The Environmental Compliance Option and Management Assessment System (ECOMAS): A tool for environmental management in the Americas

Years of environmental mismanagement in Latin America have created some of the worst environmental degradation on earth. As Latin American governments enact broad sweeping regulatory frameworks, organizations operating in the region must find effective management tools to better understand the sea change in environmental protection initiatives. The Environmental Compliance Option and Management Assessment System (ECOMAS) is just such a tool. ECOMAS is a pro-active environmental management program utilizing an auditing process to promote: (1) environmental regulatory compliance; (2) environmental awareness through education and training; (3) pollution prevention opportunities; (4) positive management practices; and, (5) environmental stewardship as a cost saving variable in an organization's operations. Providing managers with a systematic method for auditing programs and operations in key functional areas, ECOMAS serves as an effective tool to promote environmental protection, efficiency, and profitability.