Environmental management

Environmental policy

In order to use limited resources efficiently and rationally, it is important to develop a high-quality environmental policy and action programme. By applying the experience acquired through many years, ELLE provides support in the formulation of environmental policy and the development of strategic documents at the level of the state and municipalities, as well as in sectoral level and for individual companies.

Environmental law

The legal system for environmental protection in Latvia is undergoing a dynamic development process, therefore, when planning activities, not only the regulatory enactments that are currently in force but also any possible changes in the legal requirements in the foreseeable future must be taken into account. ELLE specialists have extensive experience in drafting and analysing requirements of national laws, the Cabinet of Ministers regulations, international agreements, and other legal acts. The company is proficient to provide its clients with up-to-date information regarding the legal framework of the environmental protection issues in the entire Baltics and outside its borders by taking advantage of the effective co-operation with the partners in Estonia and Lithuania.

ELLE specialists identify and analyse the requirements of regulatory enactments in relation to the specifics of each particular company, as well as assess the compliance of the company's operations with environmental protection requirements. Such issues are especially relevant for companies that have implemented an environmental management system.

Capacity building

Since 1998, when ELLE was founded, the company has supported Latvian and foreign public authorities and institutions in the optimization of structures and functions, activity planning, advanced training of employees in different fields, and team building – including institutional capacity building.

ELLE has provided consultations to the departments and institutions subordinated to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development. With the support of the World Bank, an environmental management system was established in Uzbekistan, an environmental action programme was developed in Georgia, as well as a technical assistance project was carried out for the Republic of Moldova in order to implement the environmental requirements of the European Union. As UN Development Programme consultants, the company's employees have participated in capacity building projects in Moldova and Turkmenistan.

Training

Staff training is essential not only for improvement of the employees’ professional competences, but it is also an integral part of business operations, e.g. during the implementation process of environmental or quality management systems.

Our experts’ long-term expertise in the development of the environmental protection system in Latvia and other countries in combination with the wide range of experience and practical knowledge on environmental issues, empower ELLE to offer highly professional training in different spheres, including environmental management systems, application of environmental legislation, environmental policy and environmental protection system in Latvia, and environmental impact assessment.

Based on demand, training programmes are tailored to the customer’s individual needs and concerns. There is also an opportunity to choose a course on the topics listed below:

• implementation and maintenance of environmental management system (2-day course),
• key requirements of the ISO 14001 standard and its implementation (0.5-day course),
• identification and assessment of environmental aspects (1-day course),
• training of internal auditors (1-day course),
• requirements of environmental legislation (0.5-day course),
• air pollution dispersion modelling with ADMS software (1-day course),
• noise mapping with IMMI software (1-day course).

Depending on the course topic, a minimum of 5-7 participants are required. Courses can be organised at the client’s premises or at the office of ELLE.

The comprehensive educational background of ELLE staff alongside the significant practical experience ensure the required training quality, group work management (moderation or facilitation), organization of strategic decision-making processes and team building. Additionally, ELLE offers provision of technical equipment and services for conferences, seminars and courses.

Evaluation and monitoring of projects and programmes

ELLE consultants have evaluated the implementation and respective results of a number of international projects and programmes conducted in different countries.  Examples worth mentioning in this regard include the evaluation of Baltic Agricultural Run-off Action Programme (covering Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia), financed by the government of Sweden, as well as in-depth evaluation of a project within the UN Environment Programme “Service for Implementation of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans” (in Russia, Uzbekistan, Bulgaria, Latvia and Albania).

Since 2001, ELLE participates in the monitoring of the implementation of the EU LIFE programme, providing project monitoring in all Northern and Baltic countries, Poland and Russia. ELLE in cooperation with 10 other partner organizations were the ones to establish the European Economic Interest Grouping (EEIG) Astrale (since 2015 - EEIG NEEMO). Within this project ELLE employs 12 highly qualified experts, which monitor over 120 projects in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland.