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Faculty of Engineering, Technology, Applied Design & Fine Art

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Jan 2018
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 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
5.1 Definition of Environmental management system
Environmental management system (EMS) refers to “the management of an organization's
environmental programs in a comprehensive, systematic, planned and documented manner. It
includes the organizational structure, planning and resources for developing, implementing and
maintaining policy for environmental protection” or “a set of processes and practices that enable an
organization to reduce its environmental impacts and increase its operating efficiency”.
5.1.1 What is an Environmental management system (EMS)?
An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a framework that helps an organization to achieve
its environmental goals through consistent review, evaluation, and improvement of its environmental
performance. The assumption is that this consistent review and evaluation will identify opportunities
for improving and implementing the environmental performance of the organization. The EMS itself
does not dictate a level of environmental performance that must be achieved; each organization's
EMS is tailored to its own individual objectives and targets (Plan-Do-Check-Act).

Figure 5 1 Environmental Management System Model

An EMS follows a Plan-Do-Check-Act, or PDCA, Cycle. The diagram shows the process of first
developing an environmental policy, planning the EMS, and then implementing it. The process also
includes checking the system and acting on it. The model is continuous because an EMS is a process
of continual improvement in which an organization is constantly reviewing and revising the system.
This is a model that can be used by a wide range of organizations — from manufacturing facilities to
service industries to government agencies.
5.1.2 Other meanings
An Environmental management system (EMS) can also be classified as:
 a system which monitors, tracks and reports emissions information, particularly with respect
to the oil and gas industry. EMSs are becoming web-based in response to the EPA's
mandated greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting rule, which allows for reporting GHG emissions
information via the internet;
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  a centrally controlled and often automated network of devices (now frequently wireless using
z-wave and zigbee-technologies) used to control the internal environment of a building. Such
a system namely acts as an interface between end user and energy (gas/electricity)
consumption;

Figure 5 2 Overview of the modules and their interactions

5.1.3 What is the management system?
A management system is the framework of policies, processes and procedures used to ensure that
an organization can fulfill all tasks required to achieve its objectives.
An Environment Management System (EMS) is a tool for managing the impacts of an organization’s
activities on the environment. It provides a structured approach to planning and implementing
environment protection measures.
5.1.4 Components of an Environmental Management System
To develop an EMS, an organization 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 organizational commitment. For an effective EMS to
be developed and implemented, you need commitment from the very top of the organization, 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 organization intends to achieve from an EMS.
It ensures all environmental activities are consistent with the organization’s objectives.
Environmental Impact Identification: identification and documentation of the actual and potential
environmental impacts of an organization’s operations need to be undertaken. This can be achieved
through undertaking an environmental audit.

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Objectives and Targets: an environmental audit forms the basis of determining an organization’s
environmental objectives and targets. An organization 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 organization’s environmental objectives and targets. Any changes should be
included with the documentation.
Environmental Management Plan: this details the methods and procedures which an organization
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 familiarize them with their
responsibilities for implementing the EMS and with the overall environmental policy and objectives
of the organization. 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 to the organizations.
An EMS can assist a company in the following ways:
 minimize environmental liabilities;
 maximize the efficient use of resources;
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  reduce waste;
 demonstrate a good corporate image;
 build awareness of environmental concern among employees;
 gain a better understanding of the environmental impacts of business activities; and
 increase profit, improving environmental performance, through more efficient operations;
An EMS can be a powerful tool for organizations to both improve their environmental performance,
and enhance their business efficiency. An EMS is not prescriptive, rather, it requires organizations
to take an active role in examining their practices, and then determining how their impacts should
best be managed. This approach encourages creative and relevant solutions from the organization
itself.
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 organizations to use EMS to meet standards, by providing
incentives for strong environmental performance.
Likewise, organizations 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.
5.1.5 Basic Environmental Management System (EMS)
An EMS helps an organization address its regulatory demands in a systematic and cost-effective
manner. This proactive approach can help reduce the risk of non-compliance and improve health
and safety practices for employees and the public. An EMS can also help address non-regulated
issues, such as energy conservation, and can promote stronger operational control and employee
stewardship.
Basic Elements of an Environmental management system include the following:
 reviewing the organization's environmental goals;
 analyzing its environmental impacts and legal requirements;
 setting environmental objectives and targets to reduce environmental impacts and comply
with legal requirements;
 establishing programs to meet these objectives and targets;
 monitoring and measuring progress in achieving the objectives;
 ensuring employees' environmental awareness and competence; and,
 reviewing progress of the EMS and making improvements

