BALTEMA

The project "Unternehmensverband für umweltbewusstes Management für die Baltischen Länder" (BALTEMA), 2002-2005, is initiated by International Network for Environmental Management. The main goals of the project are to raise awareness among Baltic enterprises about the advantages of environmental management and to build up capacity to implement them.

The specific project goal is to support the establishment of a non-profit business associations for environmental management in the Baltic States. This associations will promote the introduction, implementation and use of environmental management through information and education in all sectors of the economy. The associations will not only serve these purposes for the three year of the project period, but remains operating after the project ends.

The target group of the project are companies from all three economic sectors, i.e primary (energy, raw materials), secondary (manufacturing) and tertiary (service provision). In addition the information and dialogue facilitated by the project shall also be open for municipalities, administrative and supervisory bodies, and other stakeholders.

 BALTEMA also pursues the following goals and activities:

1. Showing the business case, convincing companies about the advantages of implementing environmental management. This is done by organising conferences, issuing bulletins and carrying out case studies.

2. Developing and multiplying environmental management know-how and tools. This is done by performing research, studies, participating in professional organs, organising seminars and trainings, issuing guidelines and manuals and implementing demonstration programs on project application basis.

3. Exchanging experience and praising the pioneers. This goal is reached by company visits, information exchange visits and media work.

4. Providing services to actual and potential member companies and other interested parties. This includes information about local, national and international requirements for environmental protection, information on events and other news related to environmental management. Databases, small professional library and web page will be set up.

Tool 1: Eco-mapping and good housekeeping

Eco-mapping is simple, visual tool for micro enterprises and workshops to measure and reduce environmental impacts. With the help of one day survey, without complicated documentation, hot points of environmental pollution and improvement opportunities become apparent understandable for every employee. Target group: micro and small enterprises. 

Tool 2. Environmental Performance Evaluation (EPE)

There are several methods of evaluating companies´ environmental performance. One of the easiest is the adoption of environmental indicators and establishing a system of 20-30 core indicators. Advantage of the tool is that it is flexible: it can be applied in a very rough (1-2 hour brainstorm exercise and some regular collection of basic data, internal use only) or very elaborated way (3-4 moths implementation project, detailed procedures for each indicator, massive information technology support, outside publication).

Target group: SMEs and large enterprises, beginners as well as firms with advanced environmental management. 

Tool 3. Environmental Management Systems support activities

As EMAS is not yet practicable in the Baltic States, the efforts concentrate on ISO 14001. This project concentrates on three issues here: easy guide on ISO 14001 beginners; register of certified companies and consultants; coaching project for EMS self implementation (POEMS). Target group: SMEs

The main partners for the project are:

Hungarian Association for Environmentally Aware Management (KÖVET)

Estonian Institute for Sustainable Development (SEI-Tallinn)

Latvian Pollution Prevention Centre (LPPC)

Institute for Environmental Engineering (APINI), Kaunas University and

Lithuanian Environmental Management and Audit Institute (EMAI).

The project is financed by Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU).