ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: CURRENT …



Environmental Management system: current AIRLINE trends and practices IN THE eU WITH PROCPECTS FOR CROATIA

Ružica Škurla, BEng

Velimir Kolar, BEng

University of Zagreb

Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering

Vukelićeva 4, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia

Andrina Takač, MSc

Croatia Airlines

Savska cesta 41/14, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia

E-mail: skurla@fpz.hr, velimir.kolar@fpz.hr, andrina.takac@croatiaairlines.hr

SUMMARY

Growing demand for air travel, determined by global economic growth, outperforms the environmental improvements in aircraft and engine technology and in the efficiency of the air traffic system. New approaches, looking beyond the traditional way of relying largely on improvements to technical environmental standards, integrate the environment as an accepted and operational aspect of all business activities.

In order to limit aviation’s environmental impact it is essential to devise a system of measures, procedures and actions that will manage resources and lead to improvements in overall environmental performance. An environmental management system is a management structure that allows an airline to assess and control the environmental impact of its activities.

There are internationally recognised elements to an effective Environmental Management System, as detailed in industry standards, such as the European Union Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), and the International Standards Organisation ISO 14001. The paper investigates to what extent the European airlines have implemented the Environmental Management System and what measures they undertake in order to organise, monitor and control their environmental performance.

An assessment of the state of airline environmental performance in Croatia identifies substantial gaps with current practices applied in Europe. The paper proposes a set of basic strategic guidelines for the Croatian air transport system development in order that convergence with the EU environmental standards is achieved.

KEY WORDS: environmental management, environmental management system, airlines, Croatian air transport system

1. INTRODUCTION

The overall objective of the European Community, as defined by the Maastricht Treaty, is in particular to "promote a harmonious and balanced development of economic activities, sustainable and non-inflationary growth respecting the environment… the raising of standards of living and quality of life"(1(.

The goal of sustainable development, which is now integrated into the European Union objectives, calls for the use of a wider range of tools for environmental policy. The 6th Community Environmental Action Programme, "Environment 2010: Our Future, Our Choice", recognises this and aims to be a programme that "… does more in terms of mobilising stakeholders for the environment and 'greening' the market".

Air travel is an integral part of the modern world, with tourism and business travel recognised as making a major contribution to economic development. Overall, IATA member airlines carried 1.35 billion scheduled passengers during 2001 (2(, and 20-year forecast of the average long-term growth rate in passenger traffic is 4.7% annually, based on projected average worldwide annual economic real growth of 3.0% (3(.

Technological advances in the field of environmental protection still insufficiently balance the constant growth of the world’s air transport industry. New strategies are being formulated at the international level to counter environmental problems, including more stringent restrictions on the levels of gas and noise emitted by aircraft engines and more effective tools for environmental management.

2. AVIATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Aviation brings many social and economic benefits to the modern society, but also generates negative impacts upon natural resources and the community. On a global scale, aircraft emissions of carbon dioxide affect the climate and stratospheric emissions of nitrogen oxides and contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer. At the local level, the environmental impact of flight operations is mainly associated with noise levels during take-off and landing. Since all forecasts predict growth of air transport in the future, even greater environmental damage is to be anticipated.

Activities of airlines with the greatest environmental impact come under two main headings:

• flight operations, in particular gas and noise emitted by aircraft

• ground operations, including aircraft maintenance, infrastructure management and ground handling operations.

The environmental performance of airlines has continually improved. Aircraft entering today's fleets are typically 20 decibels quieter than comparable aircraft 30 years ago. In practice, this corresponds to a reduction in noise annoyance of about 75%. For airlines, the key to minimising exhaust emissions lies in becoming increasingly efficient in the use of fuel. Today's world fleet is about 65% more fuel-efficient than in 1970. Between 1990 and 2000, fuel efficiency improved by 17% (4(.

3. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

An environmental management system (EMS) enables a company to take a systematic, strategic approach to managing environmental issues. The aim of any EMS is to measure performance and take action that will lead to continuous improvement, with benefits to the environment and to the business.

There are internationally recognised elements to an effective EMS. These are detailed in industry standards, such as the European Union Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) and the International Organisation for Standardisation, ISO 14001.

ISO, the International Standards Organisation, has developed a series of voluntary standards and guidelines in the field of environmental management, which collectively are known as the EN ISO 14000 series. The standards are designed to provide en internationally recognised framework for environmental management, measurement, evaluation and auditing.

The Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a European initiative aimed at encouraging industry to manage and publicly report progress on environmental performance.

Participation is voluntary and extends to public or private organisations operating in the European Union and the European Economic Area (EEA) — Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. An increasing number of candidate countries are also implementing the scheme in preparation for their accession to the EU.

The main stages involved in EMAS implementation are:

1. Investigating an organisation's interactions with the environment in an environmental review;

2. Establishing an effective environmental management system on the basis of the review aimed at improving the environmental performance of the organisation;

3. Communicating environmental performance data in an environmental statement. This statement is verified by a third party to provide external credibility to this performance-reporting element.

