Environmental Compliance means conforming to environmental laws, regulations, standards and other requirements. In recent years, environmental concerns have led to a significant increase in the number and scope of compliance imperatives across all global regulatory environments. Being closely related, environmental concerns and compliance activities are increasingly being integrated and aligned to some extent in order to avoid conflicts, wasteful overlaps and gaps.[1][2]
Its important that entire organization, uses a combination of management information and hierarchical management control structures. Assessing whether a company’s business practices conform to laws and regulations and follow standards and best practices, i.e., compliance management, is a complex and costly task. .[3] A more common philosophy and impetus behind environmental management is the concept of carrying capacity. Simply put, carrying capacity refers to the maximum number of organisms a particular resource can sustain. The concept of carrying capacity, whilst understood by many cultures over history, has its roots in Malthusian theory. Environmental management is therefore not the conservation of the environment solely for the environment's sake, but rather the conservation of the environment for humankind's sake.[4] This element of sustainable exploitation, getting the most out of natural assets, is visible in the EU Water Framework Directive.
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The environmental movement, a term that includes the conservation and green politics, is a diverse scientific, social, and political movement for addressing environmental issues. Environmentalists advocate the sustainable management of resources and stewardship of the environment through changes in public policy and individual behavior. In its recognition of humanity as a participant in (not enemy of) ecosystems, the movement is centered on ecology, health, and human rights.
Compliance means conforming with stated requirements. At an organizational level, it is achieved through management processes which identify the applicable requirements (defined for example in laws, regulations, contracts, strategies and policies), assess the state of compliance, assess the risks and potential costs of non-compliance against the projected expenses to achieve compliance, and hence prioritize, fund and initiate any corrective actions deemed necessary.
The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) produces international standards such as ISO17799. The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) produces international standards in the electrotechnology area.
Corporate scandals and breakdowns such as the Enron case of reputational risk in 2001 have highlighted the need for stronger compliance and regulations for publicly listed companies. The most significant regulation in this context is the Sarbanes-Oxley Act developed by two U.S. congressmen, Senator Paul Sarbanes and Representative Michael Oxley in 2002 which defined significant tighter personal responsibility of corporate top management for the accuracy of reported financial statements.
Compliance in the USA generally means compliance with laws and regulations. These laws can have criminal or civil penalties or can be regulations. The definition of what constitutes an effective compliance plan has been elusive. Most authors, however, continue to cite the guidance provided by the United States Sentencing Commission in Chapter 8 of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Governance, Risk, and Compliance or "GRC" is an increasingly recognized term that reflects a new way in which organizations are adopting an integrated approach to these aspects of their business.GRC typically encompasses activities such as corporate governance, enterprise risk management (ERM) and corporate compliance with applicable laws and regulations.[1][2] [5]
An important part of Environmental protection is Compliance and Enforcement. Compliance with the nation's environmental laws is the ultimate objective, but enforcement is a vital part of encouraging governments, businesses and other companies who are regulated to meet their environmental obligations. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provides compliance assistance to areas that yield the most environmental benefit or reduce risk to human health.[6] Globally, the total electrical energy consumption by data centers, servers, and computers is steadily increasing. The increase in energy consumption results in increased greenhouse gas emissions as most of the electricity is generated by burning coal, oil, or gas. Countless old computers and other electronic hardware, which contain toxic materials and are discarded within a couple of years after purchase, end up in landfills, polluting the earth and contaminating its water. The increased number of computers in use and their frequent replacements make the environmental impact of IT a major concern. Consequently, there’s increasing pressure on computer professionals to make IT environmentally friendly. As businesses and governments try to balance growth with environmental risks, computer professionals are called upon to make IT systems and work practices greener and to use IT in innovative ways to address environmental problems.
The Need of Regulatory Compliance for Environmental Sustainability As the world’s climate heats up, causing potentially disastrous consequences, and as environmental problems become global, IT is becoming both a solution and a problem for environmental sustainability. While the use of IT has exploded in all areas of human activity, offering great benefits and convenience and irreversibly transforming businesses and society, it has also been contributing to environmental problems. IT affects our environment in several different ways. Each stage of a computer’s life—from production and use to disposal—presents environmental challenges.
Al Gore: "Our world faces a true planetary emergency. I know the phrase sounds shrill, and I know it's a challenge to the moral imagination." [7]
An Inconvenient Truth is a 2006 documentary film directed by Davis Guggenheim about former United States Vice President Al Gore's campaign to educate citizens about global warming via a comprehensive slide show that, by his own estimate, he has given more than a thousand times.