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Environmental concerns require design and implementation of appropriate solutions that can only be delivered by properly trained environmental specialists and managers. For this reason, various Environmental Management Courses are available in the UK, courses which aim at developing the skills of both specialists and managers capable of providing their services not only within the environmental field but also in other disciplines.

Most of environmental management study programs in the UK aim at equipping management students with understanding of various environmental issues that confront environmental managers in different situations including different geographical settings and culture. The study programs also introduce students to the ethical and moral issues relating to the environment and ways of using resource in a sustainable manner. Perhaps the most important aim of UK environmental study programs is the imparting of practical skills in areas of impact assessment and environmental law.

Apart from higher learning institutions (colleges and universities) that offer Environmental Management Courses in the UK, various professional bodies that offer varied courses are also available. One of these is the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), which offers both MSc and Postgraduate Diploma in environmental management studies. The institute is also mandated to moderate environmental courses offered by other training institutions.

Environmental management study programs in the UK are suitable for different personnel working in different fields. Such include managers working in government agencies responsible for planning/policy development/analysis, managers working in private companies and consultancy firms who provide environmental analysis services, managers working with corporations involved in the implementation of environmental programs, managers working in educational and research institutions involved in sustainable economic development and managers working in both non-governmental organizations/charitable trusts involved in conservation and educational work.

Environmental Management Courses in the UK cover wide areas. The Foundation Certificate in Environmental Management is the entry point course for managers new to environmental issues. The Introduction to Environmental Systems (EMS) course introduces managers to different management systems applicable in the environmental field. Other courses include EMS implementation, Environmental Auditing, Sustainable Procurement and Resource Efficiency courses. Other specific courses designed for managers working with specific organizations and agencies include vegetation management, marine management, waste management and water/soil management courses.

Environmental Management Courses in the UK are not restricted to British nationals. As a matter of fact, various professional environmental managers from across the globe are registered associate members of various professional UK environmental bodies. Such bodies also avail environmental courses online or by distance learning, which has made many people from around the world to obtain not only the necessary qualifications but the crucial skills and knowledge of how to effectively make use of available resources while at the same time preserving the same for posterity.

Environmental Management

by Martin Gerardo

Issues pertaining to the environment are taken seriously all over the world and there is no exception within UK. The seriousness is mainly because of the need for safe environment to live without the risk of disease outbreaks. Environmental issues are also taken seriously out of realization that human actions directly cause damage to the ozone layer, which has seen changing whether patterns that is otherwise unhealthy. Like in other jurisdictions, there are several Environmental Management systems in the UK, all aimed at ensuring safe environment.

As a member of the European Union, the UK is obligated to ratify all environmental protection policies passed by the union’s council. Although UK has had its own environmental systems (EMS), it is now implementing various Environmental Management systems as prescribed by EU. The Eco-Management and Audit Scheme is one major environmental policy introduced by the EU council to be implemented in all EU member states. UK formally adopted the scheme in 1995. Although all EU member states are obligated to implement the scheme, companies and businesses operating in the industrial sector in the UK are not obligated to implement the same because there are adequate measures in place.

Apart from Environmental Management schemes passed by the EU, UK has its own management mechanisms put in place by various legislations. Because different types of businesses and activities present unique environmental issues, there are many legislations pertaining to Environmental Management in the UK, legislations that address specific industry or business. All companies and business owners in the UK are therefore required to seek advice on their specific areas of concern and obtain the necessary information regarding environmental legislations and good practices for their businesses.

As in other countries, UK Environmental Management legislations are aimed at not only achieving safe environment but also in ensuring the conservation of designated protected areas including common land, local nature reserves, areas of outstanding beauty, National parks, nature reserves, special scientific interest sites, wetlands and UNESCO biospheres. These are areas that if left unprotected through appropriate Environmental Management schemes can have serious implications not only to the immediate environment but loss of rare species.

UK Environmental Management legislations place varied responsibilities on all companies and businesses operated in the UK. Some of the responsibilities include preventing air pollution, safe storage and disposal of waste, prevent noise pollution, safe storage and transportation or disposal of hazardous materials/waste amongst others. Companies and businesses are obligated to have appropriate environmental protection programs to address these issues.

Three main agencies are involved in the regulation of Environmental Management issues within the UK. These include the Environmental agency in England and Whales, the Northern Ireland Environmental Agency and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency. Apart from these agencies, local authorities also play a crucial role in protecting the environment by issuing companies and businesses with the necessary licenses.

Construction Resource Planning

October 2, 2011

Construction projects are very expensive. This makes it very necessary to put in place necessary measures to ensure that all applicable resources are efficiently managed. Efficient management of construction resources should be captured in the project management plan prepared long before the start of any construction work. In order to achieve proper planning which leads [...]

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Environmental Management Plan

September 4, 2011

Protecting the environment is growing increasingly important as time goes on. One of the industries that affects the environment the most is the construction industry. Until recently, the construction industry has widely ignored the impact that they have on the environment, save a few companies who made a special effort to be environmentally friendly. However, [...]

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Construction Management Plan

August 11, 2011

Construction management is a relatively new concept in the construction world. Traditionally, a general contractor is used on a construction site to oversee many of the things happening on the site. However, in construction management, the general contractor is replaced by a construction manager, who is compensated as a freelance official or under a specifically [...]

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Construction Environmental Issues

July 18, 2011

Construction sites are, by nature, hazardous places. They are full of heavy machinery, loud noises, and potentially deadly materials. Until recent years, however, construction workers and their governing bodies have not been concerned with the environmental impact of different construction sites and materials. This has all changed with the growing global awareness of the problems facing [...]

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Construction Environmental Policy

June 22, 2011

One of the largest growing industries in construction today is colloquially known as “green building”. This type of building is heavily focused on environmentally sustainable and environmentally friendly building and construction practices. More and more people are becoming concerned with the environment and their impact on it, and they are requiring companies and corporations to [...]

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Construction Environmental Management

May 20, 2011

When it comes to the environment and what needs to be done to conserve it a lot can be said. Mostly there are many ways the environment can be affected and one of them is through construction of different structures like roads, buildings and the like. A lot of activity happens during construction such as [...]

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Construction Environmental Legislation

April 21, 2011

For those living in countries where development is not an issue, certain regulations have been set in motion for both businesses and individuals to play their own particular part in protecting all aspects of the natural environment. In order to enforce this, they have put in place what is known as the Construction Environmental Legislation. [...]

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Construction Environmental Protection Plan

March 1, 2011

Apart from being the most dangerous sector to work in, the construction industry in the UK also happens to be the major producer of construction waste, thereby polluting the environment. Most of the waste produced by the construction industry through construction, demolitions and excavation is highly dangerous, necessitating the need for Construction Environmental Protection Plan. [...]

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