Module 2

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

TOPIC 1 Environmental Management Basic Concepts

TOPIC 1 Environmental Management
Basic Concepts

Purpose of Environmental Management

Basic Environmental Management Principles

Environmental Management Tools and Approaches

Learning Outcome:
Describe Environmental Management basic concepts,
purpose, basic principles, tools, and approaches.
This lecture guide is based on the following articles and book:

Environmental Management in the Philippines by Pura Vita Guia-Pedrosa,2016

Environmental Management
http://jnujprdistance.com/assets/lms/LMS%20JNU/B.com/Sem%20V/Environmental%20Management/Enviro
nmental%20Management.pdf

https://www.academia.edu/36869414/Environmental_Impact_Assessment
FEBRUARY 2010 The Business Case for Environmental and Sustainability Employee Education
(
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_pays#:~:text=User%20pays%2C%20or%20beneficiary%20pays,the%20goods%20that%20they%2
0consume.&text=As%20long%20as%20the%20beneficiary,the%20user%2Dpays%20principle%20works
.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precautionary_principle
http://jnujprdistance.com/assets/lms/LMS%20JNU/B.com/Sem%20V/Environmental%20Management/Enviro
nmental%20Management.pdf

https://www.academia.edu/36869414/Environmental_Impact_Assessment
https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Environmental_impact#:~:text=For%20example%2C%20when%20v
olatile%20organic,impact%20on%20the%20local%20environment
.
Environmental Management Basic Concepts

 Environmental management involves managing the environment,

the processes, tools, and procedures apply to increase compliance
and continuous improvement in preserving the environment that
includes promoting behaviors that will have a positive impact on
how environmental resources are used and protected.

 Some of the characteristics of Environmental management:

 Concerned with the sphere of nature that is affected by humans;
 Encompasses various paradigms of development
 Assists in identifying and addressing problems simultaneously
 Supports sustainable development

Environmental Management in the Philippines by Pura Vita Guia-Pedrosa,2016

PURPOSE OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Companies large and small are learning that sustainable business practices
not only help the environment, but also improve profitability by supporting
greater efficiency, reduced waste, less liability exposure, improved
community relations and more. Good environmental and social stewardship
is now moving front and center into fundamental business strategies.

Teaching employees to conserve, recycle, improve efficiency and

reduce waste, among other actions, have benefits for employees,
companies and communities.
FEBRUARY 2010 The Business Case for
Environmental and Sustainability Employee
Education
PURPOSE OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
 In other words, Environmental management aimed to support sustainable
development to ensure compliance and reduce waste to preserve the
environment to meet human needs today and for future generations.
 Some of the benefits from the environment that need to preserve for the
present and future generations:
 The maintenance of the levels of air pollution, the conservation of available
water fit for intended uses, and the proper planning of the use of land are
examples of good environmental quality.
 The preservation of natural resources such as oil, natural gas, and
minerals involves natural regeneration.
 Safeguard biodiversity to maintain the provision of the level of ecosystem
services that future generations will experience.
 The preservation of socio-cultural resources, the indigenous culture, and
the material cultural resources for future generations' experience are
environmental also benefits.
Environmental Management in the Philippines by Pura Vita Guia-Pedrosa,2016
Basic Environmental Management Principles
 Polluter Pays Principle (PPP) and User Pays Principle (UPP) The Polluter
Pays Principle (PPP) was first widely discussed in the United Nations Conference
on Environment and Development, or the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil in June 1992.
 The PPP requires the polluter to shoulder the cost of complying with
environmental standards, which are normally predetermined by public authorities.

 The polluter pays principle (PPP) is a basic economic idea that firms or
consumers should pay for the cost of the negative externality they create. The
polluter pays principle usually refers to environmental costs, but it could be
extended to any external cost.
 For example: A simple example is a tax on petrol. When consuming petrol, we
create pollution. The tax means the price we pay more closely reflects the social
cost.
 Another example is the introduction of sewerage charges collected from individual
households, firms and industries with wastewater requiring proper treatment
before disposal.
Basic Environmental Management Principles
 The User Pays Principle (UPP) which states that the beneficiaries should pay for full cost
of using the resources and its related service including the cost of losses for future
generations, may be considered part of PPP.
 It is applied when resources are being used and consumed.
 We pay for roads through our taxes.
 Road traffic emissions also contribute to global warming.
 In that case the user-pays principle results in the driver not paying the full or social cost
of using fossil fuels, which creates a strong argument for regulation and other forms of
public intervention. Increasing taxes on gasoline is one possible response that preserves
the user-pays principle by increasing the costs to user.

