The Environment Group has contributed to the development of British, European and International standards
Background
The Environment Group, through its members’ activity, has contributed to the development of British, European and International standards through representation on BSI and international committees. SCI has been active in covering expenses not otherwise met from grant in aid from the UK government for approximately the past 20 years.
With the aid of this support its members have been able to influence the development of various standards both as principle authors of documents and chairing of committees at various levels throughout the standards organisations involved.
The goal of members has and will always to be that of delivering the best possible science, and particularly chemicals sciences, to a business interface to ensure a practical ethical application of the benefits to industry and society as a whole.
Benefits of Continued Support
The benefits of this activity to SCI are:
- An open, transparent public fulfilment of SCI charitable objectives facilitating the application of science at the highest level.
- Promotion of SCI goals and objectives
- Maintenance of an extensive network of active scientists. The advantage of this network is that speakers are approached for the many events run by the Environment Group on behalf of SCI.
Members’ Contributions
Members contribute their time freely to this activity which in some cases totals many days each year without charge. Employers also bare some costs in this activity by the sacrifice of availability of the members from normal activity. Self employed members arguably make a greater sacrifice because their fundamental ability to earn a living is sacrificed by spending time on this activity.
All members involved forgo some claims against budgeted expenditure arising from:
- Philanthropic donation of company expenses.
- Absenting themselves from some meetings in the interest of economy and dealing with the activity as much as possible by correspondence.
- Personal donation of travel costs.
- In some cases the costs of overseas meetings are fully deferred against government grants in aid but more often than not a contribution is requested from SCI to make up the difference. Members invariably stay in budget hotels on such trips and set themselves aside from other delegates as a result.
Areas of Activity
In all cases the motivation for this activity is the greater public good through the conduit of SCI goals.
Principal areas of activity followed by the Environment Group in this regard are standards relating to:
- The assessment, maintenance and management of soil quality
- The assessment, maintenance and management of water quality
- The characterisation and management of sewage sludge disposal to maintain public health and minimise environmental impact.
- Development and maintenance of environmental policy within CEN and its application in the development of future standards.
This work is also supported by an SCI involvement in the Standing Committee of Analysts (SCA) at a strategic level. It is the voluntary work of the SCA which provides the fundamental method development work which allows the UK to contribute strongly through BSI to the development of standards outside the UK by donating the research output freely at a global level.
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