1. Environmental Studies

Environment Management
Dr. Parveen Kaur Nagpal

Introduction to Environment Management
Environment management refers to the management of modern
human society with, and its impact on, the environment.
Environment management is a systematic approach to finding
practical ways for saving water, energy, and materials, and
reducing negative environmental impacts. This can be brought
about by keeping a check on and regulating the destructive
activities of man, conservation, protection of nature and so on.
Environment management is thus, the process to improve the
relationship between the human beings and environment.
It involves the wise use of activity and resources to impact the
world.
Many organizations develop a management plan or system to
implement, manage and maintain environmental goals.

The process of environment management is related to the rational
adjustment of man with nature involving judicious utilization of
natural resources without disturbing the ecosystem balance.
If the natural resources are overexploited, it will affect socio-
economic development of a nation.
Thus, environment management must take into consideration the
ecological principles and socio-economic needs of the society i.e.,
it involves socio economic developments on one hand and
maintenance of environmental quality on other hand.
Environment management has two major aspects:
• Socio-economic development, and
• Stability of biosphere in general and stability of individual
ecosystems in particular.

Features of Environment Management
➢ Generic Term: as it encompasses a variety of management
practices. It lacks specificity and covers a wide range of
ecological issues, environmental laws, regulations and
compliances in relation to environment safety and hazards.
➢ Systematic Process: of finding practical ways for saving
resources. It assists to identify and address problems
simultaneously. An environmental management process can
be viewed as a conscious, goal-oriented process driven by
normative principles.
➢ Sustainable Management: Environmental management
supports sustainable development, an organizing principle for
sustaining finite resources necessary to provide for the needs
of future generations of life on the planet.

Features of Environment Management
➢ Interdisciplinary Approach: that encompasses various
paradigms of development. Environmental management
takes cues from physical sciences, social sciences, policy
making, planning etc.
➢ Wide Range: The time scale involved is often long and the
environmental concerns range from local to global.
➢ Gaining Significance: Environmental management is gaining
importance day by day as it is concerned with understanding
and solving problems that protect life.

Objectives of Environment Education/ Studies
According to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) 1971, the objectives of environmental
studies are:
(1) Creating the awareness about environmental problems
among people.
(2) Imparting basic knowledge about the environment and its
allied problems.
(3) Developing an attitude of concern for the environment.
(4) Motivating public to participate in environment protection
and environment improvement.
(5) Acquiring skills to help the concerned individuals in
identifying and solving environmental problems.
(6) Striving to attain harmony with nature

Principles of Environment Education
According to UNESCO, the guiding principles of environment education
should be as follows:
➢ Environment education should be compulsory, right from the primary
up to the post graduate stage.
➢ Environment education should have an interdisciplinary approach by
including physical, chemical, biological as well as socio-cultural aspects
of the environment. It should build a bridge between biology and
technology.
➢ Environment education should take into account the historical
perspective, the current and the potential historical issues.
➢ Environment education should emphasize the importance of
sustainable development i.e. economic development without
degrading the environment.
➢ Environment education should emphasize the necessity of seeking
international cooperation in environment planning.
➢ Environment education should lay more stress on practical activities
and first-hand experiences.

The letter issued by the UGC on May 14, 2019, stated
that the UGC has asked universities to make EVS
compulsory subject for all undergraduate programs in
the different universities and its affiliated colleges and
institutions in case it has not been done until now.
(TOI, 16th May 2019)
Express your views

Environment Management System (EMS)
➢ An EMS is a tool designed to enable organizations to achieve
continuous improvement in environmental performance.
➢ It is one integrated management process that helps an
organization address its regulatory demands in a systematic
and cost-effective manner.
➢ EMS is a self-correcting and continual improvement system
that seeks to reduce environmental impacts associated with a
facility’s activities while helping to ensure compliance with
environmental regulations.
➢ It is a proactive approach that can help reduce the risk of
non-compliance and improve health and safety practices for
employees and the public.

Environment Management System
➢ EMS is "a system and database which integrates procedures
and processes for training of personnel, monitoring,
summarizing, and reporting of specialized environmental
performance information to internal and external
stakeholders of a firm".
➢ Basically it is a framework that helps an organization achieve
its environmental goals through consistent review, evaluation,
and improvement of its environmental performance.
➢ An EMS can also help address non-regulated issues, such as
energy conservation, and can promote stronger operational
control and employee stewardship

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
➢ ISO is the body responsible for establishing and implementing
various standards across a wide range of proprietary,
industrial, and commercial applications.
➢ Based in Geneva, Switzerland, the ISO was formed in 1947
with the goal to develop global standards for industrial and
engineering processes. Since then, it has grown to become
the world’s largest and most reputable institution for
internationally recognized standards
➢ Of the 11,000+ existing ISO standards, about 350 are related
to environmental management systems.
➢ ISO standards are not mandatory.

Environment Management
What do you understand by Environmental Management
System? (5 marks)

EMS Under ISO 14001
➢ One of the most popular of all of the ISO 14000 standards,
ISO 14001 sets out the requirements for an effective
environmental management system (EMS).
➢ ISO 14001 is a voluntary international standard for
environmental management systems ("EMS") that can be
certified to.
➢ It refers to a family of standards for the design,
implementation, and optimization of an environmental
management system (EMS) for businesses and organizations.
➢ The ISO 14000 family was first developed due to a rising need
for standard operating procedures and policies for businesses
to use to build their own EMS.

EMS Under ISO 14001
➢ An EMS meeting the requirements of ISO 14001 is a
management tool enabling an organization to:
(1) Identify and control the environmental impact of its
activities, products or services;
(2) Improve its environmental performance continually, and
(3) Implement a systematic approach to setting environmental
objectives and targets, to achieving these and to
demonstrating that they have been achieved.

EMS under ISO 14001
The core elements of an EMS, according
to the ISO 14001 standard are:
1. Environmental Policy:
The organization first commits to an
environmental policy. This is a clearly
written statement outlining the goals and
objectives of a business, in the context of
their environmental policy.
2. Planning:
Organizations must make complete plans for implementing the EMS
in order to develop a process for identifying compliance
requirements, documenting targets and objectives, and creating a
plan for deployment

EMS under ISO 14001
3. Implementation –It is important that organizations clearly define,
document, and communicate their implementation procedures for
purposes of training and compliance contingency
4. Check & Correct - After implementing the most basic EMS, its
functioning should be checked, and corrections made accordingly.
5. Management review – It is important to have a distinguished
review of the EMS conducted by management, to make sure that
everything is functioning within the scope of successful performance.
6. Continuous improvement
Every EMS will utilize principles of continuous improvement to
enable organizations to optimize all aspects of the system.

Environment Policies - Examples
HUL India
• Our vision is to continue to be an
environmentally responsible
organization making continuous
improvements in the management of
the environmental impact of our
operations.
• We will achieve this through an
Integrated Environment Management
approach, which focuses on People,
Technology and Facilities, supported
by Management Commitment as the
prime driver
RELIANCE
The company manages the
environmental impact of its
operations by:
• Complying with all relevant
legislation
• Reviewing its impact on the
environment and using best practice
to reduce this impact and prevent
pollution
• Training employees to comply with
the environmental management
system
• Setting objectives to drive continual
improvements in environmental
performance

Environment Policies - Examples
INFOSYS
Infosys as a corporate citizen is
committed to demonstrating a high
standard of environmental
protection, sharing of best
practices and provision of a safe
and healthy work place.
L&T
L&T has a portfolio of green
products & services developed
to deliver engineering and
design solutions focused on
sustainability. This includes
technology solutions that are
low on carbon emission, water
consumption and air pollution,
to improve energy efficiency
with clean energy and resource
conservation.

ISO 14000 Implementation
Reviewing the organization's environmental goals
Analyzing its environmental impacts and legal requirements
Setting environmental objectives and targets to reduce environmental
impacts and comply with legal requirements
Establishing programs to meet these objectives and targets
Monitoring and measuring progress in achieving the objectives;
Ensuring employees' environmental awareness and competence
Reviewing progress of the EMS and making improvements

EMS under ISO 14000
Explain what is ISO and how ISO 14000 is implemented
in a company? (5 marks)

Plan-Do-Study-Act Cycle
The basic principles of ISO 14001 are based on the Plan-Do-
Study-Act (PDSA) Methodology.
1. Plan: Establish clear objectives and outline all
the processes required
2. Do: Put the plan into action by implementing the
processes.
3. Study: Observe how the EMS functions, while measuring and
monitoring the processes and report the results of overall
performance.
4. Act: Based on what is observed, corrective action can be
taken to improve and optimize performance of the EMS.
Plan
DoStudy
Act