(
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_pays#:~:text=User%20pays%2C%20or%20beneficiary%20pays,the%20goods%2
0that%20they%20consume.&text=As%20long%20as%20the%20beneficiary,the%20user%2Dpays%20principle%20
works
.)
 Polluter pays principle, ensuring absolute liability for any damage and harm caused by the industry
and firms. It makes the process and procedure for compensation easy in an event where their victims
are affected. Another important aspect of this among principles of environmental management is that
the cost gets shared and it’s easy to repair or reduce damages
 User Pays Principle (UPP) This principle has been derived from the polluter pays principle which
gives the responsibility to users for them to pay for any long-run cost and marginal environmental
damage or pollution. It includes users bearing the costs for utilizing resources, services, and treatment
services whenever the resources are consumed and used.
 Precautionary Principle (PP) This proposes protecting the environment through precautionary
measures, especially for heavy activities that might cause more damage to the environment.
 Precautionary activity measures the impact of any company and its activities, prescribing methods and
measures with a less negative impact on its environment according to environmental impact
assessments carried out at the time.
 Principle Of Effectiveness and Efficiency
 It is the responsibility of government in every country, city, or state to ensure, well-structured policies
and procedures are put in place for essential waste management. Failure to properly mage waste can
lead to diseases, soil problems, chemical build-ups, and water-borne diseases. Hence it’s essential that
through the principle of effectiveness and efficiency, major agencies and councils do everything
possible to reduce waste building up and control dump sites for garbage.
 Encourages various organization bodies and agencies to decentralize, and implement new methods of
management, proposed through new public management NPM to enable them to attain desired results
when protecting the environment at a minimal cost.
 Basic Environmental Management Principles
 Precautionary Principle (PP) The Precautionary Principle was likewise discussed during the
Earth Summit in 1992.
 The principle states that lack of scientific certainty should not be used as an excuse for
postponing implementation of cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation,
especially where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage to the environment.
 Precautionary principle states that when human activities may lead to threats of serious and irreversible
damage to the environment that is scientifically plausible but uncertain, actions shall be taken to avoid or
diminish that threat.
 The principle is often used by policy makers in situations where there is the possibility of harm
from making a certain decision (e.g. taking a particular course of action) and conclusive evidence
is not yet available.
 For example, a government may decide to limit or restrict the widespread release of a medicine or
new technology until it has been thoroughly tested.
 The principle acknowledges that while the progress of science and technology has often brought
great benefit to humanity, it has also contributed to the creation of new threats and risks. It implies
that there is a social responsibility to protect the public from exposure to such harm, when
scientific investigation has found a plausible risk. These protections should be relaxed only if
further scientific findings emerge that provide sound evidence that no harm will result.
Basic Environmental Management Principles

 Principle of Effectiveness and Efficiency Inherent in this

principle is the responsibility of persons or corporations
having access to environmental resources to use these
resources efficiently and in a socially-equitable manner.
 Effectiveness and efficiency of environmental resources use
may also be accomplished through the use of the policy
instruments that create incentive to minimize wasteful use and
through improved processes and procedures in order to
minimize environmental costs.

Environmental Management in the Philippines by Pura Vita Guia-

Pedrosa,2016
Basic Environmental Management Principles

 The Intergenerational Equity Principle is the central

principle in the definition of sustainable development.
Generally, IEP is considered with the trilogy of economic,
environmental and social objectives underlying sustainable
development.
 The principle states that every generation holds the Earth in
common with members of the present generation and with
other generations, past and future.
 The principle articulates a concept of fairness among
generations in the use and conservation of the environment
and its natural resources.
Environmental Management in the Philippines by Pura Vita Guia-
Pedrosa,2016
 Environmental Management Tools and Approaches

Environmental Management Levels and Approaches

Levels of Management Approach

Organizational Level Compliance with
environmental laws and
regulations; environmental management systems

National Government Implementation monitoring

and evaluation of
compliance to environmental laws, policies, and
commitments

Global or International Level Implementation monitoring and

evaluation of
compliance to international environmental
commitments
The most common tools and approaches

Sustainability Approach

Sustainability – the intended outcome of environmental management.

Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use that aims to meet human

needs while preserving the environment with a view that these needs can be met not only
in the present, but also for future generations.

Sustainable development embraces the prime, interdependent and indivisible

areas of environmental protection, economic development and social development.

The ability to sustain a quality environment depends on the ability to foster a

strong and sustainable economy.

In addition, a sustainable economy can make way for the means for increased
environmental protection and conservation, while also offering the society alternatives to
undue exploitation of natural resources. A sustainable economy is, therefore, very important
for the betterment of the society and the increase in the standard of living of the people and
the future of humanity.
Sustainable approach
 Neoclassical Economic Approach
 Considers the capacity of the environment to provide goods and services as well as
serve as a sink for the wastes produced by human economic activities. Such a capacity
is called the natural capital.
 Natural capital – provides humans all the services bestowed by the Earth’s life support
system
 Two sustainability criteria : Weak sustainability criterion and strong sustainability
criterion
 Weak sustainability criterion – natural capital should be consumed only when it is
compensated by an increase in reproducible capital
 Strong sustainability criterion – the quantity of natural capital should be kept
constant. Depletion in one type of natural capital should be compensated by the
increase in another type elsewhere
Sustainable approach
 Standard Approach
 This approach utilizes laws, rules and regulations to restrict certain economic activities
that have adverse impacts on the environment.
 Among the most popular types of environmental standards:
 Discharge standards – This refers to limiting emissions to a level that is
considered safe.
 Stock standard. This applies to protecting assets deemed important for
sustainability.
 Flow standards. These are applicable to situations where sustainability requires
keeping a given type of asset but not necessarily an existing one.
The most common tools and approaches

Environmental Impact Assessment and Mitigation

Impact assessment is the process of identifying and
predicting the future consequences of a current or proposed action.
Impact describes the result of two events: the change caused by
activity and its effect on the environment.

Environment in IA evolved from bio-physical, socio-economic,

and cultural components of the total environment.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a systematic

process that examines the environmental consequences of
development action in advance.

Environmental Management in the Philippines by Pura Vita Guia-Pedrosa,2016

Environmental Impact Assessment and Mitigation

For example:
When dust is deposited in harmful amounts upon the leaves of crops,
photosynthesis slows down (change) and the crop yield is reduced (effect). As
a consequence, the food production declines(impact).
https://www.academia.edu/36869414/Environmental_Impact_Assessment

An environmental impact is defined as any change to the environment, whether

unfavorable or favorable, resulting from activities, products, or services.
For example, when volatile organic compounds are discharged into the
environment, the effect or impact is pollution in the form of smog, in this case
being negative.
A person picking up litter can have a favorable impact on the local environment.
Assessing Impacts

 Life cycle assessment, is the process of observing a product from its

"cradle to grave" and defining the impacts connected with it at each step.
 Emission inventories for example may quantify the emission of
pollutants, while risk assessments can analyze the effects these
pollutants will have on the health of those within the environment.
 Process hazard analysis involves identifying and assessing potential
impacts of unplanned hazardous materials. A team may rank the possible
hazards and focus on preventing those that can cause the most harm.

https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Environmental_impact#:~:text=For%20example%2C%2
0when%20volatile%20organic,impact%20on%20the%20local%20environment
.
Mitigation

 Mitigation means reducing risk of loss from the occurrence of

any unfavorable event.

 In general, mitigation means to minimize degree of any loss or

harm.
 Mitigation
 Types of Mitigation Measures

Types of Mitigation How It Works Examples

Prevention and Prevent an impact/ -Prevent contamination

control measures reduce a risk by: of wells, by siting wells
- Changing means or a minimum distance
technique from latrines
- Changing the site - Operate water
- Specifying operating treatment system for a
practices coffee-washing station

Source: Environmental Management in the Philippines by Pura Vita Guia-Pedrosa,2016

