Student Number: 0308601G School of Civil Engineering Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment / This research report focuses on the impact of environmental management systems (EMS) on the economic performance of business enterprises with respect to the three research variables, namely water, energy and raw materials. A systematic sampling technique with a random start and the K-Value sampling interval were employed to draw a sample size of 30 enterprises from a list of 240 EMS certified enterprises. However, the response rate ultimately turned out to be only 30 % of the sample size. The research discovered that EMS programmes that are practised by enterprises under study in South Africa are inefficient, as strategies adopted to cut down on the consumption of the research variables are inefficient. It has further been found that due to unavailability of data, business enterprises failed to consistently and convincingly provide data pertaining to the costs of EMS adoption. Inefficient strategies in cutting down consumption of research variables are concluded to have led to minimal savings and revenue accruing to the enterprises. This is observed to be a result of the following factors: not undertaking some research ahead of any action to shed light on the nature and magnitude of responsive measures required for specific problem areas; costly EMS technology and infrastructure; lack of innovativeness in exhausting the full potential value of the research variables; poor EMS practice etc. Failure to provide data by enterprises is observed to be a result of little value, which enterprises attached to information storage and documentation as well as environmental accounting system, yet they are such crucial components of EMS. This has therefore made impossible to weigh gains against costs to establish whether business enterprises are gaining or losing in their EMS projects. On the basis of the observed shortcomings, enterprises are advised to have in place a comprehensive EMS database and to conduct some research ahead of any responsive action. The South African government is recommended to intervene by providing an enabling environment for EMS by implementing EMS supporting policies and promoting awareness campaigns. Furthermore, research into the observed problem areas has been recommended in order to get to the bottom of EMS problems in South Africa.

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Os empreendimentos de construção civil são um dos maiores causadores de impactos ao meio ambiente. Essa pesquisa justifica-se assim pela necessidade da minimização de tais impactos e do desenvolvimento de ferramentas para a gestão ambiental, aplicáveis no âmbito das empresas construtoras. A aplicabilidade de sistemas de gestão ambiental em empresas construtoras de edifícios é determinada por meio da caracterização dos aspectos ambientais de seu processo produtivo e também da discussão do panorama político e legislativo, setorial e acadêmico, que demonstram a tendência por uma construção mais sustentável. A análise dos elementos propostos pela norma ISO 14001:1996 também justifica a opção pela gestão ambiental em empresas construtoras, uma vez que se apresenta como uma forma coerente e viável de padronizar a ação destas empresas sobre os aspectos ambientais identificados. E, finalmente, para ilustrar a aplicabilidade de sistemas de gestão ambiental em empresas construtoras de edifícios é proposta uma metodologia específica integrando os conceitos da gestão ambiental à gestão da qualidade e atuando sobre os seus pontos críticos. Como fundamentos para a elaboração desta metodologia, é feita uma análise das similaridades entre os sistemas de gestão e, principalmente, uma análise das experiências observadas nos estudos de caso e nos depoimentos apresentados por empresas construtoras, incluindo a observância de suas especificidades, necessidades e dificuldades. / The necessity to minimize the environmental impacts that come from construction activities, the existence of environmental management tools and available site solutions, they all justify this research. The applicability of environmental management systems at contractors is presented by characterizing the environmental aspects of production, and also by showing the political, legal, industrial and academic scenario. This information illustrates and represents the tendency of sustainable construction. The analysis of the elements proposed by the ISO 14001:1996 also justifies the option to implement environmental management at contractors, once it presents a coherent and applicable way to standardize these organizations' actions concerning the identified environmental aspects. And finally, to demonstrate the applicability of environmental management systems at contractors, a specific methodology is proposed, integrating the environmental management concepts into quality management and acting on their crucial issues. The analysis of the similarities found between these two management systems and, mainly, the analysis of the experiences observed on case studies and speeches presented by contractors, including their specificities, necessities and difficulties, they both have worked as a basis for this methodology elaboration.

