1.1 Introduction
An Environment Management System (EMS) is a tool for managing the impacts of tertiary institutional activities on the environment. It provides a structured approach to planning and implementing environment protection measures. It also refers to management of an organization’s environmental programs in a comprehensive, systematic, planned and documented manner. It includes the organizational structure, planning and resources for developing, implementing and maintaining policy for environmental protection. The environment also involves the ways living and non-living objects interact as well as what result from such interactions. Birds, for example, interact with rocks either by perching on them, or the building of nests in rock crevices. The environment and humanity are inseparable; this underscores the need for the conservation of the environment and sustainable development.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
EMS in universities has been gaining momentum and academic interest since about the beginning of the new millennium. For example, in 2003, a survey carried out in Sweden showed 60% of Swedish universities indicated government directives as a key EMS external driver. Internal drivers, such as the role of staff, faculty, students and top management, between 1999 and 2003, were found to have a variation in values as a result of contrasting university procedural implementation, while noteworthy, major EMS barriers included lack of management support, resources and commitment (Sammalisto 2004, 2007, Sammalisto and Lindhqvist 2008).
The need for Environmental Management Systems (EMS) has become increasingly significant due to recent concerns of environmental problems becoming ever-so challenging, complex and expensive to manage. EMS, as described by a number of studies, is a means to systematically address environmental problems while integrating sustainability into higher education (Adomssent et al. 2008, Cortese 2003, Hansen and Lehmann 2006, Lozano 2006, 2010, 2011). An environmental management system (EMS) is interpreted as the organizational structure, including practices, processes, resources and responsibilities for implementing environmental management.
EMS implementation, at the university level, has been steadily expanding globally. This momentum, however, has not reached Nigerian universities that lack EMS amalgamation into its strategic management plans. To date, there are no universities in Nigeria with functioning EMS. At best, there exist several contingent management initiatives being used to address prevalent environmental impacts. The implementation of EMS in Nigeria’s higher educational institutions would be a positive and real program changing step for the progress and well-being of its educative and environmental systems; in particular, Nigeria’s educational institutions lack focus in addressing environmentally-related programs amidst several growing environmental problems.
Nationally, there has been an intensification of unsustainable industry-related development and no serious attempt in employing appropriate sustainable management strategies. Such practices and negligent policy continue to result in large-scale negative impacts on livelihoods dependent on natural resources and untold hardship on already vulnerable livelihoods, property and local investment (Kola-Lawal et al. 2014). After the establishment of EMS, periodic EMS audits need to be establish to identify that all the EMS requirements are meeting properly and to resolve the deficiencies if present. For the effective EMS audit program, it is required to prepare the audit protocols and procedures, establish suitable audit frequency, provides trainings to auditors and maintenance of audit records. By the thumb rule, EMS parts need to be audited annually but for frequently audits; it can be break down into discrete elements or audit the whole EMS in one time. Periodic EMS audits will result in consistent performance of EMS, continuous improvement and minimizing or avoiding surprise anticipating problems.
The challenges encountered that led to the execution of the research work is that the issue of environmental responsibility has been impacting policies and economies, and it has been a relevant issue in the multidisciplinary debate between scientists and practitioners (Neuteleers and Engelen, 2015, Siew, 2015; Mazzi et al., 2016). Most countries have introduced new legislation and economic instruments to encourage environmental sustainability (Vatn, 2015); at the same time, several organisations have implemented environmental policies and management tools such as the EMS (Demirel and Kesidou, 2011). Organizational sustainability is characterized as the synergy of improving ecological resilience, promoting human capital growth, and growing economic viability (Herghiligiu et al. 2019).
1.3 Statement of Problem
Investigation revealed that the increasing population has led to a shortage of resources. If this continues, it will be very difficult to sustain such a huge population. The other environmental issues including pollution, waste management, deforestation, climate change and global warming are all associated with overpopulation. Lack of appropriate infrastructure, unsound policies, and ineffective environmental regulations as well as financial and human resource constraints are the major challenges facing developing countries.
The challenges for business and industries are to provide environmentally sustainable growth; they must devise strategies to maximize added value while minimizing resources and energy use. The need for clean, equitable economic growth remains the biggest single difficulty within the larger challenge of sustainable development.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of the Study
The aim of the study is to design and implement an Environmental Management System using Universities in Nigeria as a case study. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows to develop an application software that will:
- Identify and control the environmental aspect, impacts and risks relevant to Universities in Nigeria;
- Define a basic set of principles that guide the Universities in Nigeria to its environmental responsibilities in the future;
- Map an environmental management system framework for Universities in Nigeria;
- Measure performance against pre-agreed standards and goals, and modify the approach as necessary; and
- Ensure continual improvement through the life of a facility or facilities in the management system of Universities in Nigeria.
1.5 Significance of Study
The proposed system will help examine the practices of Universities in Nigeria’s Environmental Management System, and then determining how their impacts should best be managed. This approach encourages creative and relevant solutions from the organization itself. Although the implementation of an EMS is essentially a voluntary initiative, it can also become an effective tool for governments to protect the environment as it can assist regulation. Also, this research work will help to explain the procedure for identification of major environmental concerns and mapping environmental management system for a university.
This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.
1.6 Scope of Study
The scope of the research is focused on the Development and Implementation of Environmental Management System using Universities in Nigeria as a case study.
1.7 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this project work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this institution to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet).
1.8 Definition of Terms
EMS (Environmental Management System): It is the organizational structure, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources for determining and implementing environmental policy.
Registration: This means to keep records received from the management for reference purposes.
Management: It is the co-ordination of all the resources of an Organization through the process of planning, Organization, directing and controlling
