The
Environmental Management Systems composed of about 12 standards – was first
conceptualized when the Rio Summit on the Environment held in 1992 generated a
commitment to protect the environment across the world. The environmental field
emerged as a steady growth of national and regional standards. The British
Standards Institution has BS 7750, while European Union has environmental
management auditing, eco-labeling plus the eco-management and audit
regulations.
The increasing
awareness on environmental impact is an outcry that is far more intensified by
the combined efforts of the local and national governments, regulators, trade
associations, customers, employees, and shareholders.
The standard is
not limiting; it is relevant to all types and sizes of organizations and is
designed for diverse geographical, cultural, and social conditions. ISO 14001
is relevant to every organization, including: single site to large
multinational companies; high risk companies to low risk service organizations;
manufacturing, process and the service industries, including local governments;
all industry sectors including public and private sectors; and original
equipment manufacturers and their suppliers.
Advantages of EMS
To further
understand the importance and benefits of Environmental Management Systems
(EMS), I visited manufacturing plants and government agencies as case study. I
further learned there are numerous advantages incurred: Improved management of
environmental impacts; set targets to reduce energy use, water use and waste to
landfill; initiated and maintain procedures to improve efficiencies; defined
key responsibilities for achieving targets; regularly assess progress towards
achieving set objectives; ensures due diligence and on-going consideration of
legal and other environmental requirements; monitor and measures environmental
performance against key indicators; achieve cost savings; show leadership,
nationally and/or internationally; obtain competitive advantage; compliance as
required by clients, customers and/or regulators; and build goodwill from
customers, employees and stakeholders.
Environmental
Management Systems verifies compliance with current legislation and makes
insurance cover more accessible. Moreover, it helps produce objectives for
improvement and a management program to achieve them, with regular reviews for
continual improvement.
There is no
law that mandates companies in the Philippines to be Environmental Management
Systems (EMS) certified. However, there are listed Philippines Environmental
Laws that must be strictly complied by any nature and size of organization as
guided and monitored by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and
the Local Government Units. EMS ensures that organization is compliance through
the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle of the EMS towards continual improvement. The
following are enlisted Philippine Environmental Laws that is strictly monitored
by the DENR and NGOs for strict compliance:
- Republic Act 6969 Toxic Substances, Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Control Act of 1990
- Republic Act 9003 Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000
- Republic Act 9275 Philippine Clean Air Act of 2004
- Republic Act 8749 Philippine Clean Water Act of 1999
- Presidential Decree 1586 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Statement of 1978
Implementing
an EMS generally turns the favour to the company in terms of the bottom line.
Cost savings and reduced expenses, liabilities, insurance premiums, and waste
management costs can be made through improved product quality, competitiveness,
and enhance market responsiveness.
Challenges of
EMS in the Philippines
To date, there
are 14,000 companies worldwide certified to Environmental Management Systems
and majority are from Japan (2,600), Germany (1,600), United Kingdom (1,200),
Sweden (650), USA (590), Taiwan (500), Netherlands (475), Korea (460),
Switzerland (400) and France (360).
There are
companies in the Philippines that are Environmental Management Systems (EMS)
certified. However, priority is not given emphasis. As inquired, most company
in the Philippines are Chines owned, and if Chinas has no considerations in
protecting their own environment, how much more of the Philippines. In support
to this analysis, it is through enough based on my personal experience auditing
our Chinese owned suppliers; as auditor, I question their views on ISO
14001:2004 and plans of being certified? 100% of them have set it as least
priority and that they view it as waste of money. Furthermore, they are after
profit as they deliver products that comply with customer requirements. In
addition, there are five (5) more road blocks identified for EMS implementation
success in the Philippines:
1. Budget and
Allocation are not typical or private sector – Budget allotment for EMS
certification requires serious amount of investment. Training alone will cost P
30,000.00 to complete an EMS course from awareness program, documentation and
auditing; third party accreditation fee will ranges from P100, 000.00 to P250,
000.00 depending on choice third party service provider; and the amount
required for restoration, improvement of building infrastructures enable to
comply with the system.
Example: The Cleanway Technology in Silang, Cavite; during our field
trip, I was able to asked their coordinator on investment they put in to be ISO
14001:2004 certified and the answer was approximately P600,000.00 inclusive of
equipment and facilities upgrade.
2. Changing
Priorities Overtime – EMS certification is always on the least priorities of
every company unless required by some of their major customers. Management has
always thought of equipment upgrade, technology acquisition, research and
development of products which is an endless commitment with fast pace of
technology and development turnover.
3. Frequent
Changes in Leadership and their goods – In the corporate and manufacturing
set-up there is a rapid change over and movement of personnel in particular to
management level, either for promotion and/or pirated by other companies, thus,
pending EMS programs immediately puts on hold with changes of leadership that
has other set of priorities.
Example:
Cleanway Technology – In 2009 the company was bombarded with environmental
issues and concerns by the Eco Waste Coalition and the Green Peace Movement due
to hazardous waste found on their waste water effluents. The same year, there
was a complete changes made of leadership and management team, and evidently
they geared towards environment protection with its combined Quality Management
System and Environmental Management System certification.
