Environmental Policy - Case Study Example

Environmental policy Name: Tutor: Subject: Date: An environmental policy can be defined as the commitment of an organization to the laws, regulations and policies that concern environmental issues and sustainability. Every country has laws and policies that guide organization concerning their operations as a way of protecting the environment from pollution. According Forsyth (2013), environmental regulations, in many cases, result in a win-win situation: maximizing profits and at the same time minimizing pollution. Developing countries face a huge problem with this because their industries are inexperienced in dealing creatively with environmental issues. The Australian environmental policy aims at reducing, preventing and alleviating any harmful effects on nature and its natural resources that are likely to be caused by the firms’ actions. In addition, the policy aims at protecting its pollution from the man made changes to the environment. The policy is designed in a way that it protects the environment so that the future generation will enjoy. This protection policy ensures that the commercial efficiency and the personal liberty is not interfered with in any way. It also focuses on eliminating causes of inequities caused to those burdened with environmental costs. The Australian environmental policy is well stated in the National Environmental Policy Act. This act prescribed legal policies that were enacted with the goal of protecting the environment. Developed countries are concerned with the environment because there are high develop industries that are likely to interfere with the natural environments and its habitats. To ensure that the environment is protected, the Australian government requires every company in the country to have a well signed environment policy. The policy is usually signed by the senior management. The policy outlines the aim of the business in relation to managing the environmental effects and its operations. The environmental policy is considered as an essential document which facilitate the achievement of implementation of environmental management standard such as ISO 14001. This strategy can also be used as evidence of commitment to protecting the environment (Platerat at al, 2010). It is essential for the profit making organization to have this document because any third parties such as customers; stakeholders are interested in knowing the company’s commitment. The following are various benefits of company’s on having an environmental policy in place. Some of these benefits include: It improves the company’s cost control It helps the company to operate within the law It improves efficiency of the company’s processes It facilitates the conservation of the raw materials and energy It reduces chances of incidents that end up as a liability It facilitates the company to monitor environmental impacts It makes it possible for the employees to access information about their environmental roles and responsibilities However, the benefits of environmental policy are not only internal. It also extends to the external operations. Companies are able to demonstrate and develop positive relations with its stakeholders by showing commitment to environmental commitment. The common company’s stakeholders comprised of investors, local community, creditors, customers and suppliers. This good relationship between the company and stakeholders is considered to be a strong marketing strategy. It promotes customers’ loyalty, improvement of the company’s image and its increases company’s sales. It is essential to note that these benefits cannot be achieved by just having an environmental policy in place. If the company sets up an environmental management system, then the company can meet its goals by implementing a program that facilitates the delivery of the policy systematically. Companies need to carry out external certification of their environmental management system as a way of demonstrating to the stakeholders that the environmental claims they make in their policies are credible, reliable and have been independently checked. Alternatively, the company can consider developing effective steps that facilitate an effective application of the policy. These effective steps can only be designed after careful assessments of the environmental effects on business, putting in place the carefully selected and appropriate key performance indicators, designing what is best for the company and focusing on those objectives regularly. Research indicated that various companies have succeeded just because they adopt an environmental management system. However, the research indicates that there is no standard content for an environmental policy despite having the same themes. It is essential to note the fact that the company’s policy should be personal to the business, and should be in line with the company’s activities, priorities and concerns most relevant to it. According to Ryan (2012), he strongly argues that it is essential for the company to assess the company’s aspect that is likely to affect the environment and the potential impact it is likely to cause. The content of the environmental policy should be designed based on the result of the assessment (Dike and Dike, 2012). These results of the assessment should always be the key issues that apply to the business a company involves in. The brief statements in the policies should be of the following criteria. The mission of the company and the specific information concerning its operation. It is a policy requirement that when the company’s objective change the content of the policy requires to be amended There should be commitment in the company for continuous improvement on the performance of the environment Companies should be committed and establish clear strategies on how to manage significant environmental impacts. Statements should be clear on the expectation of the company in relation to external parties such as creditors