The objective of the work is to design a procedure for the implementation of the Environmental Management System, which allows the elevation of environmental performance and the certification of compliance with current environmental legislation. As results are the procedure structured in phases, the elevation of the environmental performance applying good environmental practices and continuous improvements, the training of workers, demonstration of progress in compliance with the legislation.
In conclusion, the analysis of models of international Environmental Management Systems and the experience in the implementation of national models according to the requirements of the Ministry of Tourism and the Cuban legislative framework, following the methodological conception focused on continuous improvement proposed by the International Standards of The ISO 14000 series, allowed the design and application of the procedure with favorable results, which allowed obtaining the expected certification and continuing with the improvement of the Environmental Management System, as part of the procedure.
Keywords: Environmental Management System Procedure; Environmental legislation; Environmental certification.
Environmental issues are widely debated in the world today and occupy academic settings, social organizations and constitute political issues in most nations, especially those related to climate change; In the Framework Convention on Climate Change, Paris Agreement 2015, it is stated that the Parties recognize the importance of avoiding, minimizing and addressing the losses and damages related to the adverse effects of climate change, including extreme weather events and slow-onset phenomena and the contribution of sustainable development to reducing the risk of loss and damage; adaptation is also recognized as a global challenge for all to protect vulnerable people, livelihoods, places and ecosystems.
Tourism is considered among the economic sectors most vulnerable to climate variations, including sun and beach destinations or nature destinations, just to cite two examples; for island systems such as the Cuban archipelago, these problems are more serious. In the work of tourism in the country, its interrelationships with the environment are increasingly taken into account, the identification of the main environmental problems that impact the development of the activity. The principles that support the Environmental Management System (EMS) in Tourism are the positioning of environmental management within the organizational priorities and the concertation of efforts to prevent, solve and mitigate the main environmental problems that tourism activity generates,In addition, there is the Environmental Strategy of the Ministry of Tourism of Cuba (MINTUR), as the guiding document for the implementation of the Cuban environmental policy in the tourism sector.
The Environmental Strategy of the Ministry of Tourism of Cuba is updated in correspondence with the successive processes of updating the National Environmental Strategy, in correspondence with it, the main environmental problems that impact the development of the activity are identified, according to new scenarios, both from the point of view of infrastructure and environmental. (Environmental Strategy of the Ministry of Tourism, 2014-2016).
In Resolution 71 of the Ministry of Tourism, which contains the aforementioned strategy, the identification of the Territory of Preferred Tourist Use as an integrating system is proposed, where a group of resources, facilities and services (belonging or not to the Ministry of Tourism) is located, but that in their performance they make possible the development of the activities of tourism, to satisfy the demands of the clients. Likewise, each element that composes it requires specifying its particularities in order to minimize and / or solve the negative environmental impacts that they generate, which is a higher stage than the previous strategy that only considered the strengthening of the environmental management of the facilities hotels, non-hotels and services found in these territories.
Cuba shows its projection towards the interrelation between tourism and the need to promote the rational use of resources, when it prioritizes the maintenance and renovation of the tourist and support infrastructure, policies that promote sustainability in development are applied, they are implemented actions aimed at reducing the rates of water consumption and energy carriers, expanding the use of renewable energy sources, as well as the recycling of waste generated in the provision of tourist services.
In the Territory of Preferred Tourist Use of Varadero, environmental management is worked at different levels, highlighting the studies carried out by the Center for Environmental Services of the territory and the Office of Coastal Management, both belonging to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (CITMA), among the studies carried out, López and Hernández (2009), López, Florido and Cruz (2010), López, L. (2011), López and Ramírez (2011), López, et al. (2012), López and Vargas, E. (2013), Martínez, Huerta and Vázquez (2013a).
There are numerous studies related to environmental management in the different tourist facilities of the territory, among the most recent we can mention those of Isasi, O. (2013), Romo, C. (2014), Huerta (2014), Huerta (2015), Martínez (2015b). Linked to the environmental performance of hotel facilities, the works of López, L. (2010), Perdomo, Vega and García (2012), of Ginoris, Y. (2013) and Martínez (2015) can be cited.
Although the studies that have been developed linked to the environmental management of hotels in the Varadero destination, show the intention and efforts of the organization to increase its performance in this regard, they present the limitation that they still do not allow the certification of the EMS, necessary for fulfill the requirements set forth in NC 127: 2014 regarding the classification of the tourist accommodation establishment, expressing the contradiction between the current situation and the desired situation.