Environment Degradation
Environmental degradation is a result of socio-economical,
technological and institutional activities.
Degradation occurs when Earth's natural resources are depleted.
These resources which are affected include:
• Water
• Air
• Soil
The degradation also impacts:
• Wildlife
• Plants
• Animals
• Micro-organisms

Environment Degradation
Environmental changes are based on many factors including:
• Urbanization
• Population Explosion
• Intensification of agriculture
• Increase in energy use
• Increase in transportation
• High quantity of gas emissions
• High number of industries such as mining
• Chemical effluents (liquid waste)
• Unplanned Land-use policies

Impact of Business on Environment

Sustainable Development
➢ There was an immediate need to check the rapid
deterioration of the quality of environment.
➢ The world community and society evolved some concrete
measures to sustain the environment.
➢ The International Union for the Conservation of Natural
resources (IUCN) published the World Conservation Strategy
(WCS) which first introduced the concept of Sustainable
Development.
➢ Ten years after the first conference of Environment in 1982
General assembly, the WCS initiative was concluded with the
approval of the World Charter Nature by saying ‘Mankind is a
part of nature and life depends on the uninterrupted
functioning of natural systems’.

➢ In 1983, after establishment of WCED, UN General Assembly
has appointed Mrs. Gro Harlem Brundtland, (then Prime
Minister of Norway & later head of the WHO) as the chair,
which was afterwards known as the Brundtland Commission.
➢ The Brundtland report has a responsibility to investigate the
several concerns that had been raised, such as the negative
impact of human activities on nature and planet, and the
pattern of growth and development which would be
unsustainable if they are not controlled
➢ In 1987, the Brundtland Commission published a report
(Brundtland Report) ‘Our Common Future’.

Sustainable Development - Definition
“Sustainable Development is development that meets the needs
of the present generation without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs”. (Brundtland
Commission, 1987).
Thus sustainable development is a multi-dimensional concept
with three interacting angles: -
Environment, Economics and Society.
It is recognized that these three pillars are of equal importance.
Sustainable development does not mean sustainability of the
environment and resource system alone but requires the
sustainability also of economic and social system.

➢In June 1992, the first UN conference of Rio de Jeneiro on
Environment and Development (UNED) had accepted a schedule
for environment & development for the 21st century.
➢The Rio Declaration, Agenda 21 and the Commission on
Sustainable Development were the key outputs of the
conference.
➢The Earth Summit was thus concluded with the clear and
openly accepted concern on sustainable development by the
major global leaders, making this an international agenda for all.

Pillars of Sustainable Development

1. Social Pillar: A sustainable business should have the support and
approval of its employees, stakeholders and the community it
operates in. It should treat employees fairly and be a good neighbor
and community member, both locally and globally.
On the employee side, businesses refocus on retention strategies,
better maternity and paternity benefits, flexibility, and learning and
development opportunities. For community engagement, companies
have come up with many ways to give back, including fundraising,
sponsorship, scholarships and investment in local public projects.
2. Environmental Pillar: Companies are focusing on reducing their
carbon footprints, packaging waste, water usage and their overall
effect on the environment.

3. Economic Pillar: Activities that fit under the economic pillar
include compliance, proper governance and risk management.
Sometimes, this pillar is referred to as the governance pillar,
referring to good Corporate Governance. This means that boards
of directors and management align with shareholders' interests
as well as that of the company's community, value chains, and
end-user customers.

Sustainable Development & Role of Business Community
The role of business is critical and central to sustainable
development. This is mainly because:
1. Many of the key priorities and issues of sustainable
development are intertwined with business activities
2. Greater dependence upon the private sector as a generator of
wealth and greater market integration globally
Discuss the strategies that can be adopted by businesses for
sustainable development.

