppfyller standardens krav. Som exempel, säkerställandet av hänsynen till de betydande miljöaspekterna, där miljöledningssystemet upprättande, införsel och underhållning inte har uppfyllts. En lista över de betydande miljöaspekterna skall finnas dokumenterad.</p><p>Andra viktiga krav som standarden ställer är krav om övergripande och detaljerade miljömål. Dessa krav är inte fastställda, införda och underhållna. Till miljömålen skall det även finnas handlingsplaner, vilket inte finns dokumenterat. Verkstaden skall enligt kraven från standarden säkerställa att mätning av miljöprestanda sker på ett riktigt sätt. En rutin över detta krav hittades inte under granskningen.</p><p>Slutsatsen av granskningen är att de flesta krav som standarden ställer på Värnamoverkstadens miljöledningssystem är uppfyllda. För att lyckas med en certifiering skall verkstaden speciellt titta över kraven som rör de betydande miljöaspekterna och de övergripande och detaljerade miljömålen, eftersom dessa är så vitala genom hela miljöledningssystemet. Dock får inte de andra kraven som inte är uppfyllda ställas åt sidan.</p>

<p>Organisational impacts on the environment have been a primary topic of</p><p>discussion for several decades, prompting a need for organisations to eva-</p><p>luate and manage their environmental impacts. Environmental management</p><p>systems have since been adopted by companies worldwide for numerous</p><p>reasons and benefits. In more recent years, IT solutions have been designed</p><p>to meet the various needs of environmental management but with little at-</p><p>tention drawn to a standardised approach.</p><p> </p><p>The following thesis aims to determine the use of IT adopted by organisa-</p><p>tions to support their environmental management systems (EMSs). In doing</p><p>so, the importance of EMSs, IT solutions to support EMSs and the benefits</p><p>of IT for such systems are addressed. A small number of informative inter-</p><p>views were conducted with EMS consultants and numerous representatives</p><p>of ISO 14001 certified companies to establish what IT solutions are availa-</p><p>ble to support EMSs and identify the differences between such solutions.</p><p> </p><p>This thesis demonstrates that IT solutions adopted by organisations to sup-</p><p>port their EMSs differ in complexity and depend upon the expected results</p><p>of the EMS itself. Depending on how integral the EMS is to the organisa-</p><p>tion’s business processes, IT can benefit the EMS and ultimately the organi-</p><p>sation in a number of ways. In conclusion, EMSs can be implemented with</p><p>little technical aid. However, IT is a communicative tool adopted to review,</p><p>manage and monitor environmental data and enables easier handling of en-</p><p>vironmental data enhancing the performance of the EMS.</p>

published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

published_or_final_version / Housing Management / Master / Master of Housing Management

published_or_final_version / Urban Planning / Master / Master of Science in Urban Planning

South Africa is one of the world's foremost mining nations and mining and its associated industries continue to form the cornerstone of the country's economy. However, the mining industry has, by its very nature, the potential to endanger human health and safety, as well as the physical environment. Consequently, mining will always contend with major environmental challenges and remain under constant public pressure to demonstrate its commitment to responsible environmental management. The key to effective environmental management is the use of a systematic approach to plan, control and improve environmental efforts. An Environmental Management System (EMS) employs such an approach and allows organisations to address environmental concerns in an orderly and consistent manner. Such a system allows organisations to anticipate and meet their environmental objectives and to ensure ongoing compliance with national and/or international requirements. An organisation with no existing EMS should, initially, establish its current position with regard to the environment by means of an initial review process. The aim should be to consider all environmental aspects of the organisation as a basis for establishing the EMS. Although a few gold mines in South Africa have implemented an EMS, the question of which significant environmental aspects need to be managed in such a system at a deep level gold mine shaft, remains largely unanswered. This study endeavoured to provide answers to this question and develop a generic model for the initial review process of a deep level gold mine shaft. The development of such a model should facilitate the development and implementation of an EMS at such shafts, thereby contributing to reduce the environmental impact of gold mines. The research consisted of a literature review of national and international literature on the topic and a comparative empirical study, which evaluated the mining operations of two deep level gold mine shafts. Data collection and analysis was done according to the IS0 14015 guideline on the environmental assessment of sites and organisations. Other techniques used included business process analysis, the use of modified Leopoldt matrices and risk analysis to determine the significance of the environmental impacts and aspects. This study contributed to a generic model for the initial environmental review process that precedes the development of an EMS at deep level gold mine shafts through: developing a generic sub-model that can be used to determine the scope of any deep level gold mine shaft; identifying some of the significant environmental impacts and aspects of deep level gold mine shafts, as well as identifying some generic business activities that are potentially destructive and carry a high risk of causing significant negative environmental impacts. / Thesis (M. Environmental Management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.