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5.1.6 Benefits of an EMS
An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a structured framework for businesses and
organizations to manage their environmental impacts. National and international EMS certification
schemes emerged in the early 1990s and have since developed closely through to increasingly
standardized and complimentary approaches. Environmental Management Systems are now widely
adopted offering a number of direct benefits to both public and private sector organizations;
 Helps achieve real cost savings - direct efficiencies in energy, water, waste, purchasing and
transport
 Management of environmental risk and ensuring legal compliance
 A valuable engagement process for staff and stakeholders
 Effectively demonstrate commitment and responsibility to key clients, regulators and the
public
 Leading schemes have been structured to be compatible and complementary with other
mainstream standards (e.g. ISO 9001 Quality Standard)
 Increasingly valuable as a pre-requisite for doing business – EMS accredited certification
helping to demonstrate your business’s compliance with supply chain requirements
5.1.7 Direct benefits derived from implementing an effective EMS include:
 Material savings through more complete product input processing, substitution, and
recycling of by-products and waste
 Reduced energy consumption
 Reduced material storage costs
 Reduced costs for emissions, discharges, waste handling, transport and disposal
 Increased process yields
 Reduced insurance rates
 Reduced customer audits
 Reduced environmental liability
 Reduced enforcement fines
 EMS tracking measurable via consistent plan-do-check-review methods
Intangible EMS benefits include:
 Improved corporate image among regulators, customers and the public
 Proof of social responsibility
 Improved employee morale

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5.2 Environmental Objectives and Targets
In order to measure the effectiveness of Impact's Environmental Management System,
environmental objectives and key performance targets are set at board level. They are integrated
into our company wide strategy and are reviewed periodically.
Management objectives
For policies to be effective they must be derived and driven from management level. At Impact we
have regular management reviews of the environment policy. The efficiency of these decisions can
be determined through meeting targets, which are outlined below.
 Impact will meet all environmental targets set
 100% of all Impact staff will be inducted into the Environment Management System (EMS) within
three months of their employment
 The EMS will be reviewed quarterly by the Environment Advisor and the UK Leadership Team
 Updates to all Impact staff will be communicated quarterly
Operational objectives
The daily operations of our business have the most potential to cause harm to the environment within
which we work. It is important to manage these risks through identification and control measures.
Climate Change
 We will reduce our carbon output from energy use in Impact International LLP offices by 30% by
2015 from 2008 base levels
 Research further opportunities to change our energy tariff to include a greater proportion of
renewable sources and implement viable options by the end of 2014
 For every company transport need, public transport will be used as the first choice over vehicles
and flying where practicable
 When purchasing or leasing new company vehicles, the most fuel efficient vehicles will be
considered
 Further develop and quantify low carbon learning methods e.g. Virtual Learning, Video
Conferencing
 Investigate strategies to totally remove the use of coal in hotel fireplaces by the end of 2014
Waste
 We will recycle 100% of all possible paper, plastic and cardboard
 We will continue to develop our water saving strategy
 Considerations of waste will be taken into account when designing new projects
 Investigate the possibility of creating a zero waste to landfill target by the end of 2017

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 Outdoor Activities
 There will be no environmental accidents
 We will implement a procedure for updating Environmental Impact Assessments of our activity
sites
 We will continue to develop the estate through the woodland management plan for improved
environmental and ecological wealth
 We will create better access to the estate woodlands to encourage hotel guests and Impact
staff/participants to get closer to the woodland and increase awareness of environmental issues.
We will complete these pathways involving local community groups to produce information
boards around the trails by the end of 2014
Policy and Procedures
 We will continue to incorporate conservation projects into staff Learning in the Community
commitments
 Implement the updated suppliers policy by the end of 2014
 By the end of 2017 we have engaged with a supplier to help improve their environmental
performance
 Achieve a new external accreditation for the Environmental Management System by the end of
2017
 Maintain profile and influence in local environmental forums, specifically Lake Nalubaale
Murchison falls park, Mabira/Budongo forests, Adventure and Environmental Awareness Group
 Develop the internal cross functional focus group (Environment Team) to have a measurable
increase in employee engagement by the end of 2017
 Increase the 2017 score from the Great Places to Work Survey to 95% of our employees believe
that we are working to reduce our environmental impact.
 Update the London Office Code of Practice for environmental performance by the end of 2017
 Increase international office engagement in environmental issues affecting Impact and qualify
progression of country specific environmental policies
5.2.1 Environmental Management System (EMS) under ISO 14001
An EMS encourages an organization to continuously improve its environmental performance. The
system follows a repeating cycle. The organization first commits to an environmental policy, then
uses its policy as a basis for establishing a plan, which sets objectives and targets for improving
environmental performance.

