THE POSITIVE impact of environmental management on the bottom line of private sector companies will be the focus of a training and awareness programme: "The Business Advantage - Competitiveness through Environmental Improvement" which will be launched at a meeting for private sector chief executive officers in Kingston today.
Sponsored by the Environ-mental Action Programme (ENACT), the aim of the programme is to provide private sector organisations with the knowledge and skills of how to use environmental practices to gain competitive advantage. The meeting also seeks to build commotment by the executives for sustaining environmental management as a basis for Jamaica's future economic growth and social well-being.
"Hands-on" training of trainers will follow the launch meeting on June 29 and this session will seek to carry the skill and knowledge of environmental management to the operational levels of industry associations and companies.
Three awareness workshops are scheduled from July 17 to 21 in Kingston, Mandeville and Montego Bay. Participants will learn how to develop environmental objectives for their companies and how to implement environmental management systems in their business operations to increase profits, reduce costs, attain market advantage, meet customer exp[ectations and comply with national and international standards and regulations.
This training and awareness programme is in response to the results, ENACT said, of a needs assessment of private sector organisations. It revealed an urgent need for more information on environmental management procedures and systems, the implications for corporate competitiveness and its role in sustainable development in Jamaica.
The project is jointly presented by three local companies - the Institute of Management and Production,Environmental Solutions and Chardale Development Company and the Canadian firm BRI International.
ENACT is a joint programme of the governments of Jamaica and Canada, promoting sustainable development by supporting capacity development of key organisations involved in decision-making,management and use of Jamaica's natural resources.
