Corporate Environmental Management System in Tanzania: Problems and Strategies: a Lesson to the Developing Countries

Corporate firms in both developed and developing countries including Tanzania have adopted Environmental Management System as a strategy for managing the environment when running their operations in a manner that is pro-active, continuous and systematic in nature. Its benefits include optimized product and production process which lead to less material inputs, and lower costs, waste reduction and less adverse environmental impacts. Despite of those benefits the level of awareness and its applicability by corporate firms in Tanzania is scanty and questionable. The study assessed the applicability of the Corporate EMS in Tanzania. It was revealed from the study that the level of awareness of employees on EMS was adequate but the extents of applicability of EMS by corporate firms in Tanzania were limited. Most of the problems were found to be more managerial and financial than technical in nature. The study recommend that the top management should be well committed on EMS, communication between the management and stakeholders in the environmental field, government efforts and resources should be directed to support both private and public firms in order to implement EMS.