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The next step is implementation. After that, the organization evaluates its environmental performance
to see whether the objectives and targets are being met. If targets are not being met, corrective
action is taken. The results of this evaluation are then reviewed by top management to see if the
EMS is working. Management revisits the environmental policy and sets new targets in a revised
plan. The company then implements the revised plan. The cycle repeats, and continuous
improvement occurs.
The most commonly used framework for an EMS is the one developed by the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) for the ISO 14001 standards. Established in 1996, this
framework is the official international standard for an EMS which is based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act
methodology.
The five main stages of an EMS, as defined by the ISO 14001 standards, are described below:
1. Commitment and Policy - Top management commits to environmental improvement and
establishes the organization's environmental policy. The policy is the foundation of the EMS.
2. Planning - An organization first identifies environmental aspects of its operations.
Environmental aspects are those items, such as air pollutants or hazardous waste, which
can have negative impacts on people and/or the environment. An organization then
determines which aspects are significant by choosing criteria considered most important by
the organization. For example, an organization may choose worker health and safety,
environmental compliance, and cost as its criteria. Once significant environmental aspects
are determined, an organization sets objectives and targets. An objective is an overall
environmental goal (e.g., minimize use of chemical X). A target is a detailed, quantified
requirement that arises from the objectives (e.g., reduce use of chemical X by 25% by
September 1998). The final part of the planning stage is devising an action plan for meeting
the targets. This includes designating responsibilities, establishing a schedule, and outlining
clearly defined steps to meet the targets.
3. Implementation - An organization follows through with the action plan using the necessary
resources (human, financial, etc.). An important component is employee training and
awareness for all employees. Other steps in the implementation stage include
documentation, following operating procedures, and setting up internal and external
communication lines.
4. Evaluation - A company monitors its operations to evaluate whether targets are being met.
If not, the company takes corrective action.
5. Review - Top management reviews the results of the evaluation to see if the EMS is working.
Management determines whether the original environmental policy is consistent with the
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 organization's values. The plan is then revised to optimize the effectiveness of the EMS. The
review stage creates a loop of continuous improvement for a company.
5.2.2 Features of Environmental Management System
An Environmental Management System (EMS):
 serves as a tool, or process, to improve environmental performance and information mainly
"design, pollution control and waste minimization, training, reporting to top management,
and the setting of goals";
 provides a systematic way of managing an organization’s environmental affairs;
 is the aspect of the organization’s overall management structure that addresses immediate
and long-term impacts of its products, services and processes on the environment? EMS
assists with planning, controlling and monitoring policies in an organization.
 gives order and consistency for organizations to address environmental concerns through
the allocation of resources, assignment of responsibility and ongoing evaluation of practices,
procedures and processes;
 creates environmental buy-in from management and employees and assigns accountability
and responsibility;
 sets framework for training to achieve objectives and desired performance;
 helps understand legislative requirements to better determine a product or service's impact,
significance, priorities and objectives;
 focuses on continual improvement of the system and a way to implement policies and
objectives to meet a desired result. This also helps with reviewing and auditing the EMS to
find future opportunities.
 encourages contractors and suppliers to establish their own environmental management
system

5.3 Basic principles and methodology

These are based on the well-known Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle.
The concept of PDCA is a four stage change management model used by organizations to achieve
continual improvement and incremental problem solving which can be briefly described as follows:

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 Figure 5 3 Environmental Management System Model for this International Standard
While PDCA has always been the foundation of an environmental management system as
prescribed in this International Standard, it is recognized that organizations need to ensure
management control over other areas of responsibility as well, such as quality, safety, and risk.

5.3.1 