Research Problem
How to proceed to achieve the elevation of environmental performance in the hotels of the Varadero destination that makes it possible to certify compliance with current environmental legislation?
Overall objective
Design a procedure for the elaboration of the Environmental Management System, which allows the elevation of environmental performance that favors the certification of compliance with current environmental legislation.
Among the tools used are: the thirteen variables technique, brainstorming and Rapid In-Plant Assessment to obtain information, the Kendall method for weighting information and the checklist for verification. Among the expected results are the procedure itself, structured in five initial phases, the procedure was validated and applied in the advisory processes in environmental management in the hotel facilities of the Varadero tourist destination.
The importance of the research lies in the formalization of a management procedure that will make it possible to contribute favorably to compliance with environmental legislation in the hotels in the Varadero destination. From the theoretical point of view, the proposed procedure is argued based on the analysis of different national models and international references regarding environmental management applicable to organizations in the hotel sector.
The practical importance lies in the fact that the proposal that is made contributes to working in an organization to raise environmental performance and facilitates the EMS certification process; The social value lies in the fact that the implementation of the proposal can contribute to raising the responsible environmental performance of the organization, to the implementation of Cleaner Production Practices, to the reduction of pollution and the impact of climate change.
DEVELOPING
EMS are the framework or work method that an organization follows to obtain a certain environmental behavior, Vargas et. to the. (2011, p.194). An EMS allows an organization to achieve and maintain operation in accordance with the goals it establishes, providing the basis for channeling, measuring and evaluating the operation of the company, in order to ensure that its operations are carried out in a manner consistent with the applicable regulations and the environmental policy that the company defined.
(Environmental Xestion Systems).
EMS is called the set of organizational responsibilities, procedures, processes and means that are required for the implementation of an environmental policy in a company or production center. (Environmental management systems).
The EMS is the framework or work method that an organization follows with the aim of achieving a certain behavior in accordance with the objectives and goals that it has set and in response to standards, environmental risks and social, financial, economic and competitive pressures in permanent change, Rodríguez and Isaac (2012, p.48).
The EMS according to NC ISO 14001: 2015, is the part of the management system used to manage environmental aspects, meet legal requirements and other requirements, address risks and opportunities and meet environmental objectives. The implementation of an EMS based on it is consistent with the organization's environmental policy and its results include the improvement of environmental performance, although it does not establish specific environmental performance criteria.
By environmental policy, NC ISO 14001: 2015 considers the intentions and direction of an organization, related to environmental performance, as formally expressed by its senior management. The success of an EMS depends on the commitment of all functions and levels of the organization, under the leadership of top management.
The level of detail and complexity of the EMS will vary depending on the context of the organization, the scope of the EMS itself, its legal and other requirements and the nature of its activities, products and services, including its environmental aspects and associated environmental impacts, NC ISO 14001: 2015.
The implementation of an EMS based on NC ISO 14001: 2015 is an organized and planned management tool that allows an organization of any sector and size to control the impact of its activities, products or services on the environment. An EMS allows a structured approach to: setting environmental objectives and goals, achieving them, demonstrating that they have been achieved.
The improvement of environmental management has to do with the application and compliance with environmental legislation and regulations promoted by the institutions, since if there is not a complete integration and coordination of the actors it will be difficult to improve the performance of the tourism sector, for example, Vargas et al. (2011, p.189). The enactment of new rigorous laws on nature preservation has forced businessmen to change their way of thinking and acting in numerous tourist destinations.
One of the most difficult aspects to comply with and in turn one of the most valued of EMS, is that it provides the necessary tools to guarantee that all legal environmental requirements that apply to the organization are met, for which the establishment of an EMS must enable the organization to ensure compliance with legal requirements of an environmental nature, control its negative impacts on the environment and improve its environmental performance. (IHOBE 2008, p.3).
In the Cuban legal system, the normative provisions that regulate the conservation, protection, improvement and transformation of the environment, as well as the rational use of resources, are characterized by having different ranges that go from laws to technical standards and by having a dispersion originated in the legislative power that is granted to each one of the Bodies of the Central State Administration that are in turn governing specific natural resources, according to the criteria of Rodríguez and Isaac (2012, p.40).
In the NC ISO 14 001: 2015, continuous improvement is defined as the recurring activity to improve performance; performance improvement is related to the use of EMS in coherence with the organization's environmental policy, it is not necessary for the activity to occur simultaneously in all areas, or without interruption.
