Environmental auditing

Environmental auditing means a systematic and documented verification process. This process obtains and evaluates evidence to determine whether an company’s management system conforms to the environmental management system criteria set by the company. It also communicates the results of this process to management (ISO, 1995). Especially, the audit process shows whether or not the management system has been properly used and maintained and whether or not the company’s environmental issues are being properly managed.

Management review

The overall management review of the management system is important for assessing the system’s ongoing adequacy, suitability and effectiveness. The management review considers the company’s performance against objectives and targets, the necessity for changes to the environmental policy or environmental objectives and targets. Effective management review is very important to continuous success of a system management. Well-orginised management reviews can ensure that the company focuses on the most important aspects of its business.

In the same time it demonstrates to the company at large that environmental management is, and will be, an organisational priority (Turner 123). Senior management commitment Senior management commitment and effective leadership are the fundamental requirements for the success of UK COAL’ mines. Because senior management of UK COAL actively supports environmental management efforts, effective environmental management ensures success within the company. The role of senior management is to give the strategic direction for the company as a whole, not just on environmental matters.

The commitment of the company to management issues is judged, by employees and middle managers, by the actions of senior management. While an environmental policy is a significant starting point, of itself, an environmental policy is only a piece of paper and will be regarded as such unless it has tangible actions and support. There is evidence that improving the environmental management of a mining operation in WELBECK is of economic benefit (UK COAL boosts its profitability).

Furthermore, environmental regulation is here to stay and bound to become more widely adopted, more stringent and better enforced. Read about benefits of environmental scanning

References

Blair, Alasdair. (2001). Environment and Business. Routledge: London. Burton, Bob. (2003). Nuclear Power, Pollution and Politics. Routledge: London.

Ekins, Paul. (2000). Economic Growth and Environmental Sustainability: The Prospects for Green Growth. Routledge: London. Elliott, David. (2003). Energy, Society & Environment. Routledge: New York. ‘Future Developments. ’ WELBECK website. Available at: http://www. ukcoal. com/future-developments

International Standards Organisation (ISO). (1995). International Standard ISO14004: Environmental Management Systems—General Guidelines on Principles, Systems and Supporting Techniques, ISO, Geneva.

Kingsbury, R. 1995 ‘Environmental audit in major accident assessment’, Loss Prevention Bulletin, no. 118.

McVeigh, J. C. (1999). Energy Demand and Planning. E & FN Spon: London. ‘Mining & the Environment’ WELBECK. Available at: http://ukcoal. hemscott. com/mining-environment

Peterson, D. J. (2001). New Forces at Work in Mining: Industry Views of Critical Technologies. Rand: Santa Monica, CA.

Sullivan, R. (1998) ‘Assessing the acceptability of environmental risk: A public policy perspective’, Australian Journal of Environmental Management, vol. 5, no. 2.

Turner, Royce. (2003). The British Economy in Transition: From the Old to the New? Routledge: New York. ‘Welbeck boosts its profitability’ (September 5, 2007), Proenviro. Available at: http://www. proenviro. com/UK/news/latest/archives/2007/09/uk_coal_boosts_its_profitability. htm