Business people need help reducing the impact of their companies on the environment. This book will help them identify what can be done, systematically set priorities, and create an action plan for implementing improvements. It will also help them sell an impact reduction program to their top management. In contrast to the current practice of "compliance auditing," a process focused on meeting governmental regulations, this Elmwood Institute guide shows how to conduct an "eco-audit" - a complete examination of an organization in relation to its long-term ecological sustainability. Such an audit scrutinizes every aspect of the organization and its operations, including product design and manufacture, management techniques, corporate culture, and goals. This book provides a comprehensive framework for companies that need to design their own audits. In addition, a set of thirteen checklists guide managers through the audit process, covering such topics as energy, materials, wastes, finance, marketing, transportation, and international business relations.

Part I: The Concept and Development of EcoManagement 1. Trends Toward Ecologically Conscious Management 2. Methods of Environmental Auditing 3. Innovative EcoManagement Practices and Programs Worldwide 4. The Paradigm Shift from Environmentalism to EcoManagement Part II: Theory and Practice of EcoManagement 5. Managing the Change to an Ecologically Conscious Corporate Culture 6. The Company as a Living System: A Framework for Organizing EcoManagement 7. Energy and Materials Inflows 8. Design, Processing, and Manufacturing Operations 9. Sales, Marketing, Waste, and Emissions Outflows 10. Financial, Human Resource, and Other Support Structures 11. Getting Started: Priorities and Action Plans