The success of an EMS depends on the commitment of all functions and levels of the organization, under the leadership of top management. Organizations can take advantage of opportunities to prevent or mitigate adverse environmental impacts and increase beneficial environmental impacts, particularly those with strategic and competitive consequences, NC ISO 14 001: 2015.
The EMS requirements specified in this International Standard need not be established independently of the elements of the existing management system. All the requirements of this International Standard are intended to be incorporated into any EMS. The extent of its application will depend on factors such as the organization's environmental policy, the nature of its activities and the conditions in which it operates, as expressed in NC ISO 14 004: 2004.
The following elements will be considered when developing the procedure, the foundations of the methodological conception of the ISO 14001 standard, the recommendations of the Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment, based on the standard, as well as the possibility of evidence of continuous improvement that favors EMS certification. Procedure is understood as the set of stages or phases that respond to a science problem, Negrín Sosa (2016).
The procedure presented below is structured in five phases, which in a coherent way allow to methodologically guide the development of the EMS.
Graphically, figure 1 shows the proposed procedure.
Fig. 1. Procedure for the EMS in a hotel organization. Source: Martínez, M. 2016.
The procedure presented can be applied through external advice or by forming a work team from the organization itself; In general, shorter-term results are achieved when teams are formed made up of advisers and members of the organization itself. Figure 2 presents the procedure and its relationship with the Plan-Do-Check-Act methodology for the continuous improvement of the EMS.
Fig. 2. Procedure for the EMS and its relationship with the PDCA methodology for continuous improvement.
| Procedure for the implementation of an EMS. | ||||||
|
PP -H H- VA HVA VA |
||||||
| Phase 1
Start |
Phase 2 Development | Phase 3 Implementation | Phase 4 Certification | Phase 5 Follow-up | ||
| 1.1 Preparation
1.2 Planning |
twenty-one.
Initial environmental assessment. 2. 2. Determination of the legislation associated with each environmental aspect. 2.3. Preparation of the report of the |
3.1. Design of the plans associated with
Program Environmental. 3.2. Disclosure to involve workers and customers. 3.3. Execution of the Environmental Program and associated plans. 3.4. |
4.1 Review and improvement of the EMS.
4.2 Execution of internal environmental audits. 4.3. Implementation of improvements and corrective actions. 4.4 Preparation of reports |
5.1
Implementation of improvements. 5.2 Internal audits. 5.3 EMS update. 5.4 Management review. 5.5 External audit. 5.6 Renewal |
||
| evaluation | Implementation
COMMUNICATION |
results of | d | the A
certification obtained. Prefer to |
||
| initial.
2. 4. Definition of |
of improvements and corrective actions. | implementation.
4.5 Management review. |
5.7 |
Source: Martínez, M. 2016, based on the proposal of the IHOBE ISO 14 001 Manual.
In fig. 3 shows the results that a hotel facility achieves when applying the procedure for the Environmental Management System.
Fig. 3. Results of the application of the procedure. Source: Martínez, M. 2016.
CONCLUSIONS
- For an organization that intends to demonstrate improvements in its environmental performance, it is essential to have an EMS, with a defined structure and a systemic approach, which also takes into account compliance with current legislation and regulations when analyzing the most significant environmental aspects., since it favors the implementation, review and update of the Environmental Policy The analysis of different EMS models used internationally, together with the experience in the implementation of national models that meet the requirements of the Cuban Ministry of Tourism and the Cuban legislative framework Following the methodological conception focused on continuous improvement proposed by NC ISO 14000, the procedure that favors the certification of the EMS was designed.The procedure for the implementation of the Environmental Management System designed for, is structured in a sequenced manner in five phases: initiation, development, implementation, certification and monitoring; The application of techniques and methods, allowed to determine the opportunities to implement Good Environmental Practices in different environmental aspects such as water consumption, emission of solid waste, management of the coastal zone and in the management of outdoor areas. The proposed procedure considers the implementation of improvements and corrective actions and the execution of internal environmental audits, from the implementation phase itself and also takes into account the continuous improvement of the EMS itself, based on the PHVA methodology integrated into the different phases.In the implementation phase of the proposal, work is carried out on compliance with the Environmental Program, the Environmental Strategy and the associated plans, favoring the environmental performance of the organization with the application of continuous improvement and corrective actions together with training and the information of clients and workers, which favor compliance with the legislation, demonstrated before the competent authority in the certification phase. As the most important result of the certification phase is obtaining the Environmental Endorsement granted by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment of Cuba, required for the categorization process of the tourist accommodation facility and as the most notable impact the elevation of the environmental performance of the organization.of the Environmental