Title: Integrating social concerns into environmental management system to improve corporate social performance

Authors: Shirish Sangle

Addresses: National Institute of Industrial Engineering, Vihar Lake, Powai, Mumbai 400087, India

Abstract: This paper makes an attempt to show integration of social life cycle thinking into Environmental Management System (EMS) can improve social performance of the organisations across the product life cycle. New emphasis should be placed on integrating social issues associated with environmental problems across the product life cycle. In effect, this paper calls for redesigning the EMS through Life Cycle Social Review (LCSR) capable of addressing: (1) social issues relating to global environmental issues, (2) social issues across the product life cycle, (3) social concerns of stakeholder groups across product life cycle and (4) institutionalising diffusion of continual improvement in social performance across the production–consumption chain.

Keywords: LCSR; life cycle social review; product life cycle; EMS; environmental management systems; corporate social performance; continual performance; continuous improvement.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESD.2008.022385

International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development, 2008 Vol.7 No.4, pp.383 - 395

Published online: 02 Jan 2009 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article