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Rail operation and maintenance in an environmental management system context
KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Land and Water Resources Engineering.
2005 (English)Licentiate thesis, comprehensive summary (Other scientific)
Abstract [en]

The Swedish National Rail Administration, Banverket, has the overarching sector responsibility for Swedish railways, including a responsibility for implementing and managing the government decision for an ecologically sustainable development. In support of achieving ecologically sustainable development and fulfilment of the national environmental objectives and environmental legislation, Banverket initiated the implementation of an Environmental Management System (EMS) in 1998. The overall aim of this thesis is to examine the EMS applied at Banverket with regard to the identification and monitoring of environmental aspects at the administrative Railway Regions of Banverket. The analysis is based on a qualitative approach comprising questionnaires, interviews, document analysis and participating observations.

Areas for potential improvements are identified. A more stringent use of the EMS is needed in the organisation. Furthermore, a link between activity, aspect and impact when identifying environmental aspects would improve the procedure. Like in other public organisations, the monitoring of environmental aspects at Banverket is insufficient. Introducing indicators and integrating different Government requirements for environmental monitoring into one system, using EMS as a tool would make the system more effective. In the thsesis a framework is proposed for the identification of environmental aspects pertaining to operation and maintenance at Banverket. This framework has an input–output perspective and provides a clear connection between activity, aspect and impact. Furthermore, by establishing the framework on a system used mainly for environmental performance evaluation, a better connection between the identification and monitoring of aspects is created, possibly improving both processes. The framework for the identifica-tion of environmental aspects, as proposed in the thesis, could also be modified and applied in other organisations.

A major conclusion of the study is that the EMS applied at Banverket, in its present form, is not an effective environmental management tool for achieving ecologically sustainable development within the rail sector. Adapted methods for identification and monitoring of environmental aspects for public organisations such as Banverket would facilitate the application of EMS and increase its effectiveness as an environmental tool.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Stockholm: KTH , 2005. , p. vi, 16
Series
TRITA-LWR. LIC, ISSN 1650-8629 ; 2026
Keywords [en]
EMS; environmental aspect; monitoring; public organisations; Banverket
National Category
Other Civil Engineering
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-248ISBN: 91-7178-072-6 (print)OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-248DiVA, id: diva2:8069
Presentation
2005-05-17, 10:00
Note

QC 20101213

Available from: 2005-05-31 Created: 2005-05-31 Last updated: 2022-06-23Bibliographically approved
List of papers
1. Identification of environmental aspects in an EMS context: A methodological framework for the Swedish National Rail Administration
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Identification of environmental aspects in an EMS context: A methodological framework for the Swedish National Rail Administration
2007 (English)In: Journal of Cleaner Production, ISSN 0959-6526, E-ISSN 1879-1786, Vol. 15, no 5, p. 385-394Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Environmental aspects are basic elements in an Environmental Management System (EMS). The identification of environmental aspects is, however, recognized as one of the most complicated parts in establishing an EMS and has been subject to criticism concerning, e.g., lack of transparency and reproducibility. This paper evaluates the Swedish National Rail Administration's (Banverket) current practice for the identification of environmental aspects. A better link between activity, aspect and impact is needed. A more stringent identification procedure would improve Banverket's environmental management. The paper proposes a structured framework for the identification of environmental aspects at Banverket.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier, 2007
Keywords
Environmental management system; Public organization; Sweden; Operation and maintenance
National Category
Other Civil Engineering
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-10113 (URN)10.1016/j.jclepro.2005.11.017 (DOI)000244134900001 ()2-s2.0-37849184976 (Scopus ID)
Note
QC 20100729Available from: 2009-03-23 Created: 2009-03-23 Last updated: 2022-09-13Bibliographically approved
2. Environmental management systems in rail operation and maintenance: Current practice and potential improvements
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Environmental management systems in rail operation and maintenance: Current practice and potential improvements
2005 (English)In: Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management, ISSN 1464-3332, E-ISSN 1757-5605, Vol. 7, no 3, p. 433-456Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Environmental management systems (EMS) require performance evaluation of significant environmental aspects. Much has been published on how to achieve environmental performance evaluation but little information is available on applications in practice. The Swedish National Rail Administration, Banverket, initiated the implementation of EMS in 1998, at about the same time as many other rail administrations. In this paper an overview of the application of EMS at rail administrations in selected countries is presented and systems for environmental performance evaluation within the EMS used by Banverket are analysed. The use of EMS by rail administrations was found to vary from the absence of environmental management to fully implemented EMS, mainly ISO 14001. At Banverket, EMS is widely used but the environmental performance evaluation could be improved by introducing indicators and merging all types of environmental monitoring, currently reported separately, into a common system

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
World Scientific Publishing Co., 2005
Keywords
Environmental performance evaluation; EMS; ISO14001; railway; Sweden
National Category
Other Civil Engineering
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-10112 (URN)10.1142/S1464333205002134 (DOI)2-s2.0-24944580115 (Scopus ID)
Note
QC 20100729Available from: 2009-03-23 Created: 2009-03-23 Last updated: 2022-09-13Bibliographically approved

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CiteExportLink to record
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Citation style
  • apa
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