The formulation of an environmental policy, reflecting the top management's commitment to continuous improvement in environmental performance inside the legal framework is the first visible step of the process.

In the initial environmental review, an analysis of an organisation's environmental issues, impacts and performance is carried out in relation to its activities, products and services.

The significant environmental aspects are identified by using a set of criteria defined by the organisation to assess the significance of its environmental impacts. This will be the basis for defining appropriate objectives and targets for improving the environmental performance. An environmental programme will describe these objectives and targets and set the pathway to achieve them. Implementation and operation phases put the environmental programme into action and progress is periodically checked by internal environmental audits. Corrective actions are carried out where appropriate, following periodic management review.

This whole process is then described in the environmental statement, which has to include the following information:

• a description of the organisation, its structure and its activities, products and services;

• an assessment of all the significant direct and indirect environmental issues;

• a summary of year-by-year figures on pollution emissions, waste generation, consumption of raw material, energy and water, and noise;

• a presentation of the organisation's environmental policy, programmes and management system; and,

• the name and accreditation number of the environmental verifier and the date of validation (1(.

The major parts of an environmental management system are depicted in Figure 1.

Figure 1 Environmental Management System Components

Benefits of EMAS implementation are:

• integration;

• better systems;

• systematic approach;

• lower costs and less regulation;

• formalises good environmental management;

• new business opportunities;

• credibility;

• priority-setting;

• increases staff awareness;

• attracting investment;

• employee morale and team building;

• customer confidence;

• harnesses innovation;

• competitive advantage;

• increases company profile;

• improved relations with customers, community, regulators and the parent company.

EMAS goes beyond EN ISO 14001 in a number of ways, requiring the undertaking of an initial environmental review, the active involvement of employees in the implementation of EMAS, and the publication of relevant information to the public and other interested parties.

Notable differences include:

Preliminary review: EMAS requires a verified initial environmental review - ISO does not.

Public availability: EMAS requires that the policy, programme, environmental management system and details of the organisations performance are made publicly available as part of the environmental statement. ISO requires only that the policy be publicly available.

Audits: EN ISO 14001 requires audits, although the frequency is not specified nor is the audit methodology set out in as much detail as in EMAS.

Contractors and suppliers: EMAS is slightly more explicit in its control over contractors and suppliers, requiring that procurement issues are addressed and that the organisation endeavours to ensure that contractors and suppliers comply with the organisation's environmental policy. EN ISO14001 requires that relevant procedures be communicated to contractors and suppliers. In effect there should be no difference.

• Commitments and requirements: EN ISO14001 does not stipulate the extent to which performance must be improved. EMAS specifies that organisations must attempt to "reduce environmental impacts to levels not exceeding these corresponding to economically viable application of best available technology"(1(.

4. AIRLINE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT TRENDS IN THE EU

Few airlines within EU (Table 1) have a formal EMS in place, and those that do, tend to be the larger airlines (5(. ISO and EMAS certification does not appear to be extensive amongst airlines yet. However, environmental management systems are integrated into the business processes of many airlines, for instance, British airways and SAS confirm a commitment to the principles of ISO 14001 and have used them in the development of their environmental management.

|Table 1 Formal Registration to ISO 14001 |

|Airline |Certification Status |

|Air France |ISO 14001 – Applied for registration (engineering and maintenance). |

|Alitalia |ISO 14001 – Intend to apply in 2002 (engineering/cargo). |

|British Airways |ISO 14001 – Use ISO 14001 for guidance. |

|Falcon Air |ISO 14001 (first airline in the world certified according to the ISO 14001) and ISO 9001 for entire operations. |

|Finnair |ISO 14001 – Has EMS based on ISO 14001 |

|Iberia |ISO 14001 – EMS systems complying with ISO 14001 at certain airports. Has approved a quality management system for the |

| |main domestic airports, in compliance with ISO 9000. Azkar (transport company working for Iberia) has ISO 9002 |

| |certification and has applied for ISO 14001 certification. |

|KLM |ISO 14001 – EMS certified to ISO 14001 for the entire organisation. |

|Lufthansa |ISO 14001/EMAS |

| |Lufthansa Technik received ISO 14001 certification in 1999. |

| |Certification for Lufthansa Cityline envisaged for ISO 14001. |

| |Lufthansa City Line awarded EMAS certificate in January 2000. |

| |Lufthansa Technik revalidated under EMAS requirements in 1999. |

|SAS |ISO 14001 – Environmental work carried out as part of Total Quality Management. Aim to further develop environmental |

| |management system so that ISO 14001 standards are incorporated as minimum requirements in specific areas. |

| |

5. AIRLINE ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE IN CROATIA

Croatia has expressed its strategic intention to join the European Community in the foreseeable future. That course of action will demand certain requirements to be fulfilled in order that Croatia complies with current standards and practices in the EU.

Croatia Airlines commitment to environmental protection is best expressed through company's quality policy:

“We base our service on modern and ecologically designed airplanes. Strict adherence to flying procedures will contribute to the greatest possible protection of the environment, especially where it concerns noise reduction.”