Strategy and associated plans, favoring the environmental performance of the organization with the application of continuous improvement and corrective actions, together with training and information for customers and workers, which favor compliance with the legislation, demonstrated before the competent authority in the certification phase As the most important result of the certification phase is the obtaining of the Environmental Endorsement granted by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment of Cuba, required for the categorization process of the tourist accommodation facility and as the most notable impact, the elevation of the organization's environmental performance.of the Environmental Strategy and associated plans, favoring the environmental performance of the organization with the application of continuous improvement and corrective actions, together with training and information for customers and workers, which favor compliance with the legislation, demonstrated before the competent authority in the certification phase As the most important result of the certification phase is the obtaining of the Environmental Endorsement granted by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment of Cuba, required for the categorization process of the tourist accommodation facility and as the most notable impact, the elevation of the organization's environmental performance.favoring the environmental performance of the organization with the application of continuous improvement and corrective actions together with training and information from clients and workers, which favor compliance with the legislation, demonstrated before the competent authority in the certification phase. The most important result of the certification phase is the obtaining of the Environmental Endorsement granted by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment of Cuba, required for the categorization process of the tourist accommodation facility and as the most notable impact the elevation of environmental performance of the organization.favoring the environmental performance of the organization with the application of continuous improvement and corrective actions together with training and information from clients and workers, which favor compliance with the legislation, demonstrated before the competent authority in the certification phase. The most important result of the certification phase is the obtaining of the Environmental Endorsement granted by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment of Cuba, required for the categorization process of the tourist accommodation facility and as the most notable impact the elevation of environmental performance of the organization.As the most important result of the certification phase is the obtaining of the Environmental Endorsement granted by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment of Cuba, required for the categorization process of the tourist accommodation facility and as the most notable impact the increase in performance organization's environmentalAs the most important result of the certification phase is the obtaining of the Environmental Endorsement granted by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment of Cuba, required for the categorization process of the tourist accommodation facility and as the most notable impact the increase in performance organization's environmental
RECOMMENDATIONS
Taking into account the results obtained with the application of the procedure, it is recommended that:
- The organization that applies the procedure can continue to apply improvements that allow it to adjust the EMS to the requirements of NC ISO 14001: 2015 to present itself to a standardized certification process with international recognition, either in a particular process or throughout the organization. The organization can begin to develop the process of conformation of the Integrated Management System, through the integration of the Environmental Management System by NC ISO 14000, the Quality Management System by NC ISO 9000 and the Security System and Occupational Health by NC ISO 18000.The procedure can be generalized to other hotel organizations in the territory, taking into account the results of its implementation and its feasibility to improve environmental performance.The results derived from the investigation could be published to be taken into account by other organizations and favor their visibility.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Editions of the Board of Directors. University Library Collection. Andrés Eloy Blanco Territorial Polytechnic University. Barquisimeto. Venezuela. ISBN 978-980-7357-02-09 Environmental Management Systems Available at: https://navactiva2013.wordpress.com/2005/07/27/sistemas-de-gestion-medioambiental_21242/ Sistemas de Xestión Medioambientais, Vargas, E., Zizumbo, L., Biseca, F. and Serrano, R. (2011). Environmental management in the Mexican tourism sector. Effects of regulation on hotel performance. Quad. admon.ser.organ. Bogotá (Colombia), 24 (42): 183-204, January-June 2011.Organizational Environmental Management Manual. Editions of the Board of Directors. University Library Collection. Andrés Eloy Blanco Territorial Polytechnic University. Barquisimeto. Venezuela. 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Bogotá (Colombia), 24 (42): 183-204, January-June 2011.Environmental management systems Available at: https://navactiva2013.wordpress.com/2005/07/27/sistemas-de-gestion-medioambiental_21242/ Sistemas de Xestión Medioambientais Vargas, E., Zizumbo, L., Biseca, F. and Serrano, R. (2011). Environmental management in the Mexican tourism sector. Effects of regulation on hotel performance. Quad. admon.ser.organ. Bogotá (Colombia), 24 (42): 183-204, January-June 2011.
Negrín Sosa (2016). Personal communication.
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