ABSTRACT

External communication and public relations address the involvement with external constituencies such as environmental and regulatory bodies, elected officials, customers, and the public, and includes public outreach programs, lobbying efforts, and intervention, where appropriate, in regulatory proceedings. Companies are also increasingly using their website to promote environmental performance and positions. Internal communication includes vertical communication to employees about company environmental goals and policies and horizontal communication between the environmental functions and other areas of the company. The loss of key operational as well as environmental personnel can dramatically impact an informal network. Issue management addresses ways in which major environmental issues are identified, addressed, and resolved. This extends to “early warning systems” for new issues and ways in which accountability for issues management is assigned within the organization. A company needs to decide when, how, and where it should play a role in issue management.