Still Rolling since 1994

The project to adapt and develop the environmental management system (EMS) to the needs of the city organisation started in the end of 1994 in Lahti. The EMS-process aims at a systematic, wholesome and interactive approach to reduce the environmental impacts of the city's activities. The Lahti-EMS is an application of the EU's Eco-Management and Audit Scheme and part of the Local Agenda 21 for the region.

Being still developed, the management procedures are improved from the grass-root level to the top of the organisation. The EMS-process is coordinated by the environmental management team, consisting of the city's deputy mayor and managers of bigger departments and municipal companies. The process is implemented by a group of 7 persons.

The environmental analysis has been an essential starting point for setting functional environmental objectives and means for different levels of the city organization. Many meetings and seminars have been arranged for the participating personnel, the authorities and politicians to run the EMS-process and to evaluate results.

Public participation is an important part of the EMS-process. Local newspapers, radio stations, exhibition in a local library and lectures have been used to inform the public about the process and its results. A significant part of the participation has been channelled through Lahti Environmental Forum, promoting the Local Agenda 21.

The intensive cooperation has succeeded in developing suitable tools for different phases of the system. Especially tools for the environmental analysis and for the follow-up phases have been satisfactory. Also the organizational model which is based on networking remarkably increased the ability of the personnel to take care of environmental aspects related to their work.

The second round of the management circle is now under work. The policy approved in 1995 was renewed in early 2002. The environmental programs of different departments and municipal companies include hundreds of different kind environmental activities that the organization is committed to implement. The activities can be in the form of projects or they can be continuous like monitoring the quality of the ground water supply. The first follow-up of the implementation of those programs was carried out in 1998. Now the city has published the first joint environmental report which is available at: www.lahti.fi/vyk/ymparistoraportti.

The Lahti experiences are encouraging. This is an example of one functional implementation of the Rio's convention for sustainable development on the local level. To reach such progress it is important to understand that the question is about a process where human relations and communication skills play an essential role.