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Environment and Energy

Conservation; Environmental
Audits; International
requirements for Ethics and
Safety in Clothing
Environment
Environment may refer to:
Environment (biophysical), the physical and
biological factors along with their chemical
interactions that affect an organism where
pollution is important
Environment (systems),the surroundings of a
physical system that may interact with the
system by exchanging mass, energy, or other
properties
Environments (series),a series of LPs, cassettes
and CDs depicting natural sounds

Environment may also refer to:
Built environment, constructed surroundings that
provide the setting for human activity, ranging from
the large-scale civic surroundings to the personal
places
Knowledge environment, social practices, technological
and physical arrangements intended to facilitate
collaborative knowledge building, decision making,
inference or discovery
Natural environment, all living and non-living things
Social environment, the culture that an individual lives
in, and the people and institutions with whom they
interact
Physical environment, in ecology

Energy Conservation
Energy conservation refers to reducing energy
through using less of an energy service.
Even though energy conservation reduces
energy services, it can result in
increased, environmental quality, national
security, and personal financial security. It is at
the top of the sustainable energy hierarchy
Energy development contributing to
economic development.
Energy development is an integral part of economic
development. Economically developed countries
use more energy per unit of economic output and
have much more per capita energy consumption
as compared to developing countries. Energy has
been universally recognized as one of the most
important inputs for economic growth and
human development. Growth of economy will
stand global competitiveness withstand only
when it will depend on cost effective or cheaper
and environment friendly energy sources
Energy sector in India has been receiving high
priority in the planning process. Government
of India has recognized the fact that the
energy sector can become a major constraint
or hurdle in the achievement of a high growth
rate or Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It has
therefore called for an increase in the reform
process and adoption of an integrated energy
policy.

industrial development and modern means of
transport and various types of gadgets require
increasing amounts of energy. Fossil fuels are
universally the main source of energy which are
finite and non renewable. It is therefore
necessary to prevent wastage of energy and
make all our efforts for energy conservation. The
use of fluorescent light bulbs, energy efficient
appliances and low emissive glass could reduce
energy consumption significantly

Conservation of energy at various
levels

(A) Energy conservation at household level
(i) Major appliances for domestic use
(ii) Lighting
(iii) Electricity conservation
(iv) Cooling
(B) Energy conservation at community level
(i) Use of renewable energy resources
(ii) Energy conservation at community level
for housing complexes
(C) Energy conservation in industry and other
places. At factories and business centers including
shops
(a) Auditing- Regular monitoring and audit of energy consumption
results in energy conservation.
(b) Process modification-Process modification means replacement
of old and more energy consuming processes by the new energy
efficient processes. Old factories should now employ process
modification.
(c) Improved measuring instruments- We can use new
technologies and energy efficient instruments and processes to
conserve energy.
(d) Energy loss reduction-We can reduce energy loss by using
following measures, for eg: thermal insulation of fuel tanks can be
done, Ceramic fiber sealing of furnaces, electrical tracing of liquid
fuel lines instead of conventional steam heating.


(D) Energy conservation in transportation sector-
Transportation includes all vehicles used for personal or
freight transportation. Do you know of the energy used
in this sector, approximately 65% is consumed by
gasoline powered vehicles, primarily personally owned.
Diesel powered transport (trains, merchant ship, heavy
trucks etc.) consume about 20% and air traffic consumes
most of the remaining 15%. Energy can be conserved in
transportation by the following ways:
(i) Reduction of fuel consumption
(ii) Fuel economy- maximizing behavior describes
techniques that drivers can use to optimize
their automobile fuel economy.


Environment Auditing
Energy auditing is a systematic approach to
monitor industrial energy consumption and to
find out the sources of energy wastage. It consists
of activities that seek to identify conservation
opportunities before conducting or developing
any energy saving program.
Environmental audit is a general term that can
reflect various types or evaluations intended to
identify environmental compliance and
management system implementation gaps, along
with related corrective actions.
Purpose
The essential purpose of an environmental audit is
the systematic scrutiny of environmental
performance throughout a companys existing
operations. At best, an audit is a comprehensive
examination of management systems and
facilities; at worst, it is a superficial review.

