Advanced Natural Resources Stewardship and Environmental Advocacy
Environmental Management Systems
Background
Environmental management systems were developed in the 1990s in response to the pressures on business to have effective systems in place to reduce the environmental impact from their business activity, and to be able to demonstrate this commitment to third parties.
Dr. Nenibarini Zabbey (DNZ) -
Definitions
Definition: framework for integrating corporate environmental protection policies, programs, and practices
A structured framework for managing an organization’s significant environmental impacts
EMSs are voluntary
Most EMSs follow the Plan-Do-Check-Act approach
At the centre of an EMS is the idea of continual improvement
Advantage of the EMS approach
Licenses to operate
Assist in obtaining authorizations, consents and permits.
Avoid enforcement action.
Improve business and the regulatory relationship.
Maintain and enhance community relations
Advantages cont’d
Market size and share
Assure customers of commitment to responsible environmental practices.
Identify customer concerns and opportunities for developing and sharing environmental solutions.
Meet or exceed vendor certification criteria.
Develop products and services, which will improve the environmental performance.
Retain and/or improve market share.
Create new products and new market opportunities.
Advantages cont’d
Cost control
Improve process and operational efficiency.
On-going saving in material, energy and waste costs.
Avoid the liability costs through criminal proceedings and/or civil actions.
Advantages cont’d
Access to financial services
Satisfy investor criteria
Obtained insurance at reasonable costs.
Advantages cont’d
Public image
Enhance public image
Demonstrate responsible care.
Disadvantages of the EMS approach
the drawbacks focus on additional operational costs, which may occur in relation to:
Preparation and implementation of the EMS system itself, for example, the proprietary review project co-ordination costs.
On-going management administration of the EMS systems, e.g. Document Control and auditing;
Investment in the continuous improvement process, e.g. training and cleaner technology.
Net benefit of EMSs
Overall, for well implemented system, costs are significantly exceeded by the business benefits in both direct and indirect commercial terms
EMS schemes/types
EMS standards and schemes
The two most important environmental Management Schemes are:
ISO 14001 Environmental Management System
EMAS Eco Management and Audit Scheme.
ISO 14000 Series
ISO, the international Organization for Standardization, which is based in Geneva, is responsible for the International Standardization Process.
ISO has been working on a series of standards of Environmental Management Tools & Systems through a number of Technical Committees (TCs).
ISO relevant to EMS
ISO 14001 EMS: a specification with guidance (against which certification takes place)
ISO 14004EMS: general guidelines on principles, systems and supporting techniques
ISO 14010-13 Environmental Auditing – now superseded by ISO 19011 (joint EMS/QMS auditing guidelines)
ISO 14015 Environmental assessment of sites and organizations – EASO (due diligence or initial reviews)
ISO 14020-25 Environmental labels and declarations
ISO 14031 Environmental Performance Evaluation – guidelines for environmental management
ISO 14040-43 Life cycle analysis
ISO 14050 Environmental Management: Vocabulary
ISO 14062 Integrating environmental aspects into product design and development
ISO 14063 Environmental communication guidelines and examples
ISO 14064 Standards for greenhouse gas accounting and verification
ISO 14001 Cycle
EMS Start — environmental policy — planning — implementation — checking/corrective action— management review — EMS Start
At the centre is continual improvement.
Environmental policy
ISO 14001 requires organizations to produce an environmental policy statement
It is a statement of intentions and principles in relation to its overall environmental performance
It identifies environmental aims and objectives
Provides a guide for setting objectives and targets
Provides opportunity for improving on identified environmental impacts and aspects
Planning
The organization shall establish, implement and maintain a procedure to
Identify aspects
Aspects that have significant impacts on the env
It does not make Initial Environmental Review mandatory, but many EMS adopts IER
Planning also includes legal requirements, objectives and targets, and environmental management plans
Implementation and operation
ISO 14001 states that roles, responsibilities and authorities should be defined clearly, documented and communicated to guaranty the correct working of the EMS
It requires appointment of a management representative with defined roles, responsibilities and authority
Implementation cont’d
Implementation includes
Training, awareness
Communication
Documentation
Document control
Operational control
Emergency preparedness and response
Checking and corrective action
Includes monitoring and measurement
Corrective and preventive action
Record keeping
EMS audit
Management review
Involves top management
Involves meetings where environmental manage/equivalent gives presentation on status of EMS
At frequent intervals
Management review cont’d
During review the following are considered
Audit results
External communications, e.g. complaints
The org environmental performance
The level of compliance with objectives and targets
Status of corrective actions
Past management review actions
Changing circumstances, eg changes of laws