and the community The policy should clearly contain an act showing that the company is complying with the relevant environmental legislation as part of their condition for conducting business Acts that requires top management to train employees on environmental issues and the effects of company’s activities on the environment Keeping the environmental policy up to date. This is done through monitoring the company’s progress and reviewing environmental performance against the activities of the company. Environmental policy is a document that guides the company’s performance. It is essential to have environmental policy in the company because the employees and the entire staff in an organization will know the expectation of the company (Graves, 2012). The policy will guide the company activities because there will be the conscious checking of the policy. Environmental policy is a way of showing to the community that the company is part of it. Some company does this through participation in corporate social responsibility. Businesses need to return value to the society and not to pollute the environment. The communities need to benefit from the company from every aspect of their activity. In order to ensure that the company’s activities meet the standards required by the environmental laws, the company will have to adopt the latest machines that are noiseless, that reduces pollution, emissions or wastes. Such machines are good in ensuring that the pollution of the environment is greatly reduced. Furthermore, the employees need to be trained on how to use computerized machines that use fewer raw materials. Organizations need to have an efficient communication system within and outside the company so that the management can be able to communicate environmental aims and objectives to employees within the company and other external stakeholders. The entire staff members regardless of their rank need to participate in a discussion about the environmental issues. Strategies of keeping environmental policy up to date. The company should develop a system that can be used to carry out a regular review. This can be done depending on the decision reached by the company. In most companies, this is done after six months or annually. These are essential in ensuring that there is continuous environmental improvement. Scientist indicates that is vital to set targets for this so that the companies can remain committed to improving environmental performance. It is vital to note that changing business operation will affect the policy, and this will require the company to amend the policy. Companies that neglect environmental issues risk running out of business. Companies that fail to develop a formal environmental management system might lose its competitiveness in the market. This is because their image the market will be affected because their social responsibility performance will go down (Pradhan and Verma, 2011). Furthermore, the content of the policy needs to portray the real picture of the company. If the policy states that you are taking your environmental responsibilities seriously, but you fail to back this up, your competitiveness in business operation might be doubted. This could tarnish your reputation with customers and suppliers. The management scientist believes that the successful companies involve employees in the reviewing process. Employees with responsibilities of delivering environmental policy commitments are good sources of ideas that can be used for improvement of the policy. The company’s environmental policy needs to be available to the new employees in the company so that they can be aware of it. In addition, the company needs to communicate any changes done on the policy. The company’s environmental policy needs to be part of the objective of the company. In fact, the policy doesn't have to exist in isolation. Many companies prefer to extend the scope of their environmental policy so that it can cover both the sustainable development and the corporate social responsibility. Some companies develop this using different strategies depending on the availability of resources. Some create a different, linked policies while others can choose to develop within a single policy. An extended policy accepts the fact that there are people who depends on the company and outline the laid down strategies of dealing with the environment. Corporate Social Responsibility Policy Companies with a well laid down corporate social responsibility tend to have a good image. This is because the company is going beyond the legal minimum when dealing with stakeholders and promoting best practice. This is essential for the company to participate effectively in this competitive environment. Companies need to convince its customers so that they can develop and win customer loyalty. The success of the company depends on how it relates, handled and respond to the environmental issues. Corporate social responsibilities concern the giving back to the society. There should be a way for the company to give value to the society by participating in various development projects. It is vital for the company to be part of the society and to be responsible in its action as a way of protecting the environment. Profit making organizations can develop a true spirit of being part of the society by supporting a local charity or sponsoring a local event. The event can be sponsoring certain projects, organizing social events whereby the participants will be rewarded. The company can also be part of the society by minimizing its impact on the environment and reducing pollution and waste (Hanley, Shogren and White, 2013). They can efficiently achieve this by adopting energy efficient measures such as switching off lights when they are not necessary and minimizing water usage. Organizations can also resolve to reduce environmental pollution by resolving to buy locally to cut fuel costs. Such decision reduces unnecessary pollution of the environment. Equally, sustainable