Walmart Case study
Walmart is designing new stores and retrofitting older stores to be
more energy-efficient. These stores are among the “greenest” in the
world. The three main design objectives for these stores are to:
1. Reduce the amount of energy and natural resources required to
operate and maintain a store,
2. Reduce the amount of raw materials needed to construct a facility,
and
3. Use, when appropriate, renewable materials to construct and
maintain a facility. Although many of the design features reduce the
stores’ impact on the environment, these stores are expensive to build,
and some of their elements make economic sense only if energy costs
significantly increase. Initial projections call for the energy used at these
stores to be 30 to 50 percent less than at the older stores that have not
been retrofitted, reducing a store’s energy costs by $500,000 annually.

Walmart Case study
Some of the sustainable features are as follows:
A wind turbine on top of a store produces enough energy to
reduce a store’s electricity consumption by 5 percent.
A rainwater harvesting and treatment system provides 95
percent of the water needed for on-site irrigation and reduces
demand on the local storm-water system.
Stores are lower in height that means fewer building materials
are needed, plus it reduces heating and cooling needs.
Instead of fluorescent lighting, refrigerated cases used LEDs.
Also the lights stay off until the customer opens the case
Heat generated by the building’s refrigeration system is captured
and redirected to heat the water used in the restroom sinks

Walmart Case study
Cooking oil from the fryers and waste engine oil are burned
in a biofuel boiler to generate heat that is directed into the
heating, ventilation, and radiant floor-heating systems,
conserving energy.

Global Warming
Human activities of all kinds whether in industry, in the field
(e.g. deforestation) or concerned with transport or the home are
resulting in emissions of increasing quantities of gases, in
particular the gas carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere.
Every year these emissions currently add to the carbon already
present in atmospheric carbon dioxide which is likely to remain
there for a period of a hundred years or more.
Because carbon dioxide is a good absorber of heat radiation
coming from the earth’s surface, increased carbon dioxide acts
like a blanket over the surface, keeping it warmer than it would
otherwise be.

Global Warming
With the increased temperature the amount of water vapour in
the atmosphere also increases, providing more blanketing and
causing it to be even warmer.
Global Warming is a gradual increase in the overall temperature
of the earth's atmosphere generally attributed to the
greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide,
CFCs, and other pollutants
Global warming occurs when carbon dioxide (CO2) and other air
pollutants and greenhouse gases collect in the atmosphere and
absorb sunlight and solar radiation that have bounced off the
earth’s surface.

Global Warming
Normally, this radiation would escape into space—but these
pollutants, which can last for years to centuries in the
atmosphere, trap the heat and cause the planet to get hotter.
That is known as the greenhouse effect.

Consequences/ Effects of Global Warming
• Melting glaciers, early snowmelt, and severe droughts will
cause more water shortages
• Reduction in fresh water availability
• Rising sea levels lead to coastal flooding.
• Forests, farms, and cities face heat waves (Heat waves'
frequency and power are increasing in India because of
climate change. In 2019, temperature reaches 50.6 degrees
Celsius, 36 people was killed), heavy downpours, and
increased flooding. All those factors will damage or destroy
agriculture and fisheries.

Consequences/ Effects of Global Warming
• Disruption of habitats that could drive many plant and animal
species to extinction.
• Allergies, asthma, and infectious disease outbreaks will
become more common

2019 Chennai Water Crisis
The 2019 Chennai water crisis is an ongoing water crisis occurring in
India, most notably in the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu.
On 19 June 2019, Chennai city officials declared that "Day Zero", or
the day when almost no water is left, had been reached, as all the
four main reservoirs supplying water to the city had run dry.
Two years of deficient monsoon rainfall, particularly in late 2017 and
throughout much of 2018 had led to this crisis
The Tamil Nadu School Education Minister KA Sengottaiyan, however,
made it clear that the government is not responsible for supplying
water to private schools.
Across Chennai, there were reports of schools selectively announcing
leave for certain classes or only holding half a day session, due to the
shortage of water.

