Environmental management systems in the automotive supply chain in South Africa : a pilot study

Abstract

Automobile Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) have implemented formal Environmental Management Systems (EMSs) globally that require the OEMs to consider the environmental performance and potential liabilities in the supply chain. However, in South Africa, OEMs typically experience resistance from suppliers to focus on environmental issues, compliance with regulations, and OEM requirements. Although the responses from many OEMs have been an attempt to enforce the formal EMS certification and accreditation of suppliers, a case study reveals that such certification and accreditation does not necessarily imply good environmental performance, nor indeed environmental compliance with the national legislation. Apart from general environmental management and compliance information, basic cleaner production process parameters, i.e. water and energy usage, and waste generated, were used to compare the environmental performances of different sized suppliers, with and without formal EMSs, and with variance of financial dependency on an OEM. In order to improve the environmental performance of the entire supply chain, a conceptual model is introduced, which is currently under investigation in the automotive sector of South Africa.AFRIKAANS: Oorspronklike Toerusting Vervaardigers (OTVs) in die motorbedryf het internasionaal formele Omgewingsbestuursisteme (OBS) geïmplementeer wat vereis dat die omgewingsprestasie en potensiële aanspreeklikhede van die verskaffingsketting in ag geneem moet word. Nieteenstaande ondervind OTVs in Suid-Afrika weerstand van verskaffers wanneer gefokus word op omgewingsaspekte, voldoening aan regulasies en OTV-verwagtinge. Alhoewel die meerderheid OTVs formele OBS akkreditering probeer afdwing, toon ’n gevallestudie dat dit nie noodwendig omgewingsprestasie, en voldoening aan nasionale omgewingswetgewing, impliseer nie. Afgesien van algemene omgewingsbestuur en regsvoldoening, was produksieprosesparameters, soos water- en energieverbruik, en afvalgenerering, gebruik om die omgewingsprestasie van verskillende verskaffers, met of sonder OBS, en met variasie in finansiële afhanklikheid van 'n OTV, te vergelyk. Om die omgewingsprestasie van die verskaffingsketting te verbeter, word ’n konsepsuele model wat tans in die motorvervaardigingsektor van Suid-Afrika ondersoek word, voorgestel.