Different approaches to standardized environmental management systems in local authorities – two case studies in Gothenburg and Newcastle

Abstract

Local authorities have shown an increased interest in committing to voluntary environmental commitment. This paper analyses the use of one of them, standardized environmental management systems (EMSs). It examines how local authorities approach EMS implementation, using two case studies in two European cities, Newcastle City Council (UK) and Gothenburg City Council (Sweden). The research departs from four research topics: drivers; strategy for EMS implementation; integration, dissemination and acceptance; future development of the EMS work. The case study cities' EMS approaches are analysed starting from the three pillars of institutions: the regulative, normative and cultural–cognitive. The analyses reveal that both Newcastle and Gothenburg mainly use a normative approach to EMS implementation; however, there is a regulative inclination in Newcastle's approach. It has also been noted that there is a difference between the standards (e.g. ISO 14001 and EMAS) and the actual use of the standards. The standards are fairly regulative while the application of the standards varies from organization to organization. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

Determinants of environmental accounting and reporting practices in Portuguese local entities

“…A representative sample was chosen which consists of medium-sized and large size city councils and the municipally owned companies belonging to those municipalities. This choice is justified by the fact that the scarcity of financial and technical resources is a common problem in the local public sector (Emilsson and Hjelm, 2004). This means that, often, local entities cannot afford to spend their limited resources in implementing environmental management and accounting practices.…”

“…During the last decades many local entities have undergone a number of initiatives to become environmentally friendly by reducing resources consumption and wastage and promoting polities and actions aimed at achieving the sustainable development within their geographical area (Emilsson and Hjelm, 2004). However, the Association of Chartered Certified Accounts (Ball, 2002) argues that the public sector's inability to make progress towards achieving the objectives of the sustainability agenda can be explained by the lack of an environmental project for the public sector.…”

Image differentiation with corporate environmental responsibility

“…There have been numerous research initiatives involving integrated environmental and sustainability management tools such as EMSs, applied in local public organization facilities (e.g. Emilsson and Hjelm, 2004;Abubakar and Alshuwaikhat 2007;Lozano and Vallés, 2007;Malmborg and Norén, 2004;Burström and Korhonem, 2001;Emilsson and Hjelm, 2002). For example, Emilsson and Hjelm (2004) analyse the use of EMSs by local authorities, studying their implementation, with case studies from two European cities, Newcastle (United Kingdom) and Gothenburg (Sweden); Abubakar and Alshuwaikhat (2007) consider a modified approach to incorporating an EMS, called the Sustainable Urban Environmental Management Approach (SUEMA).…”

“…Emilsson and Hjelm, 2004;Abubakar and Alshuwaikhat 2007;Lozano and Vallés, 2007;Malmborg and Norén, 2004;Burström and Korhonem, 2001;Emilsson and Hjelm, 2002). For example, Emilsson and Hjelm (2004) analyse the use of EMSs by local authorities, studying their implementation, with case studies from two European cities, Newcastle (United Kingdom) and Gothenburg (Sweden); Abubakar and Alshuwaikhat (2007) consider a modified approach to incorporating an EMS, called the Sustainable Urban Environmental Management Approach (SUEMA). This approach is derived from the corporate EMS but incorporates Strategic Environmental Assessment into the EMS and includes public participation that will help city environmental agencies to improve their operations and ensure sustainability, accountability, transparency and responsiveness.…”

Development of the use of standardized environmental management systems (EMSs) in local authorities

“…The information (the transcribed interviews and the documentation) was then compared and analysed with the results from the postal survey from 2000. The results and analyses were presented in a report (written in Swedish; Emilsson and Hjelm, 2004b), which was sent to the interviewees so they could comment and react to the synthesized findings.…”