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) was signed by about 150 countries in Rio de Janeiro in
June 1992 indicating widespread recognition that climate change is
potentially a major threat to the world's environment and
economic development.
The UNFCCC objective is to "stabilize greenhouse gas
concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent
dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system".
The framework sets non-binding limits on greenhouse gas
emissions for individual countries and contains no enforcement
mechanisms. Instead, the framework outlines how specific
international treaties (called "protocols" or "Agreements") may be
negotiated to specify further action towards the objective of the
UNFCCC

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an
intergovernmental body of the United Nations, dedicated to
providing the world with an objective, scientific view of climate
change, its natural, political and economic impacts and risks, and
possible response options.
It was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Program
(UNEP), and later endorsed by the United Nations General
Assembly.
Membership is open to all members of the WMO and UN

The IPCC produces reports that contribute to the work of the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC), the main international treaty on climate change
The objective of the UNFCCC is to "stabilize greenhouse gas
concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent
dangerous anthropogenic (human-induced) interference with
the climate system".
The IPCC's Fifth Assessment Report was a critical scientific input
into the UNFCCC's Paris Agreement in 2015

IPCC reports cover the "scientific, technical and socio-economic
information relevant to understanding the scientific basis of risk
of human-induced climate change, its potential impacts and
options for adaptation and mitigation.“
The IPCC does not carry out original research, nor does it
monitor climate or related phenomena itself. Rather, it assesses
published literature.
The IPCC has adopted and published "Principles Governing IPCC
Work", which states that the IPCC will assess:
• the risk of human-induced climate change,
• its potential impacts, and
• possible options for prevention.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (UNEP)
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) is a program
of the United Nations that coordinates the organization's
environmental activities and assists developing countries in
implementing environmentally sound policies and practices.
It was founded by Maurice Strong, its first director, as a result of
the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment
(Stockholm Conference) in June 1972 and has overall
responsibility for environmental problems among United
Nations agencies.

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) is the leading
global environmental authority that sets the global
environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation
of the environmental dimension of sustainable development
within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative
advocate for the global environment.
UNEP’s work encompasses: assessing global, regional and
national environmental conditions and trends; developing
international and national environmental instruments and;
strengthening institutions for the wise management of the
environment.

UNEP's activities cover a wide range of issues regarding the
atmosphere, marine and terrestrial ecosystems, environmental
governance and green economy.
It has played a significant role in developing international
environmental conventions, promoting environmental science
and information and illustrating the way those can be
implemented in conjunction with policy, working on the
development and implementation of policy with national
governments, regional institutions in conjunction with
environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
UNEP has also been active in funding and implementing
environment related development projects

KYOTO Protocol
➢The Kyoto Protocol is a plan created by the United Nations for
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
that tries to reduce the effects of climate change, such as
emission of greenhouse gases and global warming.
➢It is called the Kyoto Protocol because it was made in Kyoto,
Japan on 11 December 1997 and entered into force on 16
February 2005, owing to a complex ratification process,
➢This international treaty entered into by various countries,
contains legally binding measures to contain climate change by
reducing emission of greenhouse gases. Unless the treaty was
ratified by 55 countries which were party to the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) it could not be enforced

KYOTO Protocol
➢The essential tenet of the Kyoto Protocol was that
industrialized nations needed to lessen the amount of their CO2
emissions.
➢The Protocol only binds developed countries, and places a
heavier burden on them under the principle of “common but
differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities”, because
it recognizes that they are largely responsible for the current
high levels of GHG emissions in the atmosphere.
➢The first commitment period was five year period 2008–2012
➢In Doha, Qatar, on 8 December 2012, the Doha Amendment to
the Kyoto Protocol was adopted for a second commitment
period, starting in 2013 and lasting until 2020.

Pros of KYOTO Protocol
1. It is aimed at reducing the effects of climate change - Countries
who agreed to participate in the Protocol and have ratified it are
expected to cut emissions of not only carbon dioxide, but of other
greenhouse gases. The goal of participating countries was to reduce
their emissions by 5.2% below the recorded levels in 1990 by 2012.
2. Innovation - There is a need to preserve nature and ensure the
situation stays in control, scientists and engineers must develop
innovative and sustainable technologies that would reduce
greenhouse gases without contributing to global warming.
3. It is a global collaborative effort
4. Ensure survival of future generations

Cons of KYOTO Protocol
1. It only requires wealthy nations to cut emissions - Developing
nations such as China and India refused to be included in the
Kyoto Protocol.
2. Comes with bigger challenges - Even if the entire world
commits to the Kyoto Protocol, ensuring participation of the
general public would be a challenge. Governments and
authorities have to draft rules and regulations to ensure
compliance.
3. None of the limits imposed on participating countries resulted
in a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
Participating countries reported that they have lessened their
release of harmful gases into the atmosphere.

