Environmental Management Systems and the Third Sector: Exploring Weak Adoption in the UK

Rebecca Edwards, Graham Smith and Milena Büchs
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Rebecca Edwards: Research and Knowledge Exchange, Bournemouth University, Melbury House, 1-3 Oxford Road, Bournemouth BH8 8ES, England
Graham Smith: Centre for the Study of Democracy, University of Westminster, 32-38 Wells Street, London W1T 3UW, England
Milena Büchs: Sociology and Social Policy, University of Southampton, University Road, Southampton SO17 1BJ, England

Environment and Planning C, 2013, vol. 31, issue 1, 119-133

Abstract: The environment has become an increasingly prominent consideration across the third sector in the UK. However, while there has been an ‘audit explosion’ in relation to demonstrating the social mission of third sector organisations (TSOs), this has not transferred to the management of environmental impacts. This paper offers the first assessment of the development and adoption of environmental management systems (EMSs) across the third sector. Through a comparison with the experience of the private sector, analysis of key documents, interviews with third sector and government actors, and case studies of TSOs that have applied and/or adapted EMSs, the paper provides evidence of a relatively low level of innovation in this area. The paper concludes with reflections on the tensions associated with the future development of EMSs across the third sector, in particular the ambiguous role of government policy.

Keywords: third sector organisation; environmental management system; ISO14001; EMAS; ecological modernisation; nonprofit (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:envirc:v:31:y:2013:i:1:p:119-133

DOI: 10.1068/c11123

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