The Danish Environmental Management Support Scheme was initiated in 1995. In the period
1995-1999, a series of projects were supported under the scheme with a view to promote
environmental management in Danish enterprises, in particular small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs). The Danish Environmental Protection Agency and the Danish Agency for
Trade and Industry were jointly responsible for the administration of the scheme. The
total amount available under the scheme was DKK 120 mill.
Funding was made available for branch organizations and consultants as well as other
organizations with an advisory function towards enterprises. Direct funding to individual
enterprises was not possible under the scheme. Projects were implemented within three
action areas: (i) Information; (ii) Development of training material and courses; and
(iii) Development and testing of tools and methods.
From January to July 2001, Kvistgaard Consult has carried out an ex-post evaluation of
the support scheme. The overall objective of the evaluation was to assess the impact of
the supported projects and to examine whether the programme objectives formulated at the
beginning of the scheme had been met.
In terms of methodology, a number of data collection activities were implemented.
Quantitative surveys were targeted at different segments of Danish enterprises, and an
analysis of all supported projects was made. Other analyses were performed, e.g. an
assessment of administrative practice and a comparative analysis on international
experiences with environmental management.
The overall conclusion of the evaluation is that the support scheme has been
successful in achieving its objectives. This conclusion is based on a number of
observations described below.
First of all, the outputs of projects supported under the scheme are generally of a
very high professional standard and constitute a solid foundation for applying
environmental management in the enterprises.
Moreover, the projects are assessed as highly relevant in relation to the objectives of
the scheme as well as cost-effectively implemented. The evaluator concludes that the
projects have generally brought about significant effects in the form of dissemination of
knowledge on environmental management to the enterprises. Finally, most of the projects
supported appear to be sustainable in the sense that project results are continuously used
after project completion.
With regard to the effects of the projects, the evaluation has demonstrated that the
support scheme has most likely contributed to and facilitated the introduction of
environmental management schemes in enterprises according to the EU Eco-Management and
Audit Scheme (EMAS) and ISO 14001 standard. This conclusion is based on the fact that the
knowledge of the support scheme is more widespread among the companies participating in
the EMAS and ISO 14001 schemes.
In addition to making knowledge and a number of tools on environmental management
available to enterprises, the evaluation has shown that the support scheme has helped make
access to environmental management easier. Indications are that the economic costs of
introducing environmental management schemes may have decreased by an average of 13 per
cent compared to an estimation made in a publication from 1999.
Stimulating interest in and knowledge of environmental management in Danish enterprises
has been a primary objective of the support scheme.
The evaluation documents that the ambition to disseminate knowledge has been achieved.
Among Danish enterprises in general, more than one third has a qualified knowledge of
environmental management, although the level of knowledge is far more widespread among
medium-sized and larger manufacturing and industrial enterprises.
Whereas the knowledge of the concept of environmental management is satisfactory among
enterprises, this is not the case in relation to knowledge of the formalized schemes (EMAS
and ISO 14001). On the contrary, the lack of knowledge is rather widespread among
enterprises in general. Again, industrial enterprises display more insight in relation to
the formalized schemes than Danish enterprises in general, but the degree of knowledge is
equally limited with this central segment of enterprises.
With regard to enterprises in the 21 branches prioritized under the scheme, the picture
is somewhat different. Knowledge of the environmental management concepts as well as EMAS
and ISO 14001 is rather prevalent. Moreover, it is interesting to note that one out of two
enterprises in these branches has a qualified level of knowledge of environmental
management as well as work with environmental management at some level. This is so despite
the fact that formalized environmental management has not been introduced. This
observation leads to the conclusion that the efforts under the scheme have been successful
in targeting the projects at selected branches. However, it also means that formalized
environmental management does not always represent the solution to environmental problems
in all enterprises.
As mentioned above, the support scheme has been based on an approach, where branch
organizations were given an important role to facilitate the introduction of environmental
management in enterprises. Half of the supported projects were carried out by branch
organizations.
In general, the branch projects receive a positive evaluation having succeeded in
disseminating targeted information on environmental management to their member
enterprises.
However, the branch projects do display some variation in relation to project effects
and sustainability. On this basis, a number of best practice projects have been pointed
out with a view to identify lessons learned from these projects. The use of experience
groups and pilot enterprises are stressed as important factors to obtain significant
effects and sustainability. Another best practice factor is the ability to differentiate
the project products with a view to reach enterprises with different needs and
preconditions for introducing environmental management. Also, the size of a branch has had
some influence on the degree of success, as the larger organizations typically have had
the necessary communication channels and experience with dissemination of information as
well as environmental competencies within the organization.
Having concluded that the support scheme has been successful in achieving its
objectives, it is expedient to ask whether the introduction of environmental management
has had any effects in the enterprises?
The evaluation shows that the introduction of formalized environmental management
primarily ensures control, documentation and overview of the production process and its
influence on the environment. Other important effects are employee involvement, a more
visible environmental profile, and an improved dialogue with the local environmental
authorities. Also, it is documented that an integrated certification process, where
environmental management is introduced in parallel with other standards (e.g. ISO 9001),
entails significant advantages.
At the same time, a number of enterprises has experienced that the introduction of
formalized environmental management has not yet yielded the expected positive effects in
relation to enterprise competitiveness. In this context, the enterprises do not experience
any significant demand from the market (lack of market pull) – neither before the
introduction in the form of requirements from customers and suppliers, nor after the
introduction in the form of increasing demand.
A number of barriers have been identified by the enterprises participating in at least
one of the two environmental management schemes. Examples of barriers are lack of time and
resources in the enterprises, a lack of interest from customers, and a lack of flexibility
in the existing formalized schemes.
The most dominant barrier is that many enterprises do not find formalized environmental
management relevant. The evaluation shows that the experienced lack of relevance often is
widespread among the enterprises with a low level of knowledge of environmental
management. A simple causal connection between the two cannot, however, be made.
Finally, it is a main conclusion from the evaluation that the scheme has been
appropriately administered in accordance with good administrative behaviour. It is
stressed that the administrative collaboration between the Environmental Protection Agency
and the Agency for Trade and Industry has worked very satisfactorily.
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