Original Article

, Volume: 12( 10)

The Impact of the Environmental Management System on Development Sustainable: A Case of Lesieur & Cristal Factory

*Corresponding Author:

El Hour S, Laboratory of Biotechnology, Environment and Quality, Faculty of Science, Ibntofail University, PO Box 133, 14000, Kenitra, Morocco, Tel: 212-537374052; E-mail: s.elhour@gmail.com

Abstract

In a market environment increasingly competitive, the factory Lesieur & Cristal, producer of oil in Morocco, continues to strengthen its leadership position through a policy of innovation, continuous improvement of its managements systems, the environmental management system is implemented in the company according to the guidelines of ISO 14001 to ensure the control and management of environmental impacts associated with its activities of production of oils and compliance with regulations and legislation in strengths. ISO 14001 is based on the principle of continuous improvement of the environmental performance of the company. Thus, the plant Lesieur & Cristal is engaged for several years in a progressive approach and continuous improvement, the implementation of environmental policy of the company makes directly that the three pillars of sustainable development. This research from the factory Lesieur & Cristal demonstrates that the implementation of EMS ISO 14001 provides the environmental, economic gain which allows social emergence and therefore a positive impact on sustainable development in the region.

Keywords

Performance monitoring; Environmental management system; Achievements; Challenges; ISO 14001:2015

Introduction

Before sustainable development strategies have focused on the production and economic growth, without taking into account the environment and the hidden services rendered us, which caused severe ecological damage. For the most disadvantaged populations, natural resources such as firewood and water are essential to life. But it is that these common goods are destroyed or usurped overexploited even though the economy seems to grow vigorously in the same direction the economy of industrial enterprises if it does not include the environmental management in managing it can cause huge losses.

The environmental management is a business management instrument ensures a structural and organizational organization to reduce and control its environmental impacts, the Environmental Management System means technical management and business organization for the environment. The environmental management is accomplished principally in response to requirement in environmental laws and regulations [1]. It is an innovative approach that aims to consider systematically the impact of industrial business operations on the environment, assess the impact and reduce. It is therefore to integrate the environment into management and business strategy. The Environmental Management is therefore in a perspective of sustainable development: it involves interdependence between economic development and environmental quality.

Lesieur & Cristal factory is engaged for several years in a progressive approach and continuous improvement of the environmental approach, driver of its environmental management system using the requirements of its customers at the center of its concerns, Lesieur & Cristal is crowned for several years by the ISO 14001 certification 2008 version for its high level of environmental requirements. This distinction is the result of an environmental management system; the result was the culmination of the ISO 9001 certification of the entire value chain of the company in 2006 which encourages the company to implement a process integrated management.

Indeed, in a world increasingly sensitive to environmental issues, Lesieur & Cristal factory continues its efforts to respect the total permanent research collection of the environmental management system requirements, and chose to engage in a sustainable development approach, to control and minimize its environmental impact, and limit the risks of environmental impacts, and the implementation of an environmental management system (ISO 14001). A systemic approach to environmental management can provide top management with information to build success over the long term and create options for contributing to sustainable development by [2]: the protecting the environment and mitigating the potential adverse effect of environmental conditions.

In this context; if environmental management system is therefore essential to take action to remove even reduce the negative effects [3] and to adopt an environmental policy, whether this company is large and small, are also committed firmly in this direction [4], so how environmental management can contribute in to sustainable development of Lesieur & Cristal and Cristal factory?

Integration of Environmental Management in the Sustainable Development Approach

Implementation of environmental management allows an organization to systematically manage its environmental and health safety matters [5]. Thus, the EMS allows a Lesieur & Cristal factory implicitly or explicitly target sustainable development as one of the axes of environmental policy. This is one of the Environmental Management System (EMS) according to ISO 14001 guidelines that is most suitable.

Many definitions exist in the EMS literatures my goals are unchangeable itself. In our work, we accept the definition of the international standard ISO 14001 (2004) defines EMS as "a component of the management system of an organization used to develop and implement its environmental policy and manage its environmental aspects. A management system is a set of elements, linked, used to establish policy and objectives to achieve these. This system includes organizational structure, planning activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources" [6].