4. Finding the
best element to motivate employees – Whenever we speak of certification the
first thing that employees think of was
additional job, Key Performance Index (KPI) monitoring and more sleepless
nights. In reality. EMS certification requires a tedious work to begin with,
and each key personnel are given task in documenting, checking and monitoring
requirements in reference to ISO 14001:2004. Encouraging employees to participate
is difficult enough specially if there is no wage increase involve.
5. Lack of familiarity
Case Study
(1) Landbank of the Philippines
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Environmental Policy
In pursuit of
its role as the dominant Financial Institution in country side development,
LANDBANK shall adhere to actively promote environmental protection and
sustainable development by incorporating effective environmental management
practices in all its agrarian and banking operations, services and decisions.
Commitment: Comply
with applicable environmental laws, regulations and covenants that it
subscribes to.
Metric: 94%
energy efficiency rating under the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation
Program in Government Buildings and was awarded the Blue Rating Recognition by
the Laguna Lake Development Authority with respect for the Bank's compliance to
environmental standards and regulatory requirements.
Commitment:
Implement effective pollution control and waste management programs, practice
conservation of natural resources and conduct appropriate environmental risk
assessment and management.
Metrics:
"Proper Use of LANDBANK facilities", "Anti-Smoke Belching
Campaign Program" wherein the Bank coordinates with DENR for the
implementation of a free annual emission and refrigerant testing for its
Bank-leased vehicles and employee-owned vehicles, "No Smoking Policy"
and "Emergency Preparedness and Response Program".
Commitment: Enjoin
its employees to be aware and be actively involved in the implementation of its
environmental management system (EMS); inform and influence its stakeholders
including clients, suppliers and business partners to align with bank’s EMS
program.
Metrics: Green
Procurement, Manila Bay Clean Up, Adopt-a-watershed
(2) Corrugated Carton Manufacturing Company
EMS Project No.1: Expanding
Use of Alternative Paper Grades via Optimization of Furnish Formulation
With customers demand of high quality products, accumulated
rejects and production scrap that created a problem in solid waste management
and demand for material availability that meets standard requirements; The
company had decided to 100% recycle scrap and rejects and convert it to paper
roll designed to cater their demands and needs. The project had been successful
that generated positive return of investment.
Sustainable Development
Advantage
Environment
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Economic
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Social
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EMS Project No. 2: Reducing
Fuel Consumption by Utilizing Cassava Starch for Glue Formulation
To produce a corrugated board you need to have
heat, paper roll and adhesive. In 2007 marks the great recession fuel price was
marked at its highest price and followed in price hike of all commodities such
as corn starch that is used for adhesive. In response, the management ordered
to reduce fuel consumption. The EMS team came up of hitting two birds with one
stone by utilizing cassava starch (that is cheaper) instead of corn starch. The
structure of Cassava starch is much shallow that it requires less heat and
water to reach its gel point which is critical to any form of adhesive.
Sustainable Development
Advantage
Environment
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Economic
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Social
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(3) Glass Manufacturing Company
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROJECTS 2007
GOAL
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METRIC
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Installation of two
water tanks (23,000 ltr ea.) to run wash booths by May 2007. Estimated saving
of 2,000 liters / Production Day
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% Reduction of Domestic
Water Consumption; Support Sustainable Development Metric
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Reduce lighting energy
consumption in L1 by 20% compared to 2006
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Conversion of hot water
boiler to solar paneled unit outdoor cleaning blocks by July 2007
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Raising (environmental)
awareness for all employees by conducting training awareness session by April
2007
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Training Completed
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Develop and improve
documentation process which records “Recycling –Only” waste in metric
tonnes/pa for Cavite operation to achieve Sustainable Development metric of
25% of total waste
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Process in place
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EMS Continual Improvement Projects:
- Maintain ISO 14001:2004
- Implement Solar Hot Water System
- Solar light for Sign
- Replacement of possible asbestos containing doors at Building B
- Removal of Asbestos cladding
- Fluro tubes recycling
- Upgrade underground diesel tank system
EMS Research Project: Beach in a Bottle
Glass is one of the most
challenging materials to recycle. While uses of recycled glass have been
developed – glasscaping and landscaping – many cities incur net costs to recycle
the materials; to combat higher costs, they had studied using recycled glass to
renourish the county’s beaches and coastal water.
Using recycled glass as a
supplement to sand for beach renourishment is attractive because of its
potentially reduced cost compared to natural sand. By also helping to solve a
waste disposal issue, using recycled glass for beach sand could truly be a
win-win situation.
Geotechnical comparisons
of sand and glass were conducted. Samples of beach sand and processed cullet
were analysed to compare grain, size distribution, color, carbonate content and
grain angularity. The recycled glass cullet and natural sand were found to be
geologically compatible.
(4) Electronics Company
Four (4) “R” of Greening
REDUCE
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REUSE
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RECYCLE
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Effective recycling of Fluorescent Light Fixture:
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REFOREST
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