ENVIRONMENTAL MAINSTREAMING DIRECTIVE EXPLANATORY NOTES ON ENVIRONMENTAL MAINSTREAMING With the lofty goal to develop an industrial society and those involved in development projects that have an intrinsic culture of pride in environmental excellence (EE), the Department of Environment (DOE) has embarked on a program entitled “Guided Self- Regulation” (GSR).To assist the regulated community (RC) to achieve the state of self-regulation, the DOE has formulated a set of environmental mainstreaming (EM) tools to be implemented in the organizations and industrial premises. The Environmental Mainstreaming Tools (EM tools) include: Environmental poliey (EP) Environmental budgeting (EB) Environmental monitoring committee (EMC) ¢ Environmental facility (EF) «Environmental competency (EC) «Environmental reporting and communication (ERC) © Environmental transparency (ET) ‘The EM tools are briefly explained in the following sections. 1. Environmental policy (EP) The environmental policy (EP) of successful organizations uses strong and unequivocal statements to convey their environmental commitment to their employees, clients, stakeholders and the public. The BP is disseminated to all relevant parties and translated into action in the organization's work procedures, materials purchasing policy, business decision making process and cascades down to the supply chain. 2. Environmental budgeting (EB) Sufficient budget must be set aside solely for the purpose of taking measures to comply with the environmental regulatory requirement sand other environmental-related efforts. At the design stage, budget must be available for the design and installation ofthe pollution control facilities, while at the operational stage, budget must be allocated for proper operation and maintenance of pollution control systems and management of ‘waste generated by the industry or project development, The environmental budget also includes the cost for setting up of laboratory facilities, provision of personnel, and purchase of performance monitoring equipment. 3. Environmental monitoring committee (EMC) ‘The success of an organization to comply with the environmental requirements is contingent upon the relevant personnel in different departments in the organization ty to be playing their role in an effective manner. To promote collective responsibil environmentally compliant, two monitoring committees are set up: one at the working level, the other at the policy level. At the working level, the committee known as the environmental performance monitoring committee (EPMC) is chaired by a senior official of the organization and it meets on a monthly basis, or at a minimum, once in a quarter, At the policy level, the committee is known as the environmental regulatory compliance monitoring committee (ERCMC), which meets at a minimum, onee a year. The chief executive officer or chairman of the organization chairs the ERCMC. 4, Environmental facility (EF) ‘The primary components of the environmental facilities (EFs) include industrial effluent treatment system, air pollution control system, best management practices, and associated support facilities such as laboratory, performance monitoring equipment, on- line instrumentation system, and waste management infrastructure. The above form an integral part of the company’s overall infrastructural planning, which cannot be compromised. 5. Environmental competency (EC) ‘The relevant personnel involved in discharging various environmental responsibilities within an organization need to possess the required competencies. The personnel include those who have been assigned the task to perform DOE-regulated functions: to manage waste and supervise the operation of best management practices, air pollution control and effluent treatment systems. ‘The organizations must draw up @ comprehensive training program to produce competent persons and trained support staff to ensure full compliance with the DOE requirements in the regulated activities.6. Environmental reporting and communication (ERC) ‘A formal communication channel must be established for reporting environmental concems and system upsets which warrant prompt actions to be instituted. Internal reporting can be initiated to report on a regular basis the regulatory compliance status of the organization to the chief executive officer (CEO) and various heads of the department within the organization. Updates of new environmental requirements and their implications can be disseminated to the relevant company personnel. ERC requires systematic analysis of PM data, which must be summarized in appropriate format for easy understanding and communication and maintained for management review purposes. 7. Environmental transparency (ET) To foster rapport with the immediate neighbors, promote green image, and improve public confidence, companies are encouraged to be more transparent in their environmental compliance and achievement. Compliance status can be displayed ‘on company website (WB) or billboard (BB) located at the boundary or entrance to the company’s premise, or communicated to the immediate neighbors through issuance of fliers on a scheduled basis. An environmental sustainability report(ESR) can be prepared for the company to showcase its success in managing the environmental concems of the company and minimizing the environmental footprint of its business. The corporate image of the organization is markedly enhanced through environmental transparency. 8. Conclusion: Environmental mainstreaming leads to environmental excellence Rigorous implementation of the above EM tools by the regulated sectors will result in creating organizations and businesses, which are successful and at the same time take 2 is exhibited in the pride in their achievement of environmental excellence (EE). E! intrinsic values of being environment conscious (where environmental agendais factored into the industry's management and decision making process), achievement of sustained environmental regulatory compliance, high degree of environmental transparency and accountability, and strong commitment to continuous environmental improvement. Highly successful organizations are also exemplary in their environmental compliance and achievements, which go beyond regulatory requirements.