The EMS has undergone several scientific research Studies have mainly interested in the reasons why companies implement this system, the contingency factors that may influence its implementation in companies, and the impacts it could have on the environmental performance of companies.

In practice, the environmental management system (EMS) developed from the structure and a recommendation of ISO 14001 has become the reference in the field. The latter was the subject of many scientific researches.

ISO 14001 is an international standard that specifies the structure and principles of an EMS; it specifies requirements for an environmental management system to enable an organization to develop and implement a policy and objectives which take into account legal requirements and other requirements to which the organization subscribes, and information about significant environmental impacts. It applies to those environmental aspects that the organization identifies as those it has the means to control and influence.

For the sustainable development is defined as: “the ability of physical development and environmental impacts to sustain long term habilitation on the planet Earth by human and other indigenous species while providing:

1) An opportunity for environmentally safe, ecologically appropriate physical development.

2) Efficient use of natural resources.

3) A framework which allows improvement of the human condition and equal opportunity for current and future generations and

4) Manageable urban growth” [7].

View to ensuring the integration of environmental management system in sustainable development approach of the chain of production of Oils Lesieur & crystal, we must walk several steps as defined in approaches to continuous improvement, that is to say:

1) Definition of the company's vision of values.

2) Identification of the substantive issues on the 3 pillars of sustainable develops.

3) Prioritize issues.

4) Identification of stakeholder expectations.

5) Fixation targets on key issues.

6) Revision of values, vision and company policy.

7) The establishment of an action plan and implementation.

8) Audit, control and surveillance.

9) A strong system of communication.

General Context and Presentation of the Scope

Foundations and objectives

ISO 14001 is among the benchmarks that address the EMS. But its uniqueness lies in its international recognition and its applicability to any type of organization. Thus, the standard applies to any company that wishes to:

• Implement, maintain and improve an EMS.

• Ensure compliance with the environmental policy.

• Demonstrate compliance to others.

• Search certification of its EMS by an external organization.

• Conduct a self-assessment and self-declaration of compliance to the standard.

ISO 14001 does not affect the way a company eliminates or reduces its hazardous waste, or the way it builds its processes for more environmental efficiency. It deals with the implementation by an organization, a management structure that will ensure, among others, that programs for reducing hazardous waste or chemical will be applied, the process will be documented, that environmental targets will be established and the sick, etc. The purpose of an EMS is to provide assistance to companies allowing them to better manage their environmental impacts and improve their results. It is based on the continuous improvement of the overall performance; the aim is to set new goals are achieved when the first.

The establishment of an EMS according to ISO 14001 requires:

• The drafting of an environmental policy;

• The planning of actions to be implemented;

• The implementation and operation of the EMS;

• The control of the operation of the EMS;

• The management review, which will revise, if necessary, the environmental policy of the company based on the experience gained.

Before drafting environmental policy, it is advisable for companies without an EMS to perform an initial environmental review (which is a comprehensive review of the site or organization to be certified). It is an important step because it allows companies to determine their position in relation to the environment (the degree of respect for the environment) and as a basis for the construction of the EMS.

Indeed, the steps of setting up an EMS are designed in accordance with the improvement model known as the "Deming Cycle", namely:

• Plan: Establish the objectives and processes necessary to provide results consistent with the environmental policy of the organization. Planning is a fundamental function of management. it consists of selecting strategies from among alternative courses of action., planning is, in effect, deciding in advance "what to do", "how to do it”, "when to do it" and "who is to do it". Planning assumes that rational processes can be used to nominate resources and define appropriate future action, which will produce the desired outcomes [8].

• Implement (Do): Implement the processes.

• Check: Manage and measure processes against environmental policy, objectives, targets, legal and other requirements, and report the results. Check is to implement the technical tests necessary to determine the pass/fail status of the rule [9].

• Act: Take actions to continually improve performance of the environmental management system.

Presentation of the scope

Produce cleaner, more energy efficient and minimize impact on the environment is a priority for all company levels of responsibility.

