Employing environment management: INDAL
CONSEQUENT to economic liberalisation, the pace of industrial growth has accelerated. The current growth and expansion of industrial development in India is putting mts on resources like energy, water and raw materials. However, the growing awareness among the general public, regulatory bodies and NGOS, as also the increasing number of legislations are acting as a check, ensuring better vigilance and control over environmental degradation . Protecting the environment is not expensive, nor is it non-rewarding, if new approaches and proper systems can be established for long-term benefits. Many companies today look upon environment management as a long-term strategy for sustaining business.
Briefly, an environment management system (Ems) is that part of the overall management system that seeks to define and deploy men, materials and resources of an enterprise to reduce the adverse environmental impact and enhance the more favourable impacts arising from its business activities.
An aspiring company has to first review its environmental status and prepare a policy/programme to address adverse environmental effects, and ensure commitment to work towards resource conservation and pollution prevention. Once designed and implemented, the certifying body is invited to examine the effectiveness of the system.
Major benefits derived from EMS It promotes a proactive approach. Bya well designed system of receiving communication, evaluating and prioritising the significant environ- mental impact and working out solu- tions in advance, it aims to preempt damage to the environment.
It makes environment protection a sound business opportunity. Generally, environment protection is considered synonymous with 'pollution control' which is primarily based on 'end-of- pipe treatment'. Pollution control has always been expensive, but prevention rewarding. Thus, properly integrated, - EMS provides excellent business opportunities, profitability and low costs.
It ensures total employee involve ment. By assigning responsibilities among employees,delegating authority and resources to the relevant people, and imple- menting a system of audit and review, employee participation is assured.
It is based on continuous improvement. This is the most important feature of EMS. Since all EMS activity is in response to "environmental effects", the system is flexible and dynamic. It fosters creativity without prescribing or imposing solutions.
It encourages industries to go for EMS at any stage. It tends to address the environmental effects on all interested parties. This aspect alone will tend to improve the acceptability of the business among all interested parties, like community, customers, vendors, investors and NGOS, because their environ- mental needs are appropriately addressed.
Ariticipating the growing importance of environment management as early as 1986, the Indian Aluminium Company Limited (INDAL), institutionalised and integrated EMS in all its business operations. The company has a well for- mulated environment poliCy which focuses on creating aware- ness and a sense of responsibility towards the environment and resource conservation for sustainable development.
Over the years, several INDAL locations including its mines, have consistently won state-levelawards for environment management, occupational health, safety and community welfare. However, a historic milestone was the achievement of ISO 14001 EMS certification for three units: the Durgmanwadi bauxite mines, Maharashtra, Hirakud power plant in "Orissa and INDAL'S subsidiary near Mysore, which manufactures printed circuit boards. To attain certification for the Durgmanwadi mines, for example, INDAL had to design, install and demonstrate an EMS that would improve the mines and their environment well beyond the statutory requirements. INDAL is strengthening its EMS at its other units with the aim of attaining ISO 14001 EMS certification.
We hope that government and non- government agencies will encourage and guide Indian industry towards greater corporate responsibility.
The author is Chief Executive, Chemicals Business, INDAL