4. Conclusions

Environmental analysis remains an extremely important stage in the implementation of an environmental management system, since it enables us to initiate a process of progress based on an inventory that must be as complete and reliable as possible.

The environmental analysis is an original document; as we have seen, it is neither an impact study, nor an operating report, nor a hazard study. There is no regulatory or standardized method for carrying out an environmental analysis. The methods most frequently used are classic risk assessment methods, with varying degrees of sophistication. Some of these methods can appear highly complex and often overly theoretical. Far more pragmatic approaches are beginning to emerge, based on a more qualitative and collective appreciation of risk. These participative methods also make greater use of expertise and feedback, facilitating...