Agenda
21 is the name of the agreement signed by most countries at the
UN Rio Conference in 1992. "Agenda 21 addresses the pressing
problems of today and also aims at preparing the world for the challenges
of the next century. It reflects a global consensus and political
commitment at the highest level on development and environment co-operation."
Capacity building is the development of the skills and activities
of individuals in an organisation to their full capacity. It means
investment made with the purpose of enhancing the ability of individuals
to achieve their development goals.
Competency
is the set of skills and attitudes, described in terms of behaviours,
which can be observed and which is essential for effective environmental
performance. Competence is the ability to perform in the workplace
to the standards required. (Environmental Management NOS)
Continual
Improvement involves the identifying areas for improvement, developing
and implementing plans for improvement evaluating the results and
using the findings to develop further improvements (Environmental
Management NOS).
Corporate
Social Responsibility is the commitment of business to contribute
to sustainable economic development, working with employees, their
families, the local community and society at large to improve their
quality of life. (Source:World Business Council for Sustainable Development)
Demand-side
are the stakeholders who need skills and need to say what they
are.
Duty
of Care applies to anybody who carries, keeps, treats, or disposes
of waste, or who acts as a third party and arranges matters such as
imports or disposal. They must ensure that nobody in the chain commits
an offence regarding waste
Ecology
is the study of communities of living organisms and the relationships
among the members of those communities and between them and the physical
and chemical constituents of their surroundings.
Ecosystems
are systems in which organisms interact with each other and with
their environment. There are two parts; the entire complex of organisms
(biome) living in harmony and the habitat in which the biome exists.
Environment
is everything that surrounds us, including ourselves.
Environmental
Management System (EMS)
"is
the part of the overall management system
which includes organisation structure, planning
activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures,
processes and resources for developing,
implementing, achieving, reviewing and
maintaining the environmental policy." (ISO 14001 Def)
There are two main systems - ISO 14001
internationally and the EU Scheme EMAS.
Environmental
Performance is the relationship between the organisation and the
environment. It includes: the environmental effects of resources consumed,
the environmental impacts of the organisational process, the environmental
implications of its products and services, the recovery and processing
of products and meeting the environmental requirements of law. (Environmental
Management NOS)
Environmental
Practices are those work practices which reduce negative and promote
positive impacts on the environment
Environmental
Practitioner is a skilled employee who is capable of helping implement
procedures for improving the environmental performance of the organisation
Employee
Involvement refers to internal communication, training and assignment
of responsibilities in job descriptions, as outlined in EMAS.
Global
Warming is an increase in the near surface temperature of the
Earth.
Health
and Safety refers issues related to chronic ill-health caused
by work (occupational health) and more acute damage caused by physical
environment.
Just
Transition keeps workers and communities whole when toxic chemicals,
or other environmental damaging processes, are banned or phased out.
Level
1 (Foundation) indicates an initial stage below the usual standard
for work. The QCA definition of Level 1 is "competence in the
performance of a range of varied work activities, most of which may
be routine and predictable."
Level
2 (Intermediate) People who work under supervisions or who work
in teams are considered as 'Intermediate' or level 2. The QCA definition
is "The QCA definition of Level 2 is competence in a significant
range of varied work activities, performed in a variety of contexts.
Some of the activities are complex or non-routine, and there is some
individual responsibility or autonomy."
Level
3 (Advanced) People at level 3 are employees who do not have the
responsibility of managers, but do not work under supervision, and
have the freedom to move about at work. The QCA definition is "competence
in a broad range of varied work activities performed in a wide variety
of contexts, most of which are complex and non-routine."
Level
4 (Management) is for people who are responsible for organising
people and production. QCA definition is "Competence in a broad
range of complex, technical or professional work activities performed
in a wide variety of contexts and with a substantial degree of personal
responsibility and autonomy. Responsibility for the work of others
and allocation of resources is often present".
National
Occupational Standards (NOSs)
NOSs set
out realworld job skills defined by employers, and other stakeholders
National
Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) are
qualifications which assesses someone’s competence in a work situation.
NVQs are based on national occupational standards.
Precautionary
Principle is
part of the Rio Declaration that says: "Where there are threats
of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty
shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures
to prevent environmental degradation" (Principle 15).
Product Stewardship denotes
the responsible management of the health, safety and environmental
aspects of the basic configuration of a business in terms of a product
throughout its life-cycle and / or the investment and operations to
produce a process or provide a service.
Quality
and Curriculum Authority (QCA) is
the guardian of standards in education and training in England &
Wales. The Scottish equivalent is SQA.
Reasonably
Practicable. 'As far as is reasonably practicable' "implies
that a computation must be made by the employer in which the quantum
of risk is placed on one scale and the sacrifice in the measures necessary
to avert the risk (whether in money, time or trouble) is placed in
the other."
Edwards v NCB 1949 used in H&S at Work etc Act 1974
Resources
are
the people, time, equipment, materials, services, energy and premises.
(Environmental
Management NOS).
Risk
is
“the likelihood of the hazard’s potential being realised” according
to the HSE
Risk
Assessment is the process of estimating the risk to health or
environment of a product or work process by determining the possible
extent of damage and the likelihood of that damage occurring. The
goal is to produce “objective” data as a basis for making managerial
or regulatory decisions.
Sector
Skills Councils (SSC) replaced
the National Training Organisations as the bodies responsible for
developing skills and the standards to define them.
Sector
Skills Development Agency (SSDA) is
the central body responsible for conducting the overall development
of both generic and sector skills in the UK.
Skills:
Generic
Skills are transferable skills which can be used across occupational
groups. These include key skills– communication, application
of number, problem solving, team working, IT and improving own learning
and performance. Generic skills also cover reasoning skills, work
process, management skills, personal values and attitudes such as
motivation, discipline, judgement, leadership and initiative. Transitional
skills are those generic skills, such as environmental skills, that
contribute to the transition to a more sustainable production process.
Vocational Skills are the specific ‘technical’ skills needed
to work within an occupation oroccupational group - hence sector
skills. These are essential for standard occupational tasks.
Standards
Here
when we refer to standards, we refer to the standards for skills.
In the UK, these are called National Occupational Standards (See NOSs).
Many people also refer to standards as the standards to define various
managment systems, eg. ISO 14001 is a standard for environmental management
systems.
Supply-side
are
the colleges and training providers who support skills development.
Sustainable
Development "is
development that meets that needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." according
to Our Common Future - the Bruntland Report in 1987
Systems
are
sets of
interacting elements
organized in relation to a goal. Systems theory gives a view of how
complex networks work, often using analysis of mow natural or eco-systems
work. At work, quality systems are set up to provide the required
goals as efficiently as possible.
TQEM
means
Total Quality and Environmental Management and does for environmental
management systems what Total Quality Management did for ISO 9000,
turning it from a series of procedures to a way of life at work.
Triple
Bottom Line is
for companies aiming for sustainability, who have to perform to not
just a single financial bottom line, but the simultaneous pursuit
of economic prosperity, environmental quality and social equity
- Profit,
Planet & People.
Vocational means
"work" or "work-related".
Vocationally-related
Qualifications (VRQs) are
qualifications that relate with work. They are a cross between "academic/professional"
qualifications which test knowledge and NVQs which determine competence
to to a particular job. VRQs develop skills that can enhance work,
but are not specific to particular tasks.