Auditing in India

The Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) in India is headed
by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India
who is a constitutional authority. The CAG of India
derives his mandate from Articles 148 to 151 of the
Indian Constitution. The CAGs (Duties, Powers and
Conditions of Service) Act, 1971 prescribes functions,
duties and powers of the CAG. While fulfilling his
constitutional obligations, the CAG examines various
aspects of government expenditure and revenues. The
audit conducted by CAG is broadly classified into
Financial, Compliance and Performance Audit.
Environmental audit by SAI India is conducted within
the broad framework of Compliance and Performance
Audit.


International Chamber of Commerce
defines environmental audits as:

The systematic examination of the interactions
between any business operation and its
surroundings. This includes all emissions to air,
land, and water; legal constraints; the effects
on neighboring community, landscape and
ecology; and the publics perception of the
operating company in the local area.
features
Is a management tool for evaluating
environmental performance against specified
objectives.
Environmental auditing is normally regarded as
part of an overall environmental management
system and it is therefore not considered in
isolation but as one of a series of regular
audits to assess improvements in
performance.
Procedure
It is a process of a systematic, periodic and objective approach
to investigating business operations- from conception to
grave.
A series of questions (i.e. questionnaires & checklists), of the
type outlined above on all stages of the enterprise & it's
processes, are prepared.
A report is written, highlighting the good and bad points that
need attention
The team may also evaluate the effectiveness of systems in
place to manage compliance and asses.
Environmental audits are comprehensive and systematic
reviews of the enterprise's environmental performance used
to improve compliance with environmental laws and minimize
future environmental damage & the environmental risks
associated with the facility's operations.

Environmental Audits may be conducted for different
purposes & hence there are several types:

1) Compliance audits - used to insure that the company
is meeting all regulations regarding specific
environmental practices, or the implications of non-
compliance.
2) Systems Audits that focus on how systems are used
internally to manage environmental risks.
3) Property Audits of transactions of property transfers
and due diligence for purchasing property to reduce
or become aware of the potential risks involved in
these transactions.
4) "Treatment, Storage, Disposal Facility" Audits which
are used to follow different types of hazardous
material throughout it's life cycle and disposal. This
helps insure they are properly disposed of and stored
etc.
5) Preventative Measures Audits that focus on how &
what steps can be taken to reduce the amount of risk
a company has if these measures are put into place.
6) Appraisals on the production process itself to insure
that products meet specific standards both as per
Government Regulations & as per internal safety
standards.

Environmental compliance audits

these audits are intended to review the site's/company's
legal compliance status in an operational context.
Compliance audits generally begin with determining the
applicable compliance requirements against which the
operations will be assessed.
This tends to include federal regulations, state
regulations, permits and local ordinances/codes. In some
cases, it may also include requirements within legal
settlements.
Compliance audits may be multimedia or programmatic.
Multimedia audits involve identifying and auditing all
environmental media (air, water, waste, etc.) that apply
to the operation/company. Programmatic audits (which
may also be called thematic or media-specific) are limited
in scope to pre-identified regulatory areas, such as air.

ISO14000-Introduction
This is a comprehensive series of standards designed to cover
the whole area of environmental issues for organizations in the
global marketplace.
ISO 14001 is a voluntary international standard
for environmental management systems ("EMS"). ISO
14001:2004 provides the requirements for an EMS and ISO
14004 gives general EMS guidelines. An EMS meeting the
requirements of ISO 14001:2004 is a management tool enabling
an organization of any size or type to: Identify and control the
environmental impact of its activities, products or services;
Improve its environmental performance continually, and
Implement a systematic approach to setting environmental
objectives and targets, to achieving these and to demonstrating
that they have been achieved.
Organizations implementing ISO 14001 usually seek to
obtain certification by independent Certification Bodies.
Certification indicates that the documentation, implementation
and effectiveness of the EMS conform to the specific
requirements of ISO 14001.

List of ISO 14000 standards relevent
for Environmental Auditing:
14010 Guidelines for Environmental Auditing- General Principles
of Environmental Auditing.
14011 Guidelines for Environmental Auditing- Audit Procedures-
Part 1: Auditing of Environmental Management Systems.
14012 Guidelines for Environmental Auditing- qualification
Criteria for Environmental Auditors.
14013/15 Guidelines for Environmental Auditing- Audit
Programs, Reviews & Assessments.
14024 Environment Labelling- Practitioner Programs- Guiding
Principles, Practices & Certification Procedures of Multiple
Criteria Programs.
14031/32 Guidelines on Environmental Performance Evaluation.
14040/43 Life Cycle Assessment General Principles and
Practices.
the ISO organization also published ISO 19011,
the standard for auditing quality and
environmental management systems (ISO
19011:2002), which was used for internal
audits and certification audits of EMS until it
was updated in 2011. The 2011 version on ISO
19011 restricts its use in first and second part
audits, while third part audits (certification
audits) are now covered in ISO/IEC 17021.
A common misconception is that ISO 14001 certification
automatically implies legal compliance. Certification under ISO
14001 does not directly reflect compliance with any legal
requirements, although ISO 14001 demands the organization
to evaluate its compliance with legal requirements. If there is
no compliance with some legal requirement, ISO 14001
requires that the organization sets specific targets related to
the non-compliance(s) and establishes, implements and
maintains programes to achieve compliance. Therefore it is
possible that, at the time of audit, the organization fulfils the
requirements of ISO 14001, yet there are one or more non-
compliances with specific requirements, which are identified
and which the organization actively works to correct. Specific
guidance on this subject is provided by the European co-
operation for Accreditation.
International requirements for Ethics
and Safety in Clothing
In principle, all Textile and leather products can be
certified as well as the accessories used in Textile and
leather products. products that can be
certified are:
Fiber
Yarn
Grey fabric
Finished fabric
Buttons and zippers
Finished garments
Sheets
Towels
Labels

Process for Certification of International
Standards

Initial
Application
Contract
Review
Submission of Quotation Contract
Audit Stage 1
Non
Conf
ormi
ties
Yes No
Requ
irem
ents
to
be
fulfill
ed
as
per
stan
dard
s
Certi
ficati
on
Surveillance
Audits
a) ISO 9001:2008 - Quality Management System - generic
standard which could be applied to all the industry verticals
b) ISO 14001:2004: Environmental Management System
c) OHSAS 18001:2007- Occupational Health and Safety
Management System
d) SA 8000 - Social Accountability
e) Organic Certification for textile Industry
f) All ecolabels on textiles | Ecolabel Index
g) OEKO-TEX | Sustainable Textile Production (STeP)
h) Focus on Green Textile Certifications | Texeastile
i) Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production - Guidelines
for certification of the Textile Industry

ISO 9001:2008
is an international standard related to quality
management, applicable to any organization from all types of
business sectors and activities. It is based on eight quality
management principles (all fundamental to good business
practice) when fully adopted these principles can help
improve your organizational performance.
Customer Focus Organizations depend on their customers,
and therefore need to shape activities around the fulfillment
of market need
Leadership Is needed to provide unity of purpose and
direction
Involvement of People Creates an environment where
people become fully involved in achieving the organizations
objectives



Process Approach To achieve organizational
objectives, resources and activities need to be
managed as processes, with an understanding of how
the outputs of one process affect the inputs to another
System Approach to Management The effectiveness
and efficiency of the organization depends upon a
systemized approach to work activities
Continual Improvement Adopting this as a part of
everyday culture is key objective for an organization
Fact Based Decision Making Effective decisions are
based on the logical and intuitive analysis of data and
functional information
Mutually Beneficial Supplier Relationships Such
relationships will enhance the ability to create value.

ISO 14001
Proving your responsibility to the
environment

The appropriate management of environmental issues
contributes positively to economic gain and increases
the competitiveness of the company.
Benefits to Organization:
Customer, investor, public, community assurance by
demonstrating commitment
Improving cost control through conserving input
materials and energy
Reducing incidents that result in liability, therefore
reduces insurance costs
Assisting the attainment of permits and authorizations
for local trade.



OHSAS 18001
Demonstrate your ability to manage risk

Organizations of all kinds are increasingly concerned about achieving
and demonstrating sound Occupational Health and Safety
performance to their shareholders, employees, clients and other
stakeholders by managing the risks and improving the beneficial
effects of their activities, products and services.
Benefits to Organization:
Improve your safety culture
Improved efficiency and consequently reduce accident and production time
loss
Increased control of hazards and the reduction of risks through the setting
of
objectives, targets and devolved responsibility
Demonstrate legal compliance
Increase your reputation for safety and occupational health
Reduce insurance premiums
Is an integral part of a sustainability strategy
Demonstrate your commitment to the protection of staff, property and
plant
Encourage more effective internal and external communication
Business to business contract winner





SA8000
Enhancing your company reputation through social
responsibility

Is based on the well known ISO 9001/ISO 14001 structure,
conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO), the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the UN Convention
on the Rights of the Child.
Social concerns like child labor, forced labor and discrimination
require companies to not only consider their own direct sphere of
influence but also their entire supply chain.











ISO 17799/ BS 7799/ BS 15000
Helping you for the security of your business

Information is most valuable asset to your organization. Virtually
every business now depends on information and information
technology.
BS 7799 standard, involves a thorough review of all aspects of IT
security. From data loss, unauthorized access and virus attack to
electronic commerce, hacking and disaster recovery,
the BS 7799 initiative carefully assesses the risks to your business
and highlights the areas where improvements need to be made.
BS7799 sets a new standard for handling of sensitive information.
Benefits to Organization:
Confidentiality Protects key information from unauthorized
disclosure.
Integrity Safeguarding the accuracy and completeness of
information and software
Availability Ensuring that information and services are available
when required


WRAP (Worldwide Responsible for Apparel
Production)

It ensures that a factory produces sewn goods under lawful, humane,
and ethical conditions. WRAP monitors the factory for compliance
with detailed practices and procedures implied by
adherence to these standards.
Compliance with Laws and Workplace Regulations - Manufacturers
of Sewn Products will comply with laws and regulations in all
locations where they conduct business.
Prohibition of Forced Labor They will not use involuntary or forced
labor -- indentured, bonded or otherwise.
Prohibition of Child Labor They will not hire any employees under
the age of 14, or minimum age established by law.
Prohibition of Harassment or Abuse They will provide a work
environment free of harassment, abuse or corporal punishment in
any form.












Compensation and Benefits - will pay at least the minimum
total compensation required by local law, including all
mandated wages, allowances and benefits.
Hours of Work - will comply with hours worked each day, and
days worked each week, shall not exceed the legal limitations
of the countries in which sewn product is produced. They will
provide at least one day off in every seven-day period, except
as required to meet urgent business needs.
Prohibition of Discrimination - Manufacturers of Sewn
Products will employ, pay, promote, and terminate workers
on the basis of their ability to do the job, rather than on the
basis of personal characteristics or beliefs.
Health and Safety They will provide a safe and healthy
work environment. Where residential housing is provided for
workers, apparel manufacturers will provide safe and healthy
housing.
Freedom of Association & Collective Bargaining - will
recognize and respect the right of employees to exercise
their lawful rights of free association and collective
bargaining.
Environment - will comply with environmental rules,
regulations and standards applicable to their operations,
and will observe environmentally conscious practices in all
locations where they operate.
Customs Compliance - will comply with applicable
customs law and, in particular, will establish and maintain
programs to comply with customs laws regarding illegal
transshipment of apparel products.
Security - will maintain facility security procedures to
guard against the introduction of non-manifested cargo into
outbound shipments (e.g.drugs, explosives, biohazards,
and/or other contraband).

Eco Labeling

Oeko-Tex 100- is a label that focuses on minimizing the
presence of dangerous chemicals in Textile products. Oeko-
Tex 100 sets different requirements for different types of
products. For babies, who are most sensitive to exposure to
chemicals, the limits are the strictest. For interior Textiles
on the contrary, the limits are less strict since people are
not directly and for a long time in contact with such fabrics.

EU Eco-label For Textiles- It sets requirements for the
complete life cycle, from fiber production to use stage. Big
buyers H&M and Nike are requiring waste water treatment
plants from their suppliers of fabrics.



Conclusion
i) Textile industry is a highly energy intensive industry which
consumes a lot of energy from the initial processes like Spinning,
weaving, fabrication, finishing, manufacturing, colouring, dyeing,
printing, etc..
ii) Since a lot of fabric used for clothing today is Synthetic, their
fabrication process itself involved use of various chemicals and
hence had a significant contribution to the Air Pollution, Water
Pollution, Soil contamination, Thermal Pollution, etc..to name a
few.
iii) Another key concern related to the Textile and Apparel industry
is the deployment of untrained - child labour and the In-human
working condition.
iv) To ensure Ethical working conditions, various global standards
have been recommended for the textile industry.

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