8/12/2019 Environmental Resource Management is the Management of the Interaction and Impact of Human Societies on th

1/2

Environmental resource management is the management of the interaction and impact of humansocieties on the environment. It is not, as the phrase might suggest, the management of theenvironment itself. Environmental resources management aims to ensure that ecosystem services areprotected and maintained for future human generations, and also maintain ecosystem integrity throughconsidering ethical, economic, and scientific (ecological) variables.[1] Environmental resource

management tries to identify factors affected by conflicts that rise between meeting needs andprotecting resources. It is thus linked to environmental protection and sustainability.. EnvironmentManagement ConceptDefinition ? Its an attempt to control human impact on and interaction with theenvironment in order to preserve natural resources ? Environmental management focuses on theimprovement of human welfare for present and future generations. ? Administrative functions thatdevelop, implement, and monitor the environmental policy of an organization.Sustainable Development? is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so thatthese needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come. ? The developmentinitiatives be initiated in such a way that the future generations can enjoy the benefits of Nature withoutany compromise. ? Using the resources to the extent to which it is sustained. ? Sustainable developmentis development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of futuregenerations to meet their own needs

2. Significance in India ? WHY factor ? India is the worlds sixth largest and second fastest growingproducer of greenhouse gases. ? Delhi , Mumbai and Chennai are three of the worlds ten most pollutedcities. ? Two-thirds of city dwellers lack sewerage; one-third lack potable water. ? India urban populationgrows equivalent of another New York City every year. This equals to a projected urban population ofover 500 million in 20 years.Trends in Environmental Management ? Impact Assessment and Planning(IAP)Assessing environmental and social impacts prior to setting up operations and obtainingenvironmentalapproval from the authorities is almost mandatory in most project categories. IAP

assessments may berequired not only for newly constructed facilities, but also for new operations thatwill be housed in anexisting building. ? Environmental Liability and Clean-upForeign investment hasresulted in heightened scrutiny of current and historic environmental liabilitiesassociated with propertytransactions in India. ? Sustainability and Regulatory ComplianceThe increasing desire of Indiancompanies to meet world class standards has caused establishedcompanies in India to take onsustainability initiatives as a means of improving their global brand andreputation. ? ClimateChangeWhile India still lags the West in coming up with concrete regulations based on the developmentversusenvironment debate, there is an increasing awareness in India that climate change is not aboutscoringpoints but about the existence of entire communities inside and outside of India.NationalEnvironmental Policy ? The National Environment Policy seeks to extend the coverage, and fill in gaps

that still exist, in light of present knowledge and accumulated experience. ? It does not displace, butbuilds on the earlier policies. Abstract Environmental management systems (EMS) seekto make companies simultaneously

more competitive and environmentally responsible. Improved environmental performance can be

sought from the adaptation of techniques that emphasize reduction of waste and process/product

8/12/2019 Environmental Resource Management is the Management of the Interaction and Impact of Human Societies on th

2/2

redesign in the quest of reducing environmental impact. However, EMS lacks a framework to

quantify improvements and much of the evidence of EMSs impact on ?nancial performance is

anecdotal. This lack of theoretical development has served to diminish corporate support, thus

reducing the likelihood of EMS implementation due to a perceived cost disadvantage. This paper

proposes, and tests, a framework to quantify EMS improvements to determine the impact of EMS

strategies on ?nancial performance. Our ?ndings suggest that implementation of an EMS strategy

does not negatively impact a ?rms ?nancial performan ce.

Introduction

Due to agreements on global warming, an increase in the number of environmentally

aware consumers, and the advent of ISO 14000 (a voluntary international standard to

certify environmental processes developed by the International Organization for

Standardization); companies are increasingly interested in capturing bene?ts

associated with environmental sustainability and stewardship. Environmental

management systems (EMS) have emerged as a means to systematically apply

business management to environmental issues to enhance a ?rms long -run ?nancial

performance by developing processes and products that simultaneously improve

competitive and environmental performance (Stead and Stead, 1992).

EMS implementation is increasingly seen as essential due to a perceived link

between a companys impact on the environment and pro?tability.