development can be achieved by: Companies can review the Lifecycle of their product and services and strategies on how to lengthen and make them sustainable as possible An organization can pass laws that regulate their actions. Some of these laws restrict the organization to buy materials and resources that come from a renewable sources Organizations can also decide to take responsibility by going beyond their legal obligation. Managers need to anticipate change in the organization. They need to act as a good example. They need to anticipate change in an organization before the legislation comes into force When the managers want to anticipate change in an organization, they should involve all the employees and stakeholders. The involvement of this category can be done by involving them in training and incentives to encourage buy-in to your strategy It is essential for an organization to establish a working strategy in an effort to support sustainable development both in the company and in the community. The company needs to be in the front line on issues concerning environmental improvement (Golub, 2013). It is also essential to sustain a good environment in the country because all the animals and human beings depend on it. Companies, whether profit making or not needs to provide cost efficient services to its customers while sustaining and maintaining the environmental condition that are not harmful to the animals depending on it. Companies have design environmental policies to ensure that employees are working in a free polluted environment. Universal goals and objectives for various companies Organizations are conducting their daily businesses in a manner that protects the welfare of the community, workers and the environment Various companies are now resorting to use recyclable items as a strategy of reducing environmental pollution Companies are emphasizing and encouraging third parties on their environmental responsibility The company’s environmental policy is open for everyone within the company and other interested parties Apart from working within a framework of an Environmental Management System, the companies are in the front line in following and operating within the law and policies that are applicable in environmental issues Companies differ in their operations, but the environmental goals are the same. This is because every country has rules and laws that guide the operation that protect the environment. The researcher believes that the environmental protection is achievable when there is a high commitment to the same. Environmental policies for some companies contain legal structures for forming the basis of environmental planning. The policy has also the clear laid down structure identifying environmental impact with the company. This policy is essential in protecting the future because all future plans of the company are documented there. Effective environmental policies require planning. The policy needs to be part of the company’s goal so that it can be handled with the seriousness it deserves. Committed companies have developed a comprehensive policy statement that is followed strictly with all the entire parties who contribute to the success of the policy. Teamwork is an essential element of ensuring that the objectives are met in a timely manner. The top management should provide the necessary resources for implementation of the policy. They need to follow up the implementation process because this is a crucial part in achieving the desired results. Employees are also essential in policy implementation because they play an important role. They are supposed to be trained and equip them with the relevant skills so that they can work on the latest machines that reduce or minimize pollutions. Many companies are using latest technologies because the working policy dictates the protection of the environment. Companies are, therefore, protecting the environment and at the same time delivering quality services and products to the customers. This sometime can be a challenging task because employees might find it hard to deliver while protecting the environment. Companies might also face financial problems of acquiring latest technological machines that can operate without polluting the environment. This can be challenging for small business or nonprofit making organization. However, it is essential for the companies to work within the laws protecting the environment. In conclusion, environmental policies are essential documents in every company because it ensures that companies' actions do not interfere with the environment. Furthermore, the employees will be sure to work on the safe environment. Protection of the environment is paramount to every nation in the world and therefore, the laws governing environments need to be complied with. Employees are the most crucial elements in achieving company’s goals. It is, therefore, essential to offer them enough training so that they can be able to deliver quality services and at the same time protecting the environment. References Dike, E., & Dike, N. I. (2012). Economics and Enviromental Resources: Review.International Business Research, 5(12), p161. Golub, J. (Ed.). (2013). Global competition and EU environmental policy. Routledge. Graves, P. E. (2012). Benefit-Cost Analysis of Enviromental Projects: A Plethora of Biases Understating Net Benefits. Journal of Benefit-Cost Analysis, 1-28. Plater, Z. J., Abrams, R. H., Graham, R. L., Heinzerling, L., Wirth, D. A., & Hall, N. D. (2010). Environmental law and policy: Nature, law and society. Pradhan, B., & Verma, J. K. (2011). Enviromental Sustainable Development: Responsibilities & Issues. Ryan, S. P. (2012). The costs of environmental regulation in a concentrated industry. Econometrica, 80(3), 1019-1061. Hanley, N., Shogren, J., & White, B. (2013). Introduction to environmental economics. Oxford University Press. Forsyth, T. (2013). Critical political ecology: The politics of environmental science. Routledge. Read More