Can Traditional EMS Handle Climate Action Plan Complexity?

In 2013, President Obama presented his Climate Action Plan, which set out to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, especially carbon, to prepare the U.S. for the impacts of climate change, and to lead international efforts to avert global warming. Recently, as part of the President’s Climate Action Plan, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued two proposals to further reduce emissions of methane-rich gas from municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills.

 

Combined, the proposed rules are expected to reduce methane emissions by an estimated 487,000 tons a year beginning in 2025 – equivalent to reducing 12.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, or the carbon pollution emissions from more than 1.1 million homes. The EPA estimates the climate benefits of the combined proposals at nearly $750M in 2025 or nearly $14 for every dollar spent to comply, and the combined costs of the proposed rules are estimated at $55M in 2025.

Although these changes paint a beautiful picture for positive environmental change, many organizations are panicking at the thought of having to comply with a whole new set of more stringent regulations. Already constrained by rules and regulations imposed by federal, state/provincial government and standards entities such as EPA, OSHA, DOT, MSHA and API, organizations are finding it nearly impossible to keep up with rules that are constantly changing, becoming increasingly complex and inject ambiguity around which rules apply for any given site or an asset.

Dispersed documentation and disparate systems prevent management  from viewing risk and compliance leading and lagging indicator across all the departments which makes it difficult for EHS leaders to make proactive decisions and even more difficult to create a culture sustainability and safety.

Through commitment to policy, detailed planning, and streamlined implementation, an effective EMS can help your organization weather the constant policy-change storms.  Can you stay afloat without one?

 

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