Environmental audit is a management tool that enables industries to evaluate its environmental performance and improve it on regular basis, verify the implementation of environmental management tools proposed during the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and ensure effective compliance of governing environmental laws by an industry. It is not a one-time step but an ongoing activity that aims to identify and correct environmental issues that arise during the operation of a project and improve operating and environmental conditions in industries.
A thoroughly performed environmental audit allows industries to analyse the ambiguities in the implementation of management plans and take corrective measures. It also helps industries improve the process efficiency by optimizing the usage of resources, increasing production and thereby resulting in monetary benefits. On the regulatory front, a comprehensive audit report can be helpful for regulatory purposes as it will help assess the compliance status of the industry and understand its environmental performance. Comparing data of two to three years can ascertain whether the performance of an industry is improving or declining.
Centre for Science and Environment has come with a study where it has reviewed legislations and environmental audit reports of different African countries and attempted to highlight both the strengths and shortcomings in the current system of each country. A 3-day workshop is being conducted following the report release. The workshop aims to discuss the importance of environmental data for the audit and the methodologies to incorporate that data. The overall objective of the workshop is to deliberate on strategies to strengthen the environmental audit system in African countries.
For more information, contact
Ishita GargProgramme ManagerEmail: ishita.garg@cseindia.org