The next generation of environmental management

Environmental management has evolved from regulation-based, compliance-driven "command-and-control" regime into a continuous improvement, environmental stewardship process aspiring to higher protection levels than the regulations require. Coupled with this, ISO 14000 appears poised to bring to the table truly global environmental management standards that will help solidify the environmental stewardship approach fostered by such progressive US companies and an increasingly proactive EPA. EPA has started a series of voluntary programs aimed at making environmental compliance less burdensome, while actively soliciting the assistance of companies to take part in various program pilots including: Environmental Leadership Program (ELF) first launched in 1993; the Common Sense Initiative (CSI) that targets six specific industrial segments (including the electronics industry); and Project XL. EPA's voluntary programs reference ISO 14000 as a baseline for companies to follow. This paper focuses on these and other related and emerging topics to highlight the more salient points of the next generation of environmental management and compliance. Case studies gleaned from various manufacturing companies and the experiences of plant-level environmental staff are utilized to bring into focus the theme of this paper. Various innovative management tools that are in the marketplace are presented. The discussion focuses upon how some of these tools can be beneficial in enhancing existing environmental management systems.