dr bridget durning oxford institute for sustainable development (oisd) oxford brookes university

School of the Built Environment

EMS National Forum 2007

Advanced workshop A

Strategic EMS: a future governance and legislative tool

Dr Bridget DurningOxford Institute for Sustainable Development (OISD)Oxford Brookes University

29th November 2007

School of the Built Environment Dr Bridget Durning IEMA EMS National Forum 29th Nov 2007

Bridget Durning – over 18 years experience in the arena of sustainable development and environmental management. Worked in environmental consultancy, local government and in higher education. Currently Senior Research Fellow in OISD at Oxford Brookes researching and teaching environmental management tools and processes.

Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development (OISD) undertakes research on sustainability in built and natural environments at all scales. It aims to advance knowledge and practice on sustainable environments by:

• developing concepts, designs, technical and process approaches;

• informing policy debates nationally and internationally; • developing an empirical evidence base; • contributing to enhanced stakeholder participation.


Strategic EMS – a future governance and legislative tool?

This workshop will look to the future of EMS and whether it could become a regulated process or a tool of governance. It will explore what are the drivers that could be leading to this, what form would strategic EMS take and how could organisations be preparing for it now.

What’s this workshop about?


How are we going to do it?

• Part 1 (1 hour 15 mins)• Introduction (5mins)• Ice-breaker (15mins)• Presentation (30mins)• Open discussion (20mins)• Start group work (15mins)

• Break (30mins)

• Part 2 (1hour 15 mins)• Continue group work (30mins)• Feedback and discussion (45mins)


But first…a request!

• IEMA are recording notes on discussion for writing up on outcome of workshop

• As an academic my ‘job’ is to contribute to academic debates so we will also be producing academic outputs

• All comments made during the workshop will be kept anonymous but if anyone has any concerns please contact me – similarly if you are interested in being involved in more detail e.g. as a case study please also contact me! ([email protected])

• Thanks!

mailto:[email protected]


Ice-breaker

• Sit next to someone you don’t know

• In 5 minutes find out:• What company/organisation they are from• What their environmental management role is• How long they have been doing it• Whether they have had any amusing or unexpected

‘environmental’ experiences!

• You’ll all then be asked to introduce your neighbour in 30seconds


What do we mean by strategic EMS?

Operational level EMSProcess measurement, short term management, accountability

\Strategic level EMSHandle uncertainty, performance measurement, reach goals


Lexus ad banned for green claims

Lexus: claimed its RX 400h model had low emissions compared with other SUVs

A Lexus ad campaign claiming a four-wheel drive sports utility vehicle was environmentally friendly has been banned by the advertising watchdog.

The watchdog added that the headline was misleading because it implied, incorrectly, that the vehicle's emissions were low in comparison with all vehicles and that therefore the SUV caused little or no harm to the environment.

It ruled that Lexus could not make such comparisons and claims of environmental friendliness in future car ads if they could not be proved.

The environment is influential ……..

http://media.guardian.co.uk/advertising/story/0,,2085674,00.html May 2007

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://z.about.com/d/suvs/1/7/o/K/-/-/03LexusRX400h.jpg&imgrefurl=http://suvs.about.com/od/picturesofsuvs/ig/Top-Ten-Fuel-Efficient-SUVs/Lexus-RX-400h.htm&h=357&w=499&sz=177&hl=en&start=1&tbnid=0uALRdTqtCO4bM:&tbnh=93&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3DRX%2B400h%2BLexus%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG


Horizon scanning…..


Site Waste Management Plans

In April 2007, Defra published a consultation on proposals to introduce site waste management plans (SWMPs) on a mandatory basis in England for all construction and demolition projects with a value exceeding £250k.

They currently exist on a voluntary basis, but only the larger companies have adopted them.

(Defra 2007a)


Why have statutory SWMPS?

The Defra consultation said:

• They will help to push the issue up the management chain and ensure that senior management takes waste management seriously.

• The greatest savings are likely to be secured by those projects that seek to minimise waste at the design stage and then use their SWMP to consider any residual waste as a resource that might be used again

• This will raise the profile of waste planning.

• By requiring construction projects to set targets for the reuse and recycling of waste produced on site, SWMPs will highlight the opportunity for minimising waste before this process even begins.

(DEFRA 2007a)


And the consultation said….

“75% of respondents supported the introduction of statutory SWMPs. This view was shared across the board of all stakeholder types and 58% of the responses from industry were in favour.”

“There was concern that excluding smaller projects in order to reduce burdens on businesses would result in those most responsible for fly-tipping falling outside the SWMP requirements.”

“Many of the responses emphasised that waste minimisation should be considered at an early stage in project planning and design in order to maximise the benefits.”

(Defra 2007b)


EIA follow up

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) - well established method used around the globe in the identification and mitigation of the impact of developments on the environment.

