Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
Management Systems
An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a set of processes and practices that
enable an organization to reduce its environmental impacts and increase its operating
efficiency. This site provides information and resources related to EMS for small
businesses and private industry, as well as local, state and federal agencies.
What is an EMS?
Costs and Benefits of an EMS
International Organization for Standardization 14001
What is an EMS?
External
Potential Benefits
An EMS monitors environmental performance, similar to the way a financial management system monitors expenditure
and income and enables regular checks of a company's financial performance. An EMS integrates environmental
management into a company's daily operations, long term planning and other quality management systems.
Components of an EMS
To develop an EMS, an organisation has to assess its environmental impacts, set targets to reduce these impacts, and plan
how to achieve the targets.
The most important component of an EMS is organisational commitment. For an effective EMS to be developed and
implemented, you need commitment from the very top of the organisation, as well as all staff. Following are more
examples of components that should be considered when developing an EMS.
Environmental Policy: this is a statement of what an organisation intends to achieve from an EMS. It ensures all
environmental activities are consistent with the organisation's objectives.
Environmental Impact Identification: identification and documentation of the actual and potential environmental
impacts of an organisation's operations need to be undertaken. This can be achieved through undertaking an environmental
audit.
Objectives and Targets: an environmental audit forms the basis of determining an organisation's environmental
objectives and targets. An organisation can find benefits in adopting more stringent longer term objectives to encourage it
to improve its performance. To continually improve, targets should be regularly reviewed.
Consultation: staff and community consultation should be undertaken before, during and after establishment of an EMS.
This is necessary to ensure that all staff are involved in, and committed to the EMS. It can also help to improve public
perception of the company, one of the benefits of implementing an EMS.
Operational and Emergency Procedures: all procedures should be reviewed to ensure they are compatible with the
organisation's environmental objectives and targets. Any changes should be included with the documentation.
Environmental Management Plan: this details the methods and procedures which an organisation will use to meet its
objectives and targets.
Documentation: all objectives, targets, policies, responsibilities and procedures should be documented along with
information on environmental performance. Documentation is useful for verifying environmental performance to staff,
regulators and the community.
Responsibilities and Reporting Structure: responsibilities need to be allocated to staff and management to ensure the
EMS is implemented effectively.
Training: staff should undergo environmental awareness training to familiarise them with their responsibilities for
implementing the EMS and with the overall environmental policy and objectives of the organisation. This provides staff
with the necessary skill and motivation for the effective implementation of the EMS.
Review Audits and Monitoring Compliance: review audits should be undertaken regularly to ensure the EMS is
achieving its objectives and to refine operational procedures to meet this goal. In order to ensure regulatory and other
requirements are being met, it is often necessary to undertake regular environmental monitoring.
Continual Improvement: an important component is continual improvement. An EMS comes into its best use when used
to review progress towards the targets and objectives set by a company to protect the environment. The procedures set in
place to meet these objectives should be constantly examined to see if they can be improved or if more effective systems
can be introduced.
Benefits of an EMS
An EMS can assist a company in the following ways:
reduce waste;
Although the implementation of an EMS is essentially a voluntary initiative, it can also become an effective tool for
governments to protect the environment as it can assist regulation. For example, regulatory systems can encourage
organisations to use EMS to meet standards, by providing incentives for strong environmental performance.
Likewise, organisations can use EMS to ensure that their performance is within regulatory requirements, and to keep
ahead of more stringent regulations which might be introduced in the future.
ISO 14001 is the standard for Environment Management Systems. Many large businesses, particularly overseas, have
obtained certification under the standard.
Although a fully certified ISO EMS may not be suitable for smaller organisations, it does provide guidelines that assist
organisations to consider all the relevant issues, and thus gain the most benefit from their EMS, even without certification.
SMEs can therefore use ISO 14001 as a model for designing their own EMS.
However, larger organisations may find certification more valuable when considering the potential trade and market
advantages of an internationally recognised and certified EMS. This was a significant factor for companies seeking
certification under the ISO 9000 quality assurance standards, and is likely to be a factor in decisions regarding ISO 14001
certification.
EMS in Australia
The Standards Australia web site(link is external) provides further information about Standards in Australia. The ISO
14000 series has been adopted in Australia and New Zealand as the AS/NZS ISO 14000 series. Copies can be purchased
either from the web site or by phoning the Customer Service Centre (ph 1300 65 46 46).
The department has also developed a model EMS for Australian Government Agencies.
Southcorp
University of Queensland
Links
Quality Network - Introduction to Environment Management Systems(link is external)
International Institute for Sustainable Development - A comparison between ISO14000, BS7750 and EMAS(link is
external)
http://www.environment.gov.au/node/20494
Related
WEBINAR: Measuring and monitoring techniques to help you save money on waste
Measure and monitor resource use
Downloads
improve resource efficiency and reduce unnecessary expenditure, as environment-related costs are increasing faster than normal inflation;
communicate your company’s environmental credentials to employees, customers, suppliers and shareholders; and
Once you have developed your EMS, implementing it requires a cyclical process based on ‘plan, do, check and review’, with the overarching aim of continual improvement.
EMS Building Blocks is a complete guide that guides you through each stage of the EMS process. Following the instructions in the publication will help you to carry out the key tasks needed to implement an EMS in your business.
Useful materials
The EMS Building Blocks guide contains links to arrange of useful tools and templates that will help you implement your EMS, including:
Environmental aspects and impacts register. Use this template to record your organisation’s environmental aspects, the potential environmental impacts and if they are significant. It provides basic examples and can be edited to suit
your organisation.
Legal register. This is a template for a legal register that can be adapted to include details of environmental legislation and guidance appropriate to your organisation.
Objectives and targets. Use this template to record your objectives, targets and management programmes. It is a basic template that can be edited to suit your organisation.
Emergency preparedness. A template to help you to identify the measures you can take to control the risk from abnormal environmental aspects. It is a basic template that can be edited to suit your organisation.
Measuring and monitoring resource use. A range of templates that will help you collate and analyse your energy, water and waste measurement data.
Internal audit schedule. This is a template for an internal audit schedule that you can use to plan your internal audit activities. It is a basic template that can be edited to suit your organisation.
Audit checklist. Here is a sample audit checklist and report that you can customise to match your needs.
EMS document index. Use this template to record your EMS documents and procedures. It provides basic examples and can be edited to suit your organisation.
http://www.resourceefficientscotland.com/content/key-task/implement-an-environmental-management-system