AOSIS Workshop on Trade, Sustainable Development and Small Island States

1
AOSIS Workshop on Trade, Sustainable Development
and Small Island States

• Jamaicas Programme Towards Achieving Sustainable
  Development The National EMS Policy and
  Strategy
• Presented by
• Denise Forrest, NEPA EMS Consultant
• December 13, 2001

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Environmental Management Systems Policy and
Strategy

• Outline
• Why EMS Policy and Strategy?
• - Sustainable Development EMS
• - Global Imperatives
• - Birth of EMS
• - Response of the GOJ

3
Environmental Management Systems Policy and
Strategy

• Outline
• Policy and Strategy
• - Guiding Principles
• - Goals
• - Trade and EMS
• - Institutional Issues
• - Current Status of the Policy

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EMS and Sustainable Development

• The long-term policy objective of the Government
• of Jamaica is Sustainable Development, that is,
• economic and social development without the
• destruction of the Environment. The Government
• has taken several initiatives relating to
  long-term
• planning and sustainable development viz
• Development of the three-year Jamaica National
  Environmental Action Plan (JaNEAP) in 1995 with
  the publication of JaNEAP Status Reports annually
  and a complete update in 1999

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EMS and Sustainable Development

• In 1998, the National Environmental Education
  Action Plan for Sustainable Development 1998-2010
  was completed
• The Sustainable Development Council of Jamaica
  (SDC-J) was formed under the UNDP Regional
  Capacity 21 project, as an advisory body to
  promote discussion on sustainable development
• However, despite these initiatives there still
  are gaps between planning and implementation

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EMS and Sustainable Development

• Jamaica has been putting in place policies, and
  programmes for a sustainable future, one which
  balances economic growth and development with
  environment and social justice needs.
• We have been utilising new tools, new forms of
  collaboration and innovative policy directions
  and regard the preparation of an Environmental
  Management Systems (EMS) Policy as an important
  aspect of this approach.
• The Honourable Seymour Mullings former Minister
  of Land and Environment

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Global Imperatives

• Greening of Business International Trends
• The environment is gaining prominence as a
  political, commercial, and social issue.
• Legislative and economic incentives placed the
  environment high on the business/trade agenda.
• A general understanding of environmental
  management is not enough in matters of trade
• Businesses had to move beyond their stance it is
  a good idea but difficult to implement.

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Global Imperatives

• Greening of Business Changing Approaches
• In that regard, the green change is accelerating
  in particular in the following areas
• manufacturing processes have become greener, more
  efficient, less energy intensive, using and
  producing fewer environmentally unfriendly
  chemicals and materials
• products are being more scrutinised e.g. no CFCs,
  etc.
• waste is growing as an issue, controls on what
  can be disposed of are becoming tighter and
  actual cost of disposal growing dramatically as
  landfills become fewer
• recycling is becoming more and more legislatively
  imposed.

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Birth of EMS

• Greening of Business
• UN General Assembly World Commission on
  Environment 1987
• Business Council for Sustainable Development
  (BCSD) pointed out the need to provide business
  with tools to measure environmental performance
• Rio Conference 1992 pointed to the practical
  implementation of principles
• SAGE recommended establishment of ISO TC to
  develop environmental management system standards

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Response of the GOJ

• Initiate the development of an EMS policy and
  strategy which potentially could
• Put in place the necessary institutional,
  regulatory and promotional measures to ensure
  successful uptake of EMS
• Improve Jamaicas environment and its competitive
  advantage by using a management system approach
  in businesses, communities, and government
• Move the country beyond the curve to a quantum
  leap on the path to sustainable development and
  an improved quality of life for its citizens

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Trends in Major Countries

• UK, Japan, Canada, USA Europe
• All have similar drivers but with differing
  priorities
• Japan leads the world in EMS certification
  followed by the UK
• In many cases governments have taken the lead in
  developing policy mechanisms to drive EMS
  implementation

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Trends in Major Countries

• International financial markets now requiring
  information on environmental performance
• Many have undertaken Greening of
• Government initiatives
• Significant support for EMS schemes in small and
  medium size businesses (SMEs)
• More and more EMS being used as a tool for
  implementing regulatory flexibility

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Trends in Benchmark Countries