Operating Principles of EMS
 An EMS can be implemented in many various ways depending on the sector
or activities of the organization implementing it, but several common operating
principles that follow a “Plan-Do-Check-Act” (PDCA) Cycle” should be
present.
 PLAN Establish an environmental policy including objectives and targets.
 DO Implement organizational structure, allocate resources and assign
responsibilities to achieve set objectives and targets. Establish training and
communication procedures to implement set objectives and targets
successfully.
 CHECK Collect, analyze, monitor, and measure retrieved information and
results (against planned objectives and targets). Check results through audits.
 ACT Review and evaluate environmental performance and correct and/or
improve environmental policy including objectives and targets, as well as
organizational structure, procedures and processes in order to continuously
improve environmental performance.
Environmental Management in the Philippines by Pura Vita Guia-
Pedrosa,2016
Environmental Valuation
 It refers to the environmental gains and compensation for environmental
losses.
 These environmental gains and loses can be considered as environmental
benefits such as use, non-use, and stewardship benefits.
 Use benefits – utility arising from the direct or indirect physical use of a
resource like commercial use, recreational use and aesthetic use.
(farming, forestry, fishing, hunting, etc.)
 Non-use benefits – utility that is derived from environmental resources
without physical interaction with the resource. (irreversible consequence
of depleting a resource, extinct plants with medicinal value that cannot be
discovered and used anymore.)
 Stewardship benefits – are moral benefits that we derive from knowing
that we are doing our part as stewards of the world’s resources.
Environmental Management in the Philippines by Pura Vita Guia-
Pedrosa,2016
Environmental Valuation
 Services from the natural environment
 Resource inputs to production, the value of natural resource can be
monetized based on its value as a factor of production
 Sinks for waste, the monetary value can be estimated by considering the
impact of degradation on future output of the resource in terms of
monetary value of the decline in production.
 Life support services – air and water provide life support services.
 Amenity services - the travel cost method may be used to measure the
value of a recreational site by surveying traveler's economic costs
incurred when visiting the site.

Environmental Management in the Philippines by Pura Vita Guia-Pedrosa,2016

Stakeholder Participation in Environmental Management

 Who are the stakeholders? Howlett and Nagu define stakeholders as “all
those people and institutions who have an interest in the successful
design, implementation and sustainability of the project. This includes
those positively and negatively affected by the project.
 The stakeholders involved in an EIA includes:
 the people “individuals, groups and communities” who are affected by the
proposal;
 the proponent and other project beneficiaries;
 government agencies;
 NGOs and interest groups; and
 Others, such as donors, the private sector, academics etc.
http://article.sapub.org/10.5923.j.re.20150505.02.html#:~:text=In%20order%20to%20ensure
%20a,will%20be%20sustainable%20with%20time
.
Words to Work By

Environmental management aimed to support sustainable development to ensure compliance and

reduce waste to preserve the environment to meet human needs today and for future generations.

The polluter pays principle (PPP) is a basic economic idea that firms or consumers should pay for
the cost of the negative externality they create.

The User Pays Principle (UPP) which states that the beneficiaries should pay for full cost of using
the resources and its related service including the cost of losses for future generations, may be
considered part of PPP. It is applied when resources are being used and consumed.

Impact assessment is the process of identifying and predicting the future consequences of a
current or proposed action.
ACTIVITY: This is done by a group.

Research on environmental problems encountered in the country.

Identify which principles, tools, or approaches in environmental
management could be applied to manage the problem.
References
Environmental Management in the Philippines by Pura Vita Guia-Pedrosa,2016

Environmental Management
http://jnujprdistance.com/assets/lms/LMS%20JNU/B.com/Sem%20V/Environmental%20Management/Environmental%20Management.pdf

https://www.academia.edu/36869414/Environmental_Impact_Assessment

FEBRUARY 2010 The Business Case for Environmental and Sustainability Employee Education

(
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_pays#:~:text=User%20pays%2C%20or%20beneficiary%20pays,the%20goods%20that%20they%20consume.&text=As%20long%20as%20the%20
beneficiary,the%20user%2Dpays%20principle%20works
.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precautionary_principle

http://jnujprdistance.com/assets/lms/LMS%20JNU/B.com/Sem%20V/Environmental%20Management/Environmental%20Management.pdf

https://www.academia.edu/36869414/Environmental_Impact_Assessment

https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Environmental_impact#:~:text=For%20example%2C%20when%20volatile%20organic,impa
ct%20on%20the%20local%20environment
.