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Environmental management systems for internal corporate environmental benchmarking

Deanna H. Matthews (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA)

Benchmarking: An International Journal

ISSN: 1463-5771

Article publication date: 1 April 2003

4544

Abstract

Corporate environmental benchmarking is difficult with the range and inconsistency of environmental information available, even from facilities within the same firm. Environmental management systems can assist firms in organizing internal corporate benchmarking efforts. They attempt to capture environmental impacts from activities throughout a facility under a single system and generally follow traditional benchmarking cycles of plan, do, check, and act. However, the systems lack important features that enable benchmarking. Based on a critical analysis of environmental management systems, the article recommends minor changes to extend environmental management systems for corporate environmental benchmarking. Consistent goals should be encouraged at all facilities to produce common metrics. Procedures should require data collection and reporting to a central office. Management review should monitor performance and determine where leading facilities can transfer better processes to lagging facilities.

Keywords

Citation

Matthews, D.H. (2003), "Environmental management systems for internal corporate environmental benchmarking", Benchmarking: An International Journal, Vol. 10 No. 2, pp. 95-106. https://doi.org/10.1108/14635770310469635

Publisher

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MCB UP Ltd

Copyright © 2003, MCB UP Limited

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