Since 1992 many countries in the world have adopted the concept of “sustainable development” as the basis of national environmental policies. In recognition that ports and their related industries can potentially have a considerable impact on the environment, PIANC saw a need for a proactive approach to environmental management. The development of a “best practice” guide was not considered practical for application world-wide. The aims and objectives of the Working Group were therefore set to develop a generic framework which could be used as a guide to implementing environmental management in ports and related industries to the level appropriate for that particular country. It was necessary for the framework to be sufficiently detailed in order to assist those organisations aiming to conform to the International Organisation for Standardisation (150) through its Standard 14001, Environmental Management Systems -specifications with guidance for use””. In Section 2 the report briefly examines the main international legislation and conventions that must be considered and highlights the general background issues for managing the environment. Section 3 gives an overview of the proposed Environmental Management Framework (EMF). The framework has four main components, namely, Policy, Plan, Act and Continual Improvement. The degree of detail required at each stage depends on whether the framework is being applied at international, national or company level. The EMF is generic in form allowing the socio-economic status of the country to be taken into account and therefore should be practical world-wide.
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Component 1 of the EMF aims at developing a general policy statement and relies on identifying and understanding the relevant environmental concerns, legislation and stakeholder views.
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Component 2 provides a general management structure for use in assessing all of the information that may impact on the environment and formulating management-acceptable, prioritised strategies and goals. The aim is to deliver environmental improvement.
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Component 3 is the mechanism by which the planned improvements are implemented. This involves the setting up of procedures, training, and control of operations. It also involves monitoring to determine whether the actions taken are working.
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Component 4 evaluates the effectiveness of the procedures and determines whether they have been carried out, by means of audits and reviews that provide the basis for continual improvement.
Sections 4 to 7 focus on each component of the framework, giving guidance on the method of application and the issues that must be considered. Actual methods will depend on the specific objective and problem and on the financial resources, technology and personnel available.
Outcomes (or deliverables) from each component of the EMF feed into the next component. Each component can be considered in its own right, but the complete management system is only valid if all components are addressed at the appropriate and consistent level of detail. The report is structured around a series of framework diagrams, which provide an index to the various sections of the report.”
