HWE

Small is beautiful :)Small is beautiful :)

Heinz Werner Engel

Brussels ECE and INEM international Network of Environmental Management

Eco-counsellor

hwe@skynet.be www.INEM.Org

Verifying Micro Environmental management systems

EU- Workshop 24 June 2003

HWE

Verifying small companiesVerifying small companies

1. Micro’s and their specific problems

2. Market pressure and sustainable development

3. Standard problems and patterns

4. The Test casein social economy

5. New Approaches

6. Dematerialization of EMS

7. Still credible ?

8. Can the verifiers coop with this ?

9. Et Quanta costa ?

HWE

20 415 000 SME’s in Europe20 415 000 SME’s in Europe

• No standard patterns

• Hellas 2

• Italie 3

• Lux & Irlande 10

• Job creation:

57 % micros Hellas versus 45% big UK

• Baltic Exception -

larger SME’s

• 93 % Micro 0-9

• 6% small 10-49

• 1% medium 50-250

• 0,2 Big 250 - more

HWE

Characteristics of micro SME ’sCharacteristics of micro SME ’s

• Definition >10 / 92%

• Mono-service and product• Economic pressure• Local markets• Family traditions• Informal organisation• Very « low management »• Visual culture

• Different nationalities• Little access to adult

training• Use of main stream

information channels• Difficulties to access

appropriate information• Do not federate

HWE

Internal barriers to EMS adoptionInternal barriers to EMS adoption

• The lack of human resources rather thanfinancial ones is the major internal barrier toEMS implementation and becomesincreasingly important as the size of thecompany decreases.

• Practical problems with EMS

• Environmental aspects and assign significance • How to achieve internal auditor independence in

SME• SMEs are largely ill-informed about EMS• EMS implementation is an interrupted and

interruptible process in SMEs.

HWE

External barriers to EMAS adoptionExternal barriers to EMAS adoption

• Support and guidance to implement EMS s

• Gaining consistent quality information

• Experienced consultants of good quality

• Slow Funding mechanisms

• Lack of sector specific guidance

• Material tailored to different sizes of firms

• Insufficient drivers for EMS Adoption

• Uncertainty about the market benefits of EMS• High costs associated with being certified to ISO 14001 and

registered to EMAS.• SMEs face inconsistencies in and barriers from the SMEs face inconsistencies in and barriers from the

certification and verification systemscertification and verification systems

HWE

• Pilot program financed by federal government• Improve “management capacity “of NGO’s companies • Cluster program with six SME’s• Oxfam Retrival Droit et Devoir Entrep’eau Cedevar Recma• Be EMAS by November this year• Create new easy approach so that others may follow• Develop internal capacity to move the entire Network to EMS

Ressources -EMAS Pilotprogram

HWE

• Social economy makes sustainable small business with focus on people planet non-profit

• Signals to members : honest, fair, socially responsible focus on unemployment and transparent accounts

Label = Solidair

• Signals to market : reliable Partners with excellent professional skills Label = EMAS

The Belgian Network of social economy

HWE

• 60 members Public private Partnerships• Job creation and social integration in the environmental

protection business sector• Recycling People :) Textile Electronic waste Bulky Household

equipment Books On site waste management• Part of supply chains of EU DG Adm. and ISO companies• More competition with multi national waste management giants

The Belgian Network of social economy

Avenue Cardinal Mercier

53

5000 Namur

Tél : 081 / 71 15 81 - E-

mail : info@res-

sources.be

HWE

• 5 workers

• Electronic waste

• Competition with multinationals

• Shredder versus people

• Supply chain of EMAS certified local utilities

Electronic ScrapElectronic Scrap

HWE

• 6 new jobs per year

• Industrial recyling

• Create local jobs

• Invest in education and training 120 h/ year

• Supply chain of EMAS certified local utilities and ISO 14001 Industry

On the spotOn the spot11082 Tonnes of 11082 Tonnes of waste to recyclewaste to recycle

HWE

On the Road to EmasOn the Road to Emas

• Together stronger: Individual efforts but collective approach

• Learning by doing• Empower people - focus more on action not on paper• From good will only to real management• Dematerialize EMAS - shrink ISO 14001• Informal procedures and ultra light Documentation• Micro reports• Cost sharing and Network auditing• Integrate into business processes• Adapt proven concepts from baseline assessments to real

EMS

HWE

All on the learning curveAll on the learning curve

HWE

Adapt proven concepts of Ecomapping into Adapt proven concepts of Ecomapping into

certifiable EMAScertifiable EMAS

Urban mapsUrban maps

Site mapsSite maps

Use symbols !Use symbols !

Rank Environmental aspectsRank Environmental aspects

and practiceand practice

Draw & observe

Evaluate &decide

Document & evaluate

~ Estimate & measure

€ Costs & indicators

HWE

Customized easy going Customized easy going worksheetsworksheets

Crunch RegistersCrunch Registers

Ring fence ISO Ring fence ISO requirements into one requirements into one work item:work item:Corrective actionCorrective actionMeasuring Measuring internal auditinternal audit

HWE

Lean information & the microreportLean information & the microreport

HWE

On the agenda for Mr. De VIRONOn the agenda for Mr. De VIRON

• Verification costs absorbe the entire profit margins of small SME’s

• Verifiers request to much documentation• Verifiers are to dogmatic with EAA and ISO guidelines• Verifiers are more at ease with verifying systems than

efficiency ,awareness, willingness and effectiveness• Verifiers do not like flexible boundaries• From EMAS cluster and group certificate to open

Networks ?• Verifiers are to tough on legal compliance - friendly fire

HWE

Questions to Mr de VIRONQuestions to Mr de VIRON

• How could Micro’s get certified if an audit time of 3 days is recommended but we have only 5OO Euro on the table ?

• What is the minimum documentation limit you accept ?• Reduce to the Max - are micro reports enough ?• What is the limit of informal “ management “ for you .• Is there still enough space in the guidance and standards for

creative thinking by auditors.• Qualification of internal auditors : do you need to know how

to fly a plane if you want to take one?

HWE