EIMS has, over the past few years played an increasing role in development of corporate strategic environmental services in South Africa. Initiatives like the King III Report on Corporate Governance highlight the need for companies to address environmental issues, beyond mere legal compliance, for ethical, commercial and risk management reasons. Director liability has strongly influenced perceptions in boards of directors. For many companies, their environmental profile is now a matter of strategic concern.

The concept of “triple bottom line” sustainability, where an organisation is expected to be sustainable economically, socially and environmentally, is now generally accepted in responsible society. The rise of sustainability indexes on the world’s stock exchanges also presents opportunities for companies that adopt responsible environmental profiles. In some countries, legislation has been passed to limit investment in companies that cannot demonstrate adequate environmental responsibility. In South Africa sustainability reporting is now a reality too, for both commercial and legal reasons.

EIMS is able to provide a wide range of corporate and strategic environmental services including:

• Strategic evaluation of environmental drivers and develop key environmental performance areas to measure sustainability performance;
• Environmental performance and sustainability reporting;
• Drafting of Environmental Management Co-operation Agreements;
• Risk Assessment and management services and environmental performance and/or compliance monitoring services to funding institutions and insurers;
• Strategic environmental assessments;
• External verification of annual reports; and
• Legal compliance auditing.

 
EIMS has also provided services to the regulators in South Africa and Lesotho, for the development of legislation on environmental impact assessment and nature conservation.

• EIMS was appointed by  Koikanyang Inc  to prepare a Sustainability Appraisal Framework for the Industrial Development Corporation;
• Development of a sustainability appraisal framework for the Thabametsi Coal Fired Power Station project;
• EIMS was appointed to conduct an environmental review and due diligence study to inform the asset valuation for the Canyon Coal Hakhano coal mine project; and
• EIMS was appointed by Pembani Coal to conduct a high level environmental review and due diligence study for the Anglo Libra project. The proposed transaction included various Anglo Coal assets.