Effect of Systems to Manage Environmental Aspects on Environmental Performance

Abstract

This paper analyzes the effect of systems to manage environmental aspects on environmental performance at individual polluting facilities. Regulated polluting facilities are increasingly embracing pollution minimization strategies that involve the adoption of broadly defined systems to manage environmental aspects. Despite a meaningful empirical literature, whether or not these systems lead to better environmental performance remains an open question. This study seeks to assess the possible connection between systems to manage environmental aspects and improved environmental performance. It also seeks to identify the factors determining the extent of the adopted system of management and the factors' direct effects on environmental performance. For this empirical analysis, the study examines the extent of systems to manage environmental aspects employed by and the level of wastewater discharged by U.S. chemical manufacturing facilities during 2001.

Investigating the interplay between transport, land use and the environment: a review of the literature

“…In most cases, it does not actually involve managing the environment itself, but rather is the process of taking steps and promoting behaviors that will have a positive impact on how environmental resources are used and protected (Mitchell 2013). Historically, the pollution control efforts expended by regulated industrial facilities have focused on the installation and operation of end-of-pipe treatment technologies; however, as environmental protection efforts have matured, environmental protection agencies have begun to explicitly promote the use of pollution prevention management approaches that frequently involve the design and implementation of informal and formal environmental management systems-such as the European Union promotes its Eco-Management and Audit Scheme program for certifying environmental management systems (Earnhart 2013). The positive role that environmental management plays in sustainable development is inevitable and extensively discussed in the literature (see Comoglio and Botta 2012;Schoenherr 2012;Brouhle and Harrington 2014;Ghai and Vivian 2014).…”

Sistema De Gestão Ambiental: Um Estudo De Caso Da Implantação Do Controle Operacional No Beneficiamento De Areia Em Uma Indústria De Fundições

“…Na literatura é possível encontrar artigos que enfatizam as motivações para a introdução de um SGA (Johnstone & Labonne, 2009) e a influência dos stakeholders na adoção de padrões que contribuem, tal como a ISO 14001 (Castka & Prajogo, 2013;Nishitani, 2009); críticas às classificações das empresas em relação à implementação voluntária do SGA (Stevens et al, 2012); medidas de avaliação da implantação do SGA (Avila & Paiva, 2006;Bispo & Cazarini, 2006;Zhang et al, 2014) e do seu impacto sobre o desempenho empresarial e ambiental (Earnhart, 2013;Luz et al, 2006;Melnyk et al, 2003;Sellitto et al, 2010); avaliação da geração de resíduos e/ou do impacto ambiental (Nogueira & Garcia, 2013;Seiffert, 2008) e uso de métodos de apoio à decisão multicritério para hierarquizar as alternativas minimizadoras ou mitigadoras dos problemas ambientais (Paoli & Moraes, 2011); a influência da certificação ISO 14001 nos investimentos em inovação ambiental (Inoue et al, 2013) ou na rentabilidade das empresas (Lo et al, 2012).…”