It consists of a series of studies and discussions designed to:

identify which legislation is relevant to the proposals (screening)

assess the scope of the project (scoping & consultation)

identify the nature of the existing environment (baseline)

obtain stakeholders views on proposals (consultation)

identify the impacts of the proposals and predict the likely magnitude and significance of those impacts on the

environment (environmental assessment)

allow the formulation of mitigation measures

(mitigation)

Statutory process but follow-up is currently voluntary


EIA follow up (2)

• Follow up increasingly being carried out – e.g. Scottish Power, National Grid (Transco)

• Use Environmental Management Plans - purpose of the EMP is to serve as an operational manual for implementing appropriate environmental controls and monitoring procedures within the construction phase of the proposed development.

Activity Potential impacts

Proposed mitigation

Pipeline construction (physical disruption from clearance of the working width, pipe stores and temporary working areas)

Damage to significant ecological, archaeological sites and species

Will be avoided by: re-routing; restriction of working width; bore underneath site;

rescue dig for archaeology; trans-locate rare plants; minimise hedgerow removal and avoid trees; carefully reinstate topsoil and habitat

Broderick, M. and Durning, B. (2006) Environmental impact assessment and environmental management plans – an example of an integrated process from the UK. In J.F. Martin-Duque, J.F., Brebbia, C.A. Emmanouloudis, D and Mander, U. (eds) Geo-Environment and Landscape Evolution II WIT Transactions Ecology and the Environment Volume 89. WITPress,.


EIA and EMS integration

• Purely theoretical at this stage

• Suggested model for integrating a legislated (EIA) and non legislated process (EMS)

• Requires starting with EMS at the beginning i.e. at a strategic stage

Perdicoulis, T. and Durning, B (forthcoming) ‘An alternating sequence conceptual framework for EIA and EMS integration’. Journal of Environmental Management and Policy


Local government decision-making based on EMS

• Example from Spain – any actions taken by City Council had to fulfil the requirements of environmental policy (Lozano and Valles 2007)

Ohanes, Sierra Nevada (Source: Google images)


Local government decision-making based on EMS

• Example from Sweden – managing indirect environmental impacts – impacts which influence ‘other actors’ prerequisites to perform their activities’ (Emilsoon and Hjelm 2007)


Equator principles and International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards

• IFC – private arm of World Bank Group• Adopted by most of large banks and financing

bodies• Apply to projects over a value of $10million in non

OECD and OECD countries that are not ‘high income’• Apply to ‘projects covering expansion or upgrade of

an existing facility, and extend to project finance advisory activities’ (ERM, undated) as well as new projects

• Link impact assessment (social and environmental), project design and implementation


What they are:

Principle 1: Review and Categorisation

Principle 2: Social and Environmental Assessment

Principle 3: Applicable Social and Environmental Standards

Principle 4: Action Plan and Management System

Principle 5: Consultation and Disclosure

Principle 6: Grievance Mechanism

Principle 7: Independent Review

Principle 8: Covenants

Principle 9: Independent Monitoring and Reporting

Principle 10: EPFI Reporting


Principle 4

‘The Action Plan may range from a brief description of routine mitigation measures to a series of documents (e.g., resettlement action plan, indigenous peoples plan, emergency preparedness and response plan, decommissioning plan, etc). The level of detail and complexity of the Action Plan and the priority of the identified measures and actions will be commensurate with the project’s potential impacts and risks. Consistent with Performance Standard 1, the internal Social and Environmental Management System will incorporate the following elements: (i) Social and Environmental Assessment; (ii) management program; (iii) organisational capacity; (iv) training; (v) community engagement; (vi) monitoring; and (vii) reporting.’ (EP website)


IFC Performance StandardsPS 1 Social and Environmental Assessment and Management SystemsPS 2 Labour and Working ConditionsPS 3 Pollution Prevention and AbatementPS 4 Community Health, Safety and SecurityPS 5 Land Acquisition and Involuntary ResettlementPS 6 Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Natural Resource ManagementPS 7 Indigenous PeoplesPS 8 Cultural Heritage

EHS Guidelines

a) General EHS Guidelines

b) Industry Sector Guidelines

IFC Performance Standards and Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines apply

Is the project located in a non-High income country according to the OECD?

Host Country Environmental and Social Standards apply

Is the investment greater than $10 million?

Equator Principles do not apply Equator Principles do apply

YesNo

YesNo

STAGE 1

STAGE 2

Source: Golder Associates


Summary – could these be on the horizon

• Statutory Site Waste Management Plans – one of a number of building blocks forming a strategic EMS

• EIA follow up becomes a statutory requirement implemented through a strategic EMS

• EIA-EMS integration is a statutory requirement • Local Government planning driven by EMS• Requirement in international law for all developments

above a certain value to have EMS from design stage


Open Discussion

• Do you agree with these as possible drivers?

• Have you scanned the horizon and seen any others?

• What do you see are the issues relating to these drivers?

• What are the implications?

• Do you have any concerns about them?


Small group discussions

In groups:

• Based on the presentation and discussion what would be the most obvious way that having a strategic EMS would become a statutory requirement in the UK?

• Would one approach be appropriate in all business sectors or would it be more applicable to some rather than others?

• What would you need to do to prepare for it?

By 4.15 – have a short presentation (can just be chalk-and-talk or powerpoint if you wish) to feedback. Each group will have 5-10mins to feedback and then there will be an open discussion.

dr bridget durning oxford institute for sustainable development (oisd) oxford brookes university

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