In a world, increasingly sensitive to environmental issues, energy consumption, food safety and human health, Lesieur & Cristal factory continues its efforts in its permanent search quest for quality and chosen to write the Sustainable development at the heart of its strategy.

Mindful both of its business leading role, and responsible citizen, Lesieur & Cristal has indeed initiated several years ago in an integrated approach to the implementation of an environmental management system (ISO 14001), and a management system of health and safety (OHSAS 18000), for the protection of the environment, health and safety of its employees.

Will and continuous commitment, backed by the creation of a Sustainable Development Department, whose mission is to develop and implement clean development projects that the company has launched as part of its strategy as socially responsible company.

Industrial waste processing unit: In collaboration with the Moroccan Centre Clean Production and Industrial Pollution Control Fund, Lesieur & Cristal has implemented in 2004 a processing unit of the entirety of liquid waste. This station that incorporates the latest technology in the field was approved by the State Secretariat for the Environment and Water and the LYDEC.

Starting a new production of clean energy, this clean energy is gaining momentum in the global marketplace as well [10]: The project materialized by setting a new steam generation plant service using the olive pomace as fuel as a substitute for fuel, has ensured 25% of the plant in Ain Harrouda Casablanca city vapor needs. This unit had the approval of the National Council of Clean Development Mechanisms and was presented to the United Nations Commission under the Kyoto agreement for the sale of carbon credits.

Presentation of Lesieur & Cristal factory

Lesieur & Cristal ranks first in the Moroccan agro-industrial companies. The company is also one of the leading operators in its sector on a continental scale (Table 1).

Table 1:Key data of Lesieur& Cristal factory [11].

For over 70 years, Lesieur & Cristal operates on all fats sector jobs, which stimulates the development of its constant innovation and its quality standards. The oilseed crushing, oil refining, packing a range of edible oils and olive oil, and a range of soaps are the heart of business activity. A rich and diverse portfolio of strong and iconic brands allows the company to retain and contribute to the well-being of millions of consumers across generations.

Lesieur & Cristal is also the leading provider including refined oils for professionals of agribusiness, making its partners benefit from its experience and its international dimension, a quality oriented approach near.

Actor committed to quality in logic of strengthening its sustainable development, Lesieur & Cristal has for many years the management of quality at the heart of its organization. All of its processes are ISO 9001, ISO 22000 and ISO 14001, positioning the company as an operator working to pioneer quality, food safety and preservation of the environment.

Pillar of its strategy, Lesieur & Cristal also relies on an efficient human capital, through a modern and dynamic leadership, crowned by the establishment of the company Excellium Academy, a skills development center and shared values strong and culture of excellence at all levels of the company.

Continuous improvement of the industrial tool

With a constantly developed technical, Lesieur & Cristal plays a leading role in the fats sector in Morocco and regional level, stimulating innovation and respect for the highest standards.

Lesieur & Cristal factory based on the continuous industrial investment, the development of industrial facilities Lesieur & Cristal and its processes are part of a continuous improvement approach to the performance level of the most advanced global operators.

Many sites have been opened at different levels of the company, particularly in terms of manufacturing processes, productivity and energy management.

Energy:

• Optimization of energy ratios via the implementation of a solid fuel boiler in substitution of fuel.

Refining:

• Refining activity Centralization industrial complex Ain Harrouda Casablanca city.

• Increased production capacity and launch of a new line.

Soap factory:

• Full Reengineering allowing product quality uphill.

• New modern packaging lines.

Conditioning:

• Rejuvenation of the production lines of packaging and packaging.

• Automation and mechanization of line ends.

• Launch of innovative packaging and quality development.

Pillars for Good Environmental Governance in Region Casablanca – Settat Morocco for a Good Sustainable Development

The Casablanca-Settat region occupies the leadership in both its economic importance, and the number of its population, and represents an economic center and a business center where sit and rub banks, large corporations and national and international industrial groupings most of the service sector (Table 2).

Table 2: Economy of Casablanca – Settat region (per million dirhams) [12].

