Analysis of the Environmental Management System based on ISO 14001 on the American continent

Prediction of pollutant emission characteristics in ISO50001 energy management in the Americas: Uni and multivariate machine learning approach

The American continent is experiencing significant economic and industrial development driven by sustainability principles. In this context, discussions on improving energy consumption have become increasingly frequent and dynamic across various sectors of civil society, including the implementation of energy efficiency measures as advocated by the ISO50001 energy management standard. However, there is a pressing need to investigate which socioeconomic aspects are responsible for the issuance of this certification in the Americas and how these factors relate to characteristic industrial emissions, especially particulate matter. This study aims to evaluate the socioeconomic factors influencing ISO50001 standard issuance and how these adjusted factors correlate with particulate matter of 2.5 μm and 10 μm dimensions. To achieve this, machine learning techniques were employed, considering the complex nature and risk of data overfitting. Model fitting was performed through multiple lasso regression, and the relationship between the adjusted factors was examined through cross-correlation analysis. The analyses indicate a strong correlation of adjusted macroeconomic indicators, especially with PM2.5, suggesting an association with cardiorespiratory problems and methane-related origins. This work is of great relevance to academia as it proposes new concepts regarding the interaction between energy efficiency standards and particulate matter. For the industrial sector, the adjusted factors provide guidance for standard implementation while also helping to mitigate health issues. Additionally, for the government, these results can assist in formulating policies to address specific health problems related to this area.

The scope of implementation of ISO 14001 by multinational enterprises: The role of liabilities of origin

This research contends that MNEs from polluting and emerging countries are subject to liabilities of origin that compel them to signal that they differ from the stereotypes of their home countries to attain environmental legitimacy. ISO 14001 adoption, which signals a commitment to environmental protection, may help MNEs from polluting and emerging countries overcome their legitimacy deficits. The wider the scope of ISO 14001 adoption, the greater its power to signal environmental awareness, and therefore, the greater its efficacy in counteracting liabilities of origin. Accordingly, this research proposes that the scope of ISO 14001 adoption by MNEs from the considered countries is wider than that of MNEs that are not subject to liabilities of origin. This contention is tested in a multisector sample of 733 MNEs over the period 2002-2019.

Examining the role of soft dimensions on the implementation of ISO 14000 environmental management systems: a graph-theoretic approach

Organizations worldwide are now embracing different standards while approaching environmental management systems (EMS) to be environmentally and economically sustainable. The ISO 14001 EMS has captured much attention by offering efficient environmental practices organization-wide and throughout the supply chain. Human factors (HFs) are crucial behind implementing ISO 14001 EMS since research articles about ISO 14001 strongly emphasize different HFs. This study proposes a framework that solely focuses on those HFs. Influential HFs are extracted through content analysis of related literature and categorized into 5 main HFs. Opinions from experts in the relevant field about interrelationships and inheritances of the HFs are collected and converted into quantitative data. Incorporating the graph theoretic and matrix approach (GTMA), the data delivered permanent values corresponding to the main HFs and their best and worst possible values. Among the main HFs, EMS Training has been found to have the most scopes for improvement, followed by Employee Empowerment and EMS Teamwork. This study demonstrates a framework about how to assess the role of HFs behind internalizing ISO 14001 EMS and enables organizations to go for competitive benchmarking and to define and adjust goals for environmental management.

Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants: Gap, Challenges, and Opportunities in Environmental Management

Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants (MWWTPs) have proven to be sources of adverse environmental impacts; however, integrated management can help improve their efficiency. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the gap between the current management and another based on an international standard applied to WWTPMs, in order to understand their environmental commitment, and to identify the challenges and opportunities they present for the adoption or certification of an environmental management system (EMS) based on ISO 14001. For this purpose, a descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in two MWWTPs in southern Mexico. In a first step, an automated checklist was designed based on the requirements of the ISO 14001:2015 standard and based on a modified FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) calculation method. In a second step, a diagnosis was carried out at the MWWTPs, followed by a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis to determine internal and external factors until a series of challenges and opportunities was identified. The findings indicate that the selected MWWTPs have a wide gap that keeps them away from efficient management. Among the challenges, "limited financial resources" were identified followed by "high turnover of managerial staff", while the opportunities with the greatest potential for improvement are related to the factors "candidate for investment" and "environmental policy". The treatment plants show a weak environmental commitment, therefore rigorous action plans should be considered, not only to protect the environment but also the investment, and they should be the main promoters that challenge the private sector.

