Environmental Performance Evaluation (EPE) for construction
- 1 September 2002
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Informa UK Limited in Building Research & Information
- Vol. 30 (5), 349-361
- https://doi.org/10.1080/09613210210150964
Abstract
Environmental management system (EMS) has been advocated for all economic sectors. Construction, as one of the pollution generators, is not exempt from EMS. However, in performing EMS, the greatest obstacle is the lack of objective performance evaluation criteria. ISO 14000 is an international environmental management system (EMS), which deals with the management of the organizational environmental performance. In 1999, ISO 14031 Environmental Performance Evaluation (EPE) was introduced for assessing the environmental performance related to the management and operational systems. The Hong Kong construction industry lags behind other sectors of the economy in implementing EMS and EPE because the self-initiating nature of the scheme lacks any external stimulus. The high initial cost of the scheme deters contractors from the implementation. However, the application of EPE offers many benefits to the Hong Kong construction industry. Therefore, this paper discusses the benefits and difficulties when implementing EPE in the construction industry. Some obstacles have been identified and suggestions to overcome them are made. Le système de gestion de l'environnement (SGE) a été préconisé pour tous les secteurs économiques. Le secteur de la construction, un des secteurs polluants, n'est pas exempt du SGE. Cependant, le principal obstacle à la mise en place du SGE est le manque de critères d'évaluation de performance objectifs. L'ISO 14000 est un système de gestion de l'environnement (SGE) international qui traite de la gestion de la performance de l'environnement structurel. En 1999, l'évaluation de la performance en matière d'environnement (EPE), ISO 14031, a été introduite pour évaluer la performance de l'environnement liée aux systèmes de gestion et de fonctionnement. L'industrie de la construction de Hong Kong, par rapport aux autres secteurs de l'économie, tarde à mettre en place le SGE et l'EPE car le plan basé sur l'initiative propre manque d'incitation externe. Le coût initial élevé du plan dissuade les entrepreneurs de le mettre en place. Pourtant, l'application de l'EPE offre de nombreux avantages à l'industrie de la construction de Hong Kong. Certains obstacles ont été identifiés et des suggestions ont été formulées pour les surmonter.Keywords
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