Get the latest delivered to your inbox
Privacy Policy

Now Reading

Environmental Management Practices Assist Companies in Achieving Their Corporate Social Responsibility Goals

Environmental Management Practices Assist Companies in Achieving Their Corporate Social Responsibility Goals

Published 11-07-03

Submitted by GreenWare Environmental Systems Inc

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the business mantra of the new millennium, forging a new alliance between business operations and social values. We have moved into an era where companies face increasing pressures from investors, consumers and employees to consider the social and environmental issues in the way they operate. CSR focuses on the social, environmental, and financial success of a company, with the goal being to have a positive impact on society while at the same time achieving business success. This has created momentum for using a "triple bottom line" or "sustainable" approach based on evaluating the social, environmental, and financial performance of a company.

Today, financial success is no longer the sole measure by which corporations are judged by the communities in which they operate. Companies are now expected to perform well in non-financial arenas such as human rights, environmental policies and workplace issues. From local economic development concerns to international human rights policies, companies are being held accountable for their actions and their impacts on the society in which they operate.

Corporations that endorse this new way of thinking believe that being responsible citizens is ultimately good for business. As such, their focus has shifted from pollution cleanup to pollution prevention and natural resource conservation at every stage of company operations. By implementing sound environmental practices, businesses create safer operations as well as a healthier work place for their employees, while attracting and retaining new investors and consumers and minimizing costs such as waste disposal permits and fees.

As part of this proactive strategy, companies are implementing environmental management systems (EMSs) and monitoring their environmental performance using a broad range of key performance indicators. To create and maintain an effective EMS and monitor performance improvements over time, many companies are using software programs. Such tools can prove to be invaluable in the successful implementation of a CSR strategy as they provide an accurate, automated system for reporting data while being able to produce reports quickly and generate a clear audit trail. In today’s climate of increased disclosure, companies need to be able to produce reports that meet a broad range of requirements, ranging from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), to greenhouse gas permit trading and emissions protocols, and most recently the Sarbanes-Oxley Act rules.

Companies have recognized that, by tracking their environmental activities and practices using a software system that can be easily managed and maintained, they are moving one giant step closer to becoming socially responsible, as well as improving their overall business practices. So, at the same time as they are laying the groundwork for cleaner long-term growth and identifying environmental protection as a top priority, CSR companies are also acting on their clearly identified need for effective management tools. By adopting effective alternatives to traditional paper record keeping and first generation computer systems, these companies are also taking that extra step to preserve the environment by making responsible decisions about how to track and manage their information.

Large corporations such as Nike and Tyson Foods are currently using software tools from GreenWare Environmental Systems Inc. to measure, monitor and report on their environmental performance and implement a comprehensive environmental management system. These industry leaders clearly recognize the advantage of being socially responsible as a way to improve their business practices and become better corporate citizens, and GreenWare is helping them achieve these goals. For more information on GreenWare’s products and professional services, please visit www.greenware.com or call 1-800-474-0627.

GreenWare Environmental Systems Inc

GreenWare Environmental Systems Inc

More from GreenWare Environmental Systems Inc

Join today and get the latest delivered to your inbox