KYOTO Protocol
1. Ramifications of the KYOTO Protocol
2. Doha Amendments
3. Paris Agreement and its implications
Class ASSIGNMENT (Group Activity – 5 marks)

Triple Bottom Line (TBL)

TBL
➢ Sustainability is an important goal of businesses, however,
measuring the degree to which an organization is being
sustainable or pursuing sustainable growth is difficult.
➢ John Elkington strove to measure sustainability during the mid-
1990s by encompassing a new framework to measure
performance in corporate America.
➢ This accounting framework, called the Triple Bottom Line (TBL),
went beyond the traditional measures of profits, return on
investment, and shareholder value to include environmental and
social dimensions.
➢ Thus the Triple Bottom Line is one of the main systems being used
by businesses to assess the profits they are making through their
corporate sustainability solutions.

TBL
➢ By focusing on comprehensive investment results—that is,
with respect to performance along the interrelated
dimensions of profits, people and the planet—triple bottom
line reporting can be an important tool to support
sustainability goals.
➢ According to Andrew Savitz, the TBL "captures the essence of
sustainability by measuring the impact of an organization's
activities on the world... including both its profitability and
shareholder values and its social, human and environmental
capital”
➢ The TBL dimensions are also commonly called the three Ps:
people, planet and profits (The 3Ps)

TBL
Examples:
➢ A Coffee Shop only buys its beans from farmers who grow
coffee in an environmentally friendly manner, and it ensures
that all its workers are treated fairly, and receive a living wage
for their skills.
➢ A Computer Company focuses a lot of its community efforts
towards training and education programs. It helps
underprivileged kids by giving them access to technology, and
has goals to recycle 60 percent of its annual waste.

Ecological Balance
➢ Ecology is the science of the study of ecosystems. Ecological
Balance is a term used to describe the equilibrium between
living organisms such as human being, plants, and animals as
well as their environment.
➢ Earth’s inhabitants such as human beings, plants, animals and
other micro living organisms continue to survive. These
species get the conducive environment to multiply and thrive.
➢ Human being plays a key role to maintain ecological balance
because they have the highest thinking capacity as compared
to other living organisms.
➢ Ecological balance is very important because it ensures
survival, existence and stability of the environment.

Ecological Balance
➢ The ecological balance and ecosystem stability are
maintained by the nature itself but the emergence of modern
era and globalization has disturbed the ecological balance.
➢ This disturbance is caused by heavy industrialization,
technological revolution, faster growth of means of
transportation, exploitation of resources, unplanned
urbanization etc.
➢ The activities of modern ‘economic and technological’ man
have disturbed the harmonious relationships between the
environment and human beings.

Green House Effect
➢ The greenhouse effect is a natural process that warms the
Earth’s surface. When the Sun’s energy reaches the Earth’s
atmosphere, some of it is reflected back to space and the rest
is absorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse gases.
➢ Greenhouse gases include water vapour, carbon dioxide,
methane, nitrous oxide, ozone and some artificial chemicals
such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
➢ The absorbed energy warms the atmosphere and the surface
of the Earth. This process maintains the Earth’s temperature
at around 33 degrees Celsius warmer than it would otherwise
be, allowing life on Earth to exist.

(Reference:http://www.environment.gov.au/climate-change/climate-science-data/climate-
science/greenhouse-effect)

Green House Effect
➢ The major problem today is human activities – particularly
burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas), agriculture and
land clearing – are increasing the concentrations of
greenhouse gases.
➢ This is the enhanced greenhouse effect, which is contributing
to warming of the Earth.

Causes of Green House Effect
Deforestation
Increase in Population
Farming - fertilizers
Burning of Fossil Fuels
Industrial Waste and Landfills

Ecological Balance
What do you understand by sound ecological balance? ( 5
Marks)
Ecology deals with how individuals are affected by and how they
affect their environment. For example, is the Green House effect
a real danger, and what are the implications for human life as
the earth heats up further? At the level of population, ecology
deals with the presence of absence of particular species and
with trends and fluctuations in their numbers
a) Why maintaining Ecological balance is so critical to
Sustainability?
b) Explain Greenhouse effect and how to control it

Environment Protection Laws in India
1. The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
2. The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980
3. The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
4. Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
5. Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981
6. The Indian Forest Act, 1927

Environment Protection Laws in India
Class Activity:
Read about the Environment Protection Laws in India and
discuss the main features of each

Biodiversity
➢Biodiversity, a contraction of "biological diversity," generally
refers to the variety and variability of life on Earth.
➢International Council for Bird preservation (1992) defines that
Biodiversity is the total variety of life on earth. It includes all
genes, species and ecosystems and the ecological processes of
which that are part.
➢As defined by the United Nations Convention on Biological
Diversity, it is the variability among living organisms from all
sources including terrestrial, marine and other aquatic
ecosystems, and the ecological complexes of which they are
part; this includes diversity within species, between species, and
of ecosystems.