• Costa Rica, Columbia Cuba, Barbados, Guyana,
  Trinidad, Malaysia Israel
• Latin America
• Many years ahead in implementation
• Drivers and obstacles similar to Caribbean
• Caribbean
• Very early stages of EMS implementation
• Drivers mainly market considerations and
  experience with quality systems
• Companies in rum, gold mining, bauxite alumina
  processing, and timber already certified
• TT government now preparing EMS guidelines

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Trends in Key Economic Sectors

• Bauxite
• Major multi-nationals implementing ISO 14000
• Trend also seen in Jamaica where companies at
  varying stages of EMS implementation
• Environmental improvements often are completely
  in tune with financial and operating benefits
• EMS seen as a tool to help companies match best
  practice with competitive production costs

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Trends in Key Economic Sectors

• Coffee
• Globally awareness of the impact on environment
  growing
• Campaigns being mounted to encourage responsible
  coffee growth
• Green label being encouraged in marketing of
  coffee
• Tourism
• Green Globe being promoted as EMS and market
  brand for hotels and destinations worldwide
• Large chains in Jamaica moving aggressively to
  implement Green Globe in all hotel properties in
  the Caribbean Region

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Trade and EMS

• Private Sector Trade Policy
• Government Procurement Guideline
• Policy Tools

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The Purpose of the EMS Policy and Strategy

• Articulate the Government of Jamaicas commitment
  to the promotion and use of EMS
• Establish the role of the government, private
  sector and communities in the use of EMS
• Provide the framework for integrating and
  sustaining existing policies and activities
  related to environmental management by bringing
  together new tools and new forms of collaboration

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Elements of the EMS Policy

• Guiding Principles
• The EMS Policy and Strategy embodies the
• following principles
• Natural resources are a part of the nations
  capital and need to be managed for sustainable
  growth.
• Exploitation of the islands natural resources
  in pursuit of economic development should
  therefore be carried out in a sustainable manner
  that protects the environment and shall
  constitute an integral part of the development
  process of the nation

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Elements of the EMS Policy

• Guiding Principles
• Environmental Management Systems are a
  fundamental tool to achieve sustainable
  development concepts, policies, plans, and
  projects. Keeping to the path of sustainable
  development is an essential reason for the EMS
  Policy and Strategy
• The Polluter Pays Principle and the User Pays
  Principle require that there is the establishment
  of a set of sanctions for polluters, and charges
  for the use of natural resources and other
  environmental assets while granting incentives to
  encourage more environmentally responsible
  behaviour

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Elements of the EMS Policy

• Guiding Principles
• All citizens of Jamaica are individually and
  collectively responsible for the quality of the
  environment.
• Environmental issues therefore require full
  participation of all.
• Environmental awareness of civil society will be
  facilitated and participation encouraged by
  making information on environmental issues as
  widely available as possible to the various
  publics.
• The Government of Jamaica will provide leadership
  by greening its own operation as a first step
  towards responsible environmental stewardship

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Elements of the EMS Policy

• Policy Goals
• The EMS Policy and Strategy aims to achieve the
• following goals
• GOAL 1 To establish the framework within
• which Environmental Management Systems will
  be adopted across all sectors of society for
  sustainable development
• GOAL 2 To strengthen the legal and economic
  framework to facilitate the promotion and
  implementation of Environmental Management
  Systems

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Elements of the EMS Policy
Policy Goals GOAL 3 To ensure an informed
public who will support and advocate for
responsible environmental stewardship.
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Institutional Issues

• GOJ has adopted a three pronged approach
• -public sector
• - private sector
• - citizenry
• Goal 1
• - strategies to build organisational capacity
  within NEPA, BS and private sector umbrella
  groups, SMEs (training, access to information,
  pilot projects, greening of govt. agencies)

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Institutional Issues

• Goal 2
• strategies to strengthen legislative instruments
  and economic measures ( strengthening the
  effectiveness of stick sanctions while
  providing some carrots)
• Goal 3
• strategies allow citizens to fulfill their role
  as of environment stewards/advocacy
• mechanisms revolve around information sharing for
  example PRTR register, public environmental
  reporting

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Status of the EMS Policy and Strategy

• June 2001 was approved by the parliament as green
  paper
• Currently consultations are in progress with key
  stakeholders
• Revised green paper should be submitted to
  cabinet by April 2002
• Approval as white paper by June 2002