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Beacon Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, United Kingdom.
Description
One aspect of the Beacon Council's Environmental Reporting System is a fully computerised monitoring and targeting (M&T) system for evaluating performance at all 600 of their buildings. Data from all utility providers (including electricity, gas, coal, oil, biomass, and water) are recorded in the specialist system. These are then monitored and benchmarked against national performance, and create the ability to instigate corrective action to improve performance.
Conclusions
As reported by the Beacon Council, the M&T system carries out the following functions: sets energy targets and monitors performance; sets energy budgets and controls expenditure; validates and verifies bills and recovers overcharges; and monitors and reduces CO2 emissions. The continual reporting of the M&T system has been vital in its constant monitoring and improving of the Beacon Council's environmental sustainability.
Gillepsie Decals, Inc. Wilsonville, Oregon, USA.
Description
Gillepsie Decals, Inc. is a 40-employee screen-printing company in Oregon. To develop an EMS, the company took the following steps: first, it developed its environmental policy; second, it identified the company's environmental aspects and then ranked them in order of importance; and third, it set out environmental goals and developed programs to achieve them.
Conclusions
The company made a number of improvements and took significant steps towards achieving environmental sustainability. Two noteworthy examples are: one, they reduced the amount of waste ink by developing standards for ink mixing, and a computer record of colours and mixes for repeat jobs; and two, they reduced their water usage by requesting information from other companies on their water recycling systems, by purchasing bottled drinking water for employees (and thereby improving employee spirits); and by installing low-flush toilet models. Gillespie's have stated their commitment to continuous environmental improvement, and have decided to develop other environmental aspects in the future. It is unclear whether Gillespie's carried out Environmental Reporting, but it is apparent that this process would be useful for both confirming the environmental improvements already made, and determining what remains to be done to achieve the desired level of sustainability.
Conclusion
EMS and Environmental Reporting will indeed aid in the concept of Sustainable Development in application. The Case Studies in the previous section demonstrated some of the positive results of an organization's implementation of an EMS.