Critical Barriers to Environmental Management System Implementation in the Nigerian Construction Industry

The impact of different hazardous substances of the construction industry being released to the environment is alarming. This constitutes an adverse effect on the quality of life of construction workers and the populace at large. To reduce this menace, Environmental Management System (EMS) was put in place. Meanwhile, the implementation of EMS in the Nigerian construction industry (NCI) is not certain. This study, therefore, investigated the barriers to EMS implementation in the NCI to group them into a smaller form, i.e., fewer numbers. A questionnaire survey was developed and administered to construction professionals in Nigeria using a purposive sampling technique. The retrieved 106 copies of the questionnaires were subjected to both descriptive and inferential statistics such as mean score, standard deviation, analysis of variance test, post hoc test and exploratory factor analysis. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted three times to identify the critical barriers to EMS implementation in the NCI. The study findings reveal three main categories of barriers affecting EMS implementation, namely; (1) knowledge barrier; (2) process barrier; and (3) culture and management barrier. The study concluded that the three factors indicate the major cardinal barriers that could describe the impediment of EMS in the NCI. It was recommended that the training of construction professionals is important to enhance improvement culture in the NCI.

An integrated AHP and ISO14000, ISO26000 based approach for improving sustainability in supply chains

Purpose

Typically, adoption of sustainability in organizations are often done in an unstructured way without the consideration of other partners in the supply chain. The purpose of this paper is to suggest a coherent plan to improve sustainability in the supply chains utilizing ISO standards for environment and social responsibility.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws on literature on ISO14000 and ISO26000 to derive a set of variables applicable to supply chains, which are then prioritized for real organizations utilizing analytic hierarchy process.

Findings

The findings highlight that not all the variables of environmental, social and economic responsibility are equally important. Besides, the work reported in this paper justifies the application of multi-criteria decision-making (AHP) to prioritize elements of sustainability in context supply chains. The suggested method is illustrated using inputs from large manufacturing companies in Qatar.

Practical implications

ISO14000 and ISO26000 are well known standards; however, there was no effort to integrate these standards to improve sustainability in supply chains. The suggested methodology provides invaluable help to the managers to implement sustainability in a coherent manner across the supply chain.

Originality/value

The research contributes to the extant literature by proposing a new methodology based on the integration of three-approaches: Analytic Hierarchy Process, ISO14000 and ISO26000 systems.

Rethinking the Way of Doing Business: A Reframe of Management Structures for Developing Corporate Sustainability

Corporate sustainability (CS) literature has gone through a period of intense development. The moment is favorable to gather these contributions to consistently advance the state-of-the-art in CS and, also, discuss them in application to real contexts. The main objective of the paper is to systematize, through a literature review using content analysis of the 30 most cited articles from 2007 to 2017, the guiding pillars of CS management. A systematic search for papers was carried out in Scopus and Web of Science, and the initial screening of the papers was assisted by the coding software, MAXQDA 2018, through which the authors structured and analyzed their main insights, contributions, and conclusions. After getting acquainted with the sample, an in-depth reading of the texts was conducted and 60 CS elements were identified. The elements cited in the relevant literature were grouped into six pillars related to corporate sustainability strategy, corporate governance, human resources management, knowledge and innovation management, measurement, disclosure, and independent assurance, and management systems, and integrated management systems. The main contribution of this paper is to identify the management pillars of CS in a systematic way to consistently advance the state-of-the-art in the subject. Also, this study provides understanding to managers on the main aspects that make up the integration of this construct in the companies.

Forecasting number of ISO 14001 certifications of selected countries: application of even GM (1,1), DGM, and NDGM models

The adaptability of ISO 14001 is considered as one of the most useful tools for environmental sustainability and worldwide competitive advantage; however, the future of ISO 14001 certification faces some uncertainties because of its uneven acceptance in various countries. These uncertainties, if not properly managed, can hinder the implementation of business management systems in these countries. In order to guide policymakers in better management of ISO 14001 in future with certainty, this study aims to forecast the ISO 14001 certifications for 10 years for China, India, the USA, Italy, Japan, and Germany, the top six certified countries, through advanced mathematical modeling, namely grey models, even GM (1,1), discrete GM (1,1), and non-homogenous discrete grey model (NDGM). The benefits of mentioned models are ensured accuracy in assessment using small samples and poor information. Moreover, current research is a pioneer in the certifications growth analysis using the Synthetic Relative Growth Rate and Synthetic Doubling Time models. Finally, the empirical analysis indicated that China is constantly leading in terms of its ISO 14001 certifications till 2026 and the performance of developing countries was spectacular. Furthermore, the article has proposed some suggestions for the policymakers to make the environment more sustainable.