Orientador: Otávio José de Oliveira / Banca: Aldo Roberto Ometto / Banca: Rosane Aparecida Gomes Battistelle / Resumo: A preocupação com a questão ambiental está cada vez mais presente nas discussões governamentais, empresariais e na sociedade em geral. O setor industrial representa um dos ramos de atividade mais impactantes em relação ao meio ambiente, contudo, ele também apresenta o maior número de certificações ISO 14001:2004, que é uma norma internacional para implantação e certificação de Sistema de Gestão Ambiental nas empresas. A produção mais limpa apresenta como um importante instrumento para a minimização dos danos ambientais causados pelo setor industrial, mas existem poucas evidências científicas sobre a relação entre a certificação ISO 14001: 2004 e a adoção de procedimentos de Produção Mais Limpa. Pelo exposto, o principal objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar o grau de adoção de procedimentos de Produção Mais Limpa em empresas industriais brasileiras com certificação ISO 14001:2004 e, por meio de uma pesquisa survey precedida pela realização de quatro estudos de casos, identificar as suas compatibilidades. Foi possível estabelecer um panorama geral sobre o conhecimento e a adoção de procedimentos de Produção Mais Limpa em indústrias brasileiras com a certificação ISO 14001:2004 e a manutenção de seus Sistemas de Gestão Ambiental. Essas informações foram fundamentadas pela revisão bibliográfica e exploradas nos quatro estudos de caso, sendo então confirmadas e descritas pela survey que obeteve um retorno de 26,7%. Os resultados permitiram concluir que existem compatibilidades diretas e inversas entre a Produção Mais Limpa e o SGA ISO 14001. As principais compatibilidades identificadas simultaneamente pelo método de pesquisa qualitativo e pelo método quantitativo foram na Política Ambiental, nos Aspectos Ambientais, nos Objetivos, Metas e Programas e no Monitoramento e Mediação / Abstract: The concern with environmental issues is increasingly present in discussions governamental, business and society in general. The industrial sector represents one of the most striking lines of business in relation to the environment, however, it also has the highest number of ISO 14001:2004, which is an international standard for implementation and certification of environmental management system in companies. The Cleaner Production is presented as an import tool for minimizing environmental damage caused by the industrial sector, but there is little scientific evidence on the relationship between the ISO 14001:2004 certification procedures and the adoption of cleaner production. For these reasons, the main objective of this study was to acess the degree of adoption of cleaner production procedures in industrial companies with ISO 14001:2004 and, through a survey research preceded by the completion of four case studies, identify their compatibilities. It was possible to establish and overview of the knowledge and adoption of procedures for Cleaner Production in Brazilian Industries with the ISO 14001:2004 certification and maintenance of its Environmental Management Systems. These data were substantiated by the literature review and explored in four case studies ate then described and confirmed by the survey which obtained a return of 26.6%. The results showed that there are forward and reverse compatibility between Cleaner Production and EMS ISO 14001. The main compatibility identified by both the qualitative research method and the quantitative method were in Environmental Policy, Environmental Aspects, the Goals, Targets and Programs and Monitoring and Measurement / Mestre

<p>Many of the future methods are used in areas like economical studies, predicting future markets or legislations that might have an effect on a company or an organization. There is a necessity for knowing what the future holds. Following sustainable development companies has begun to adopt standardized environmental management systems like EMAS and ISO 14001. The companies that use scenario methods are often companies that also use environmental management and standardized management systems, which also is the case in this study. The aim of the study is to examine how future oriented studies can be used to develop the environmental strategic arena, by suggesting possible work procedures. The aim is also to describe how different future studies and techniques theoretically can be used within the strategic environmental area and to examine the use of future studies within different companies. Four Semi-structured interviews were made with companies that both use EMS and future studies. The interviews and the theoretical framework in study were used to answer the aim.</p><p>The results indicate that company future studies only have an effect on the market area and not the company EMS, the influence at the best is only indirect. The companies are more focused on factors that can change the market and economical aspects surrounding their products and services, than on factors that can be of important in making strategic important decisions about the appearance of the future environmental arena. Future oriented studies can be of use in EMS, the forecasting used in company A or the external method used in the three other companies. The methods each have qualities that are of use in different areas of the standardized EMS. Forecasting can help the user in the beginning of the planning process of EMS, with its short term visions the user can create an understanding about which way to go and this can then be complemented with backcasting. External scenarios used in the other three companies should be able to be integrated with the environmental area of the companies. These companies have god conditions to integrate their scenario work with the EMS because of the knowledge and use of future studies today.</p> / The ISRN in the pdf-file is incorrect. The correct ISRN is shown below.

Thesis (M. Environmental Management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

For standardized environmental management systems (EMS) to be environmentally effective tools, they should affect important environmental aspects related to flows of materials and energy, which for manufacturing companies are closely connected to their products. This paper presents how external environmental auditors interpret and apply important product-related requirements of ISO 14001 at manufacturing companies in Sweden. The results indicate that the link between EMS and products is rather weak. Products are seldom regarded as significant environmental aspects and are therefore not within the main scope of many EMS, which are mainly focused on sites. However, all of the interviewed auditors require that some kind of environmental considerations be incorporated into product development, but these considerations are to large extent site oriented; how they are prioritized in relation to other factors such as economics and other customer priorities appears to be up to the companies. The paper includes some recommendations to strengthen the role of products within the framework of standardized EMS.

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.

Many of the future methods are used in areas like economical studies, predicting future markets or legislations that might have an effect on a company or an organization. There is a necessity for knowing what the future holds. Following sustainable development companies has begun to adopt standardized environmental management systems like EMAS and ISO 14001. The companies that use scenario methods are often companies that also use environmental management and standardized management systems, which also is the case in this study. The aim of the study is to examine how future oriented studies can be used to develop the environmental strategic arena, by suggesting possible work procedures. The aim is also to describe how different future studies and techniques theoretically can be used within the strategic environmental area and to examine the use of future studies within different companies. Four Semi-structured interviews were made with companies that both use EMS and future studies. The interviews and the theoretical framework in study were used to answer the aim. The results indicate that company future studies only have an effect on the market area and not the company EMS, the influence at the best is only indirect. The companies are more focused on factors that can change the market and economical aspects surrounding their products and services, than on factors that can be of important in making strategic important decisions about the appearance of the future environmental arena. Future oriented studies can be of use in EMS, the forecasting used in company A or the external method used in the three other companies. The methods each have qualities that are of use in different areas of the standardized EMS. Forecasting can help the user in the beginning of the planning process of EMS, with its short term visions the user can create an understanding about which way to go and this can then be complemented with backcasting. External scenarios used in the other three companies should be able to be integrated with the environmental area of the companies. These companies have god conditions to integrate their scenario work with the EMS because of the knowledge and use of future studies today. / The ISRN in the pdf-file is incorrect. The correct ISRN is shown below.

<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>