4. Environmental management tool

The EIME method is first and foremost a decision-making aid for the design of products with a lower environmental impact, but it is also an environmental management tool for the company.

The environmental expert will be able to prioritize the indicators if he wishes:

• depending on the company's environmental policy; in most cases, the company does not have the resources to deal with all the problems at once. It defines and staggers priorities, which the expert will take into account when defining objectives (target values);

• depending on the specific features of the product families concerned; some indicators may not be relevant;

• or/and depending on the markets for which the product is intended; environmental contexts, sensitivities and policies vary...