Governance for sustainable development in Casablanca - Setttat region involves the resolution of difficulties. It is therefore possible to formulate five general points to remember when considering governance reforms to promote sustainable development at national and regional level ( Figure 1):

• Innovation

Technological and social innovations promote the prosperity of individuals, families and communities without subjecting the environment to excessive stress. True innovation programs are often linked to technological progress, create new jobs and markets, growth of competitive businesses and prosperity in general, but technological innovation is also of decisive importance to achieve "more with less" in order to reduce the environmental burden we impose on the planet while improving the quality of life. And it is not just technological innovations that are needed but also social innovations (in business practices, funding mechanism, consumption patterns, community action).

• Integration

Sustainable development requires the simultaneous pursuit of multiple goals and management of cross-cutting issues that do not fall within the established administrative responsibilities. Environmental values must be taken into account in all decision-making levels of society. In addition, the economic, social and environmental concerns should not only be balanced and exchanged between them. On the contrary, it would encourage the axes of advance that provide gains in many areas, but everyone knows how difficult it is to achieve such "integration", the current structures and administrative procedures tend to give partial vision problems. Ann Dale speaks of "traditional structure" of "silos" and "silos" that isolate officials and departments (2001). In addition, the strength of social and economic stakeholders and established the short-term political and strategic imperatives often prevent integrated thinking long term.

• Action

It is now accepted that the most widely used economic indicators in decision-making does not adequately measure the neither wealth nor country revenue. For example, national accounts do not include the costs associated with resource depletion and environmental degradation. Generally, they do not take into account the quality of the environment or social capital, despite their importance for sustainable development is not contested. The growth of gross national product, GNP is denned as the market value of all final products produced by the resources of the economy during a specified period of time [13], does not give a reliable indication of the improvement of social welfare. It is much more difficult to carry out political analysis and determine choices if you can’t integrate environmental, social and economic in a series of indicators.

• Societal engagement

Sustainable development can’t be ensured only by governments. It can’t be conceived by visionary politicians and the competent officials of the voters. To accomplish such a profound transformation, one must have the understanding and strong support and constant population requires that changes taking place in several spheres of society and that collaboration is established between actors various social. The multi-stakeholder processes characterize the sustainability initiatives from the beginning. It takes the information and understanding of many players to get to grasp the significance of the issues, determine appropriate reform path and implement solutions. Partnerships can take many forms.

• Learning/reflexivity

Learning is a prominent feature of social interaction. Individuals and groups derive constantly learn from their experiences, but there is no guarantee that these lessons will contribute to achieving specific social objectives. These lessons can also cover how to bypass the system and prevent change. During the last decade, academics concerned with governance and sustainability emphasized more the importance of reflexivity as a systemic property of governance for sustainable development. Reflexivity involves the ability to step back on the social experience and make a critical assessment, to review the means and ends, and to explore other possibilities for future intervention. This exceeds "gauging and adjusting" involved in the strategic planning cycle and requires a deeper reflection on the objectives and interventions of a broader social participation.

Conclusion

Implementing the environmental management in the approach to sustainable development becomes a requirement that is to say to the environmental management at the heart of sustainable development at the heart of the management process. We will first address the implementation of sustainable development within Lesieur & Crystal factory as a whole then we will discuss the implementation of environmental management in the approach to sustainable development.

Finally, about the environmental plan, the Moroccan industrial companies have interest in adopting the Environmental Management System (EMS) according to the means of each. Environmental management refers to methods of management and organization of the company, to take into account the impact of its activities on the environment, assess the impact and reduce.

Lesieur & Crystal factory understands that the adoption of EMS is a worthwhile investment, futures, since it ensures a certain number of opportunities including the image since the ISO 14001 certification demonstrates their commitment as corporate citizens, the confidence of partners (customers, governments, investors, environmental protection associations etc.) that will be strengthened following the adoption of the EMS business and minimizing costs, contrary to what people think businesses. An environmental management system helps prevent incidents and minimize their impact through prevention and to provide an improved corporate image.

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