Simply put, it’s adhering to environmental regulations that decrease businesses’ and original equipment manufacturers’ (OEMs) environmental impact on our planet’s natural resources. If you’re a business person, you’ve likely noticed a rise in compliance measures, such as EPA Method 21, aimed at reducing the negative impact of manufacturing processes.
Because, let’s face it: industrial processes can cause air pollution, which can affect our health. Fortunately, it’s not all bad news, though.
Thanks to environmental regulatory compliance, we can reduce the impact of industrial processes by adhering to eco-friendly, green practices. Curious to learn how?
Then you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, you’ll learn about:
- What environmental regulatory compliance and sustainability consulting are
- What’s involved with these compliance practices
- Why they’re important
- Who’s responsible for conducting environmental regulatory compliance reports
- Which businesses are subject to environmental compliance legislation and laws
- Who enforces these regulations
- How environmental assessments and sustainability consulting play a role in industrial operations
What’s involved in environmental regulatory compliance?
Regulatory compliance is all about staying within laws, guidelines, and standards that support business and industrial operations. In fact, compliance initiatives are here to protect our environment and natural resources.
As such, businesses and manufacturers must do their part in adhering to environmental policies and regulations. Sometimes, sustainability consultants are called to perform energy efficiency audits and help businesses navigate the many guidelines administered by regulators.
You might think regulators are the “bad guys” and businesses the “good guys,” but the truth is more nuanced. Regulation ensures the safety of those working within an industry because it makes sure all businesses are on the same page and helps avoid confusion over what’s expected of them from a sustainability point of view.
As such, businesses also hold regulators accountable by ensuring that all compliance requirements and environmental laws are made public and available for reference. As such, companies can consult them as needed.
Why is environmental regulatory compliance reporting important?
Because industrial processes affect everyone, including Mother Nature. Everyone needs to take care of the earth, and because businesses operate on a larger scale than individuals, they share a greater responsibility for keeping the earth clean.
What’s more, since businesses represent multiple stakeholders, stakeholders expect companies to fulfill their compliance obligations by following environmental standards and doing their part to protect the environment. When businesses fail to meet environmental protection laws and guidelines, they risk fines and penalties and loss of reputation.
For example, did you know that when a small business grows large enough to consider its environmental impact on society, it’s required to prioritize environmental standards? Adherence to environmental laws is more than a nicety; it’s a necessity to both meet legal requirements and safeguard the success of business operations.
Common strategies for staying compliant with environmental regulations
| 1. Ensure you have a detailed environmental management plan. 2. Keep records of all reports related to your operation. 3. Hire and train employees for environmental compliance. 4. Develop a company culture that supports environmental stewardship. |
Which agencies are responsible for conducting environmental regulatory compliance reports?
Among the many agencies that are responsible for enforcing regulatory requirements are the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of the Interior.
The EPA develops environmental regulations and ensures that companies comply with all enforced guidelines. What’s more, the EPA’s guidelines are aimed at supporting both our health and the environment’s health.
Depending on the business sector, the EPA also offers auditing services and completes compliance reviews to give businesses tailored recommendations for how to make their operations cleaner and greener.
In addition to the EPA, the Department of the Interior is responsible for managing land and natural resources and ensuring companies follow best practices for waste management and environmental protection.
Finally, in most regions, local state and city officials are also responsible for overseeing environmental compliance.
Who’s subject to compliance reporting for environmental regulations?
The following sectors must follow environmental compliance regulations:
- Manufacturing and engineering
- Mining
- Forestry and logging
- Education
- Healthcare
- Municipal water and sewage
- Energy and chemical production
- Construction
- Transportation
- Agriculture
Virtually all industries are required to mitigate environmental risks and comply with environmental regulations. Very few industries are exempt from these regulations.
Also, the larger the operation, the more important it is to fulfill federal regulations and meet regulatory obligations, as larger industries often deal with larger quantities of hazardous substances that can affect our environment.
What is an environmental impact assessment?
Speaking of larger proposed operations, oftentimes, regulatory procedures take the form of an environmental impact assessment (EIA). While not often used for routine compliance monitoring, regulatory oversight can take the shape of an EIA, which includes the following:
- An initial intake: In the first step of an environmental impact assessment, industries will determine whether they need a full environmental compliance assessment.
- An initial assessment is taken: Often, a first assessment will be taken, followed by a second, longer, and more complete assessment. In the initial assessment, teams will decide what environmental concerns they see and whether a full assessment is needed.
- A complete assessment: If needed, a more thorough assessment is taken to analyze data, determine the impact of the issues, and make changes to project designs.
Often, companies will hire sustainability consultants and conduct energy efficiency audits to ensure a greener, cleaner operation. Sustainability consultants often help measure, monitor, verify, and report harmful emissions that stem from industrial processes, helping companies pinpoint areas for improvement with product development.
Who enforces and helps ensure environmental compliance efforts?
All this talk about environmental stewardship and regulatory agencies, but who’s responsible for enforcing environmental compliance efforts? The answer is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The EPA provides regular monitoring of environmental compliance, which can look like any of the following:
- Environmental compliance audits, on-site inspections, and providing credentials
- Data collection, sustainability and environmental risk management, and support with implementing new regulations
- Regular investigations and compliance inspections
Did you know?
With carbon, air, and water quality testing, compliance is a crucial element. Did you know that a framework has been developed to better categorize the types of emissions present in our environment?
Check out our Instagram to learn about the three different scopes of carbon emissions that can be better controlled with effective environmental compliance audits.
Enlist an expert compliance training and energy efficiency auditor for your reporting needs
The market for environmental compliance services is expected to increase by about 56% from now until 2032, according to a Dataintelo.com (2025) market research report. To stay up-to-date with the growing need for compliance with environmental policies and procedures — and to avoid legal and financial penalties — many companies are enlisting the help of environmental sustainability experts.
Not only does enlisting the support of sustainability consultants help businesses protect natural resources and meet environmental requirements for compliance issues, but it can also lead to an improved public image for all stakeholders involved.
The result of a better public image is more trust and business earned.
We’re all about building and maintaining trust here. It’s how we’ve operated the past 20-plus years of our existence.
By providing quality sustainability consulting services and emissions-monitoring products to our customers, we’ve been able to save them more than $5,000,000 on emissions testing.
And that’s just in the last seven years alone.
If you’re looking for a trusted partner in the environmental regulatory landscape — or if you’ve run into compliance issues and need support to ensure environmental compliance with environmental laws and regulations — don’t hesitate to reach out to our knowledgeable team of sustainability experts.
Together, we’ll make our planet a greener, cleaner, and safer place to live. Contact us today to get started.
Keep Your Operation Compliant and Thriving: It’s All Possible with GlobalMRV