Biodiversity
➢According to the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, “Biological
Diversity means the variability among living organisms from all
sources and the ecological complexes of which they are part and
includes diversity within species, between species, and of
ecosystems”
➢The biosphere comprises of a complex collection of
innumerable organisms, known as the “Biodiversity”, which
constitutes the vital life support for the survival of human race
➢Biodiversity is an essential component of nature and it ensures
the survival of human species by providing food, fuel, shelter,
medicines and other resources to mankind.

Biodiversity
Biodiversity is usually considered at three different levels:
1. Genetic diversity refers to the variety of genetic information
contained in all living things. Genetic diversity occurs within
and between populations of species as well as between
species.
2. Species diversity refers to the variety of living species.
3. Ecosystem diversity relates to the variety of habitats, biotic
communities, and ecological processes, as well as the
diversity present within ecosystems in terms of habitat
differences and the variety of ecological processes.

Biodiversity Management
Protecting biodiversity is in the interest of human kind.
Biological resources are the pillars upon which we build
civilizations.
Nature’s products support such diverse industries as agriculture,
cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, pulp and paper, horticulture,
construction and waste treatment.
The loss of biodiversity threatens our Climate, food supplies,
opportunities for recreation and tourism, and sources of wood,
medicines and energy.
It also interferes with essential ecological functions and
environment of the earth.

Benefits/ Role of Biodiversity
Role of
Biodiversity
Ecological Role
Ethical Role
Economic Role
Scientific Role

A. Ecological Role of Biodiversity
All species provide some kind of function to an ecosystem. They
can capture and store energy, produce organic material,
decompose organic material, help to cycle water and nutrients
throughout the ecosystem, control erosion or pests, fix
atmospheric gases, or help to regulate climate.
Ecosystems also provide us various supports of production (soil
fertility, pollinators of plants, predators, decomposition of
wastes etc.) and services such as purification of the air and
water, stabilization and moderation of the climate, decrease of
flooding, drought and other environmental disasters.

B. Economic Role of Biodiversity
Biodiversity is a reservoir of resources to be drawn upon for the
manufacture of food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.
Some of the important economic commodities that biodiversity
supplies to humankind include food grains, vegetables, livestock,
forestry, fish, medicines etc.
Not only this, it plays an important role in industrial products
Biodiversity is a source of economical wealth for many areas,
such as many parks and forests, where wild nature and animals
are a source of beauty and joy for many people

C. Ethical Role of Biodiversity
The role of biodiversity is found in our relationships with the
other living species.
If human beings consider that the species have a right to exist,
they cannot voluntarily cause their extinction as biodiversity is
the part of many cultures and spiritual activities.
D. Scientific Role of Biodiversity
Biodiversity is important because each species can give scientists
some clue as to how life evolves and will continue to evolve on
Earth. In addition, biodiversity helps scientists to understand
how life functions and the role of each species in sustaining
ecosystems.

References
1. Dr. Bala Krishnamoorthy. Environmental Management. Prentice Hall – 2003
2. N. K. Uberoi. Environmental Management. Excel Books – 2nd Ed.
3. Nagpal, Shantnu. “Environment Science”, Vipul Prakashan, FYBCom (Financial Market),
Edition 2015.
4. Nagpal, “Environment Management”, Thakur Publishers, FYBMS (Semester II), Edition 2014.
5. https://www.epa.gov/ems/learn-about-environmental-management-systems
6. https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/122973/10/10_chapter%201.pdf
7. https://www.iso.org/iso-14001-environmental-management.html

Thank You
Dr. Parveen Nagpal
www.linkedin.com/in/dr-parveen-kaur-nagpal-82965b15

1. Environmental Studies

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