Croatia Airlines today has one of the most modern and youngest fleets in the world with an average age of 5.2 years at 31 December 2001. The most advanced technological solutions built into its aircraft ensure the minimum impact on the environment. Such fleet structure results in many environmental benefits in terms of fuel consumption, aircraft engine emissions and noise performance.

As regards noise performance, the whole fleet is fully compliant with ICAO Chapter 3 requirements. One of the most important effects of introducing the new types of aircraft was noise reduction it brought up. In all operational activities Croatia Airlines’ pilots generally strictly adhere to noise preferential routes and noise abatement operational procedures required at all airports served.

The use of the most advanced technology available in terms of engine fuel efficiency has resulted in reduced fuel consumption, which means reduced emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. In terms of fuel consumption per block-hour (BH), the company gained quite a substantial progress in performance efficiency by replacing the old Boeing 737-200 aircraft, as illustrated in Table 2. With the introduction of new Airbus A320 and A319 aircraft the specific fuel consumption in tonnes per block-hour decreased by 7%.

|Table 2 Fuel consumption per aircraft type |

|aircraft type |specific fuel consumption |change in fuel consumption (B737 = 100%)|number of seats |

| |(t/BH) | | |

|B737-200 |2.36 |0% |110 |

|A 319 |2.00 |- 7% |132 |

|A 320 |2.22 |- 6% |162 |

|Source: Croatia Airlines data |

| |

In the field of aircraft maintenance and engineering, Croatia Airlines’ Technical Departments undertake all technical checks and repairs up to the so-called “C-check”. These are not maintenance actions that produce significant environmental impact. One of the activities that could result in an environmental impact is aircraft washing. In order to reduce environmental damage, Croatia Airlines uses only biodegradable products.

The noise from maintenance activities has been brought to the minimum by designating a special location for engine run-ups, which is situated in an isolated zone away from any settlements. In addition, a static inverter has been purchased to replace ground power units powered with huge diesel engines. This has drastically reduced noise levels in the hangar. In addition, the hangar is equipped with state of the art automatic fire-fighting system based on water, which eliminates the use of halon. The substances classified as environmentally hazardous are handled by a company specialised and authorised for handling of dangerous waste.

The airline is currently in the process of implementing the ISO 9001 total quality management system. The implementation of ISO 14001 is not yet envisaged. Environmental issues will be treated under several provisions of ISO 9001.

Although Croatia Airlines has undertaken various activities that clearly demonstrate its care for the environment, there is still quite a substantial potential for improvement. To a large degree, environmental improvements have been achieved through technological advances and not much effort is being put into improving environmental performance in other areas.

Besides Croatia Airlines there are four smaller operators of Chapter 5 turboprop commercial aeroplanes with limited scope of activities and with no systematic environmental measures implemented.

6. Conclusion

Increasingly, responsible companies are seeking to identify and respond to the environmental impacts of their activities. Voluntary self-regulation is potentially a powerful partner for environmental protection along with an effective legislative framework.

The aim of environmental management is to maximise the positive effects of business activities and minimise the negative ones. To do this those effects should be identified along with place and reason for their occurrence. Decisions can then be made and actions taken to improve overall performance.

There is great similarity between the environmental management system standards applied on international, European, and national basis. They are defined and outlined in ISO14001 and EMAS standards.

All of these standards have a similar set of ingredients: an objective understanding of environmental aspects and their impacts; the need for an environmental policy, clarifying the environmental principles promoted by the company; objectives and targets defining the environmental goals and the path towards achieving them; an environmental management programme, defining how the objectives and targets are to be realised; internal audits of the environmental management system to ensure effectiveness and compliance; management review of the system to ensure that it continues to be suitable and effective for the organisation and its aims.

This paper gives an overview of the Environmental Management System, which provides a basic structure for a systematic, strategic approach to managing environmental issues in a modern business organisation. If it wants to converge with the European standards in the field of environmental protection, Croatian air transport system, of which the airlines are an integral part, should strive to achieve such levels of performance.

It would be prudent if Croatia adopted environmental measures at this stage of its development, in order to ensure it does not reach the pollution levels present in the developed Western European countries.

REFERENCES

(1( environment/emas, (4/15/2002).

(2( IATA World Air Transport Statistics 2002, No.46, IATA, Montreal, 2002.

(3( cmo, (6/8/2002).

(4( environment, (6/15/2002).

(5( IATA Environmental Reporting 2001 Survey, IATA, Montreal - Geneva, 2001.

(6( Green Management: A Reader, The Dryden Press, London, 1997.

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Emergency Preparedness & Response

Operational Control

Document Control

EMS Documentation

Monitoring & Measurement

IMPLEMENTATION & OPERATIONAL COMPONENTS

CHECKING & AUDIT

CONTROL OF NON-CONFORMANCES

CORRECTIVE ACTION

PREVENTIVE ACTION

EMS Audit

Communication

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Structure & Responsibility

Programme

Objectives & Targets

Legal & Other Requirements

Environmental Aspects

Environmental Policy

POLICY

REVIEW MECHANISM FOR THE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Management Review

PLANNING

Records

Non-conformance & Corrective & Preventive Action

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