Methods of eco-auditing and verifying environmental statements derived from qualitative methods of social research
✍ Scribed by Reinhard Paulesich; Horst Reiger
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1997
- Weight
- 200 KB
- Volume
- 4
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0968-9427
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
In 1993 the European Union issued the decree Environmental Management and Auditing Scheme' (EMAS). EMAS does not only require an examination of a companys compliance with legal norms and differential limina (compliance audit) but a review of the existence and functionality of the system `company' with regard to the achievement of ecofriendly results (system audit). Whereas a compliance audit scheme used to work with standardized checklists these instruments are not suf®cient for EMAS. The switch to a system audit means that the checking methods have to meet higher standards. This paper is trying to show that the complex EMAS justi®es the use of methods and instruments of qualitative social research (for example qualitative interviews, participant observation, qualitative content analysis) and that they help to reach the goals intended by EMAS. Recently applied methods of validation are causing a formalistic and audit oriented corporate behaviour in environmental problem solving. Strengths and shortcomings of corporate speci®c solutions are remaining undiscovered and underdeveloped.