Grantee Research Project Results
2002 Progress Report: Environmental Management Systems: Informing Organizational Decisions
EPA Grant Number: R829407Title: Environmental Management Systems: Informing Organizational Decisions
Investigators: Lave, Lester , Hendrickson, Chris
Institution: Carnegie Mellon University
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: November 1, 2001 through October 31, 2003
Project Period Covered by this Report: November 1, 2001 through October 31, 2002
Project Amount: $323,265
RFA: Decision-Making and Valuation for Environmental Policy (2001) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Environmental Justice
Objective:
The objective of this research project is to investigate environmental management systems (EMSs) to have a better understanding of their contribution to environmental improvement and organizational decisionmaking. The result will be an improved design for EMSs as an environmental information collection and evaluation system for organizations and regulators.
We anticipate three major outcomes from this research: (1) we will examine and report on existing environmental management systems, the data collected through their use, and how those data are evaluated and communicated within an organization; (2) we will develop an EMS model to improve decisionmaking capabilities of the organization; this model EMS will be designed to link environmental information with other organizational information to provide management with more comprehensive information; and (3) we will compare the data requirements of this model EMS to existing data requirements of policy or voluntary initiatives. This final step will provide regulators with a better understanding of how EMSs can be used as a policy approach in the future.
Progress Summary:
The project has moved forward on both the macro- and microlevels of analysis proposed. To complete the macro-level analysis of facility performance in relation to their commitment to voluntary initiatives such as EMSs, we have submitted a proposal to the Carnegie Mellon Census Research Data Center (CM-CRDC) for use of data from manufacturers. The proposal received a status of approved with clarification in August 2002; clarifications have been submitted, and we await final approval status. In the meantime, we are actively compiling data of environmental performance and voluntary program status for facilities. For the micro-level analysis, we have completed indepth interviews with eight organizations to determine the existing use of EMSs and environmental information. In addition, we held a workshop to discuss environmental management issues in April 2002, for executives with environmental oversight in multinational companies.
Initial results from the indepth facility analysis and the workshop discussions indicate that despite variations in industry and product lines, organizations have very similar EMSs and strategies overall. Most information included within EMSs are data required for regulatory purposes; these data were collected by EHS departments prior to the establishment of a formal EMS, such as ISO 14001. Data that is nonregulatory based include solid waste and recycling information for company directed programs, energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and performance metrics. These results indicate that a model EMS, while focusing on regulatory issues, should extend beyond these concerns and embrace information regarding potential future problems (e.g., water usage, energy sources, and carbon emissions).
Another initial finding is the limited extent to which information collected via EMS is being shared among decisionmakers. Most information is shared with regulatory agencies; some is shared with corporate-level environmental personnel. Information is shared with production management at the facility level less frequently. Simultaneously, information from EMS is often not linked to other operating data of facilities. These results indicated that a model EMS must incorporate traditional operating data and utilize frequent reporting mechanisms.
Future Activities:
Year 2 will include the synthesis and analysis of information from the site visits. Also, a summary report will be provided to all participating firms. The report will include the overall results of the site visits as well as a benchmark comparison of each firm to the group. We will examine the facility data to detect trends between environmental information and its uses. We will continue to prepare our dataset of facility environmental performance and voluntary program participation. We anticipate entering the CM-CRDC in the spring to complete the analysis. Upon completion of the macro-level analysis, we will compare our results with those of the site visits to determine trends in the use of information from EMSs. Finally, we will develop a model EMS that captures useful data, translates it into a useful format, and presents it to those that need the information. The framework will first focus on the outcomes of an EMS: (1) meeting regulatory requirements; (2) costing processes and products; (3) interfacing with health, safety, and human resources; and (4) planning for long-term improvement. The framework will suggest channels of communication and a plan for implementing the changes in information systems where they exist. To augment the research effort, we have planned a regional workshop focused on environmental management. The workshop will unite facility environmental personnel to discuss relevant topics in environmental management. Participants will include personnel from firms involved in the site visits.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 5 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
information systems, case study, environmental impact, environmental performance, EMS, ISO 14001, voluntary environmental initiatives, risk management, pollution prevention, public policy, decisionmaking., RFA, Economic, Social, & Behavioral Science Research Program, Scientific Discipline, decision-making, Urban and Regional Planning, Economics & Decision Making, environmental management systems (EMS), ISO 14000, ISO 14000 certified EMS, decision making, measuring benefits, measuring environmental performance, environmental values, environmental policy, cost/benefit analysisRelevant Websites:
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.