Environmental Management Program

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Although there are many people working in government and in non-profit organizations to help manage environmental issues, it is clear that Environmental Management is the role of industry. Only Industry is properly placed to effect the changes needed to protect and restore the environment. Industry is the linkage between resource consumption and environmental quality. Industry produces the goods and services whose use implies either environmental benefit or environmental loss.

IERE is working with industries that are trying to find new ways to link their financial success with environmental improvement.

Many businesses approach this through the use of an environmental management system that focuses on their facility environmental performance. But a more powerful approach is one in which the economic and environmental benefits are directly linked. For example, a company might produce a product that is more environmentally friendly than others in its class. This will allow them to gain an ecolabel, which is useful in the retail market, or to sell to the Federal government, through the environmentally preferable purchasing program.

IERE helps companies through assisting with their environmental management systems (we use the ISO 14000 series of standards), and we also can help through performing life cycle assessment (LCA). LCA is a method that looks at all environmental impacts of a product or service holistically, from cradle to grave. Companies with superior environmental performance, which is documented through a LCA are eligible for our ecolabel.

IERE participates in developing the ISO standards, representing the US internationally in developing the life cycle standards.