Implementation of environmental management in China

Abstract: This thesis project was carried out within the cooperation between theIndustrial Ecology Department at Royal Institute of Technology (KTH),Stockholm, Sweden and Center for Space Thermal Science of ShandongUniversity, Jinan, China. The aim of this thesis report is to investigate Environmental ManagementSystem (EMS) and its support system, give a general view of theenvironmental work in companies in China, and make recommendation forSwedish joint ventures how they should work with environmental issues inChina. The conclusions, drawn from the thesis investigation, are that the Chineseway of working with environmental issues is similar to the Swedishapproach. There is a comprehensive support system in forms oflegalization, other demands and standards. The main differences arecompulsory EMS and Cleaner Production Law. It is not always voluntarilyto work with an EMS in a company; some companies, which are perceivedto be hazardous for the environment, are forced to work with compulsoryEMS. However, there is also voluntarily EMS such as ISO 14001. Thesecond differences are that China has, as the only country in the world,Cleaner Production as a law. The company visits to Qingqi, General, Shandong Huangtai Thermal PowerPlant and Huawo showed that Chinese companies work active onenvironmental issues and use the existing support system. The recommendations for joint ventures between Chinese and Swedishcompanies that were drawn from this thesis report are; compile withChina’s environmental laws, criterion, standards and demands; be a partof China’s environmental management system, both compulsory andvoluntarily; make the environmental work in the organisations transparentand infiltrated it in all levels; educate all employees and assure that theEMS has full support from the top manager; combine EMS with safety,health and quality management systems; work with high quality EducationCenters and Certification Bodies; and finally, take a moral responsibility.