BE-103 Introduction to Sustainable Engineering Module 3 Detailed Teaching Note

Introduction to Sustainable Engineering Detailed Teaching Note

Sustainable Engineering Study materials may be useful to the staff and students of all the engineering colleges in Kerala

Module III Lesson 1 ISO 14000
The benefits of ISO 14001 are not just applicable to the organization which adopts it. Adjacent property owners and environmental groups have the potential to benefit also.
ISO 14001 is a powerful management tool that can be utilized by an organization.

Module III Lesson 2 Requirements for ISO 14000
This document provides a summary of the requirement of ISO 14001:2004, which is an international standard describing the specification and requirements for an environmental management system (EMS).

ELEMENT-BY-ELEMENT GUIDANCE

ISO 14001 Requirement: 4.1 General requirements

An organization must establish, document, implement, and continually improve their environmental management system and show how they meet all the requirements of this standard. The organization defines the scope of the EMS, i.e. the boundaries of the organization to which the EMS applies.

ISO 14001 Requirement: 4.2 Environmental Policy The organization must have a policy, or commitment statement, developed by top management relative to the scope of the EMS that conforms to the standard. This is generally a short statement that drives the remainder of the EMS. There are specific items that must be committed to in the policy, such as compliance with legal and other requirements, prevention of pollution, and continual improvement. In addition, the policy must be communicated to all employees, and others working on behalf of the organization, and be available to the public. The policy provides a framework for reviewing objectives and targets and be appropriate to the nature and scale of the entity included in the scope. This policy must be documented,implemented, and maintained.This means that it is kept current through the EMS review and continual improvement process, and is implemented through the remainder of the EMS elements.

Module III Lesson 3 Life Cycle Analysis

As corporations seek to improve their environmental performance, they require new methods and tools.Life cycle analysis (LCA) is one such tool that can help companies to understand the environmental impacts associated with their products, processes, and activities.LCA is controversial and still evolving as a methodology.However, the principles behind LCA thinking are being adopted rapidly by manufacturers and service organi-zations alike as a way of opening new perspectives and expanding the debate over environmentally sound products and processes. The goal of LCA is not to arrive at the answer but, rather, to provide important inputs to a broader strategic planning process.