Lessons From Lafarge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Lessons From Lafarge - Essay Example Objectives of ISO 14001:2004 The internal objectives of the ISO 14001:2004 are provide assurance to management for controlling organizational processes and activities having an impact on the environment, and to assure the employees that they are working in an environmentally responsible organization. The external objectives are assuring external stakeholders like customers, community and regulatory agencies about the environmental issues, conforming to the environmental regulations. Other objectives include supporting the organization’s claims and interactions about its environmental rules, strategies and proceedings. A structure for representing compliance by means of suppliers’ statement of conformity has also been an object (ISO 2012). Environmental Performance Measurement The first generation of environment performance evaluation (EPE) comprised companies with reactive environmental policies. The focus was on the risk management and dealing with environment related costs. The available environmental performance data was used for internal purpose (Bennett et al. 1999, p.84). The second generation environment performance evaluation is marked by the inclusion of stakeholder management in the framework. Companies moving to this phase focus on site reporting. This phase is also influenced by the total quality management. This requires more detailed data. The second generation focused on resource productivity with waste minimization (Bennett et al. 1999, pp.84-86). The proposed ISO 14031 can be modeled in the shape of diamond. There are three important facets of environment performance evaluation. The first facet reflects bulk of measurable activities dealing with energy, materials, emissions and wastes. The second facet is a west-east axis which is mainly the product chain that includes the environmental impacts of the supplier. The diamond’s north south activities have two objectives. The first one is to assess the direct environmental impa cts associated with the sustainability of the organization’s activities. The other is to assess the business side of the environmental actions (Bennett et al. 1999, pp.87-90). In 2011, Lafarge remained in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI). The group scored high in the environmental reporting, climate strategy, biodiversity and stakeholder commitment. This is evaluated by Sustainability Asset Management for the DJSI (Lafarge, 2012). Ernst & Young examined the Group's social and environmental indicators and certified its practices (Lafarge, 2012). Corporate Environmental Strategies Managers should consider company’s position with respect to both market and nonmarket factors while deciding on an environmental strategy. Market strategy uses environmental issues for creating a competitive advantage for the company. This is achieved through cost savings and increased profits. Nonmarket strategy focuses on the interactions with stakeholders like, regulators, local com munities, and environmental interest groups. These strategies consider creating value by improving overall performance and image. Nonmarket strategies may present competitive advantages by recognizing new opportunities created by regulation or public sentiment (Maxwell, J. et al. , 1997, pp.118-119). The proactive companies’ managers recognized a number of competitive advantages arising from their environmental response. The reactive companies were not able to relate their corporate environmental awareness strategies