Publisher: GSE Research
E-ISSN: 2051-3062|2004|46|73-86
ISSN: 0966-9671
Source: Greener Management International, Vol.2004, Iss.46, 2004-06, pp. : 73-86
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Abstract
Environmental performance and sustainability practices are increasingly important to many industries and investors who recognise the relationship between a company's environmental performance and their financial performance. In one such industry, the electric utility sector is seeing the financial impacts of environmental issues continuing to increase due to market deregulation, increasing regulatory requirements, concern over global climate change, and growing consumer demand for environmentally responsible products and services. This case study describes how the power generation operations of a California utility company successfully integrated environmental management and sustainability practices to address market challenges. The study provides an overview of how the environmental management system was expanded to effectively manage potential risk and to incorporate high-value sustainability practices. The practices reviewed in this study have resulted in several strategic benefits, including: reducing environmental impacts; compliance improvement; protecting natural resources; effectively managing environmental costs; encouraging employee involvement and commitment; reducing environmental liability; and improving the position of the business for the future.