| Sustainable development |
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The concept of sustainable development refers to a form of economic growth which satisfies society's needs in terms of well-being in the short, medium and - above all - long term. |
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It is founded on the assumption that development must meet today's needs without jeopardizing the prospects of future generations. In practical terms, it means creating the conditions for long-term economic development with due respect for the environment. The Copenhagen world summit for sustainable development (March 1995) stressed the need to combat social exclusion and protect public health. (Treaty of Amsterdam) |
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| PEFC (Pan European Forest Certification Scheme) |
| PEFC is a voluntary private sector initiative based on a consensus view among relevant interested parties on sustainable forest management at a regional level. It has been developed to meet internationally recognized requirements. PEFC is based on independent third-party auditing. It gives assurance to customers, and to the general public, that forests certified under the programme are managed as defined by the Helsinki criteria for economically viable, environmentally appropriate and socially beneficial management of forests. Since its launch in 1999, PEFC has become the largest forest certification umbrella organisation. |
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| SFI |
| The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is a comprehensive system of principals, objectives and performance measures developed by foresters, conservationists and scientists. It combines the perpetual growing and harvesting of trees with the protection of wildlife, plants, soil and water quality. There are currently over 113 million acres of forestland in North America enrolled in the SFI programme, making it the world's largest sustainable forestry scheme. |
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| FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) |
| The Forest Stewarship Council was initiated and is recognised by several environmental organisations as the principal certification agency. Its standards, based on the FSC Principles & Criteria for Sustainable Forest Management, are adapted for each region. Forestry operations can seek to have their compliance with FSC standard verified by an FSC-accredited independent certification body. |
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| EMAS |
| A community scheme allowing voluntary participation by companies performing industrial activities, established for the evaluation and improvement of the environmental performance of such activities and the provision of the relevant information to the public. The objective of the scheme is to promote continuous improvements in the environmental performance of industrial activities by (a) the establishment and implementation of environmental policies, programmes and management systems by companies, in relation to their sites; (b) the systematic, objective and periodic evaluation of the performance of such elements; (c) providing information of environmental performance to the public. |
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| ISO 14001 |
| ISO 14001 requires an environmental policy to be in existence within the organisation, fully supported by senior management, and outlining the policies of the company, not only to the staff but also to the public. The policy needs to clarify compliance with environmental legislation that may affect the organisation and stress a commitment to continuous improvement. |
| Emphasis has been placed on policy as this provides the direction for the remainder of the management system. |
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| OHSAS 18001 |
| The OHSAS (Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series) 18001 specification gives requirements for an occupational health and safety management system. Designing the management system according to these standards enables an organisation to control its Health & Safety risks and to improve its performance. Elements are: safety and health policies, training, employee involvement, goals and objectives, feedback on results, incident analysis, documentation, management commitment, safety committee, planning, performance measures, etc... |
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| BREF Document (Best Available Techniques References Document) |
| This document is related to the IPPC European Directive (Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive) on minimising industrial pollution. The Bref Document establishes the most advanced stage in the development of processes and techniques. It provides the basis for emission limit values designed to prevent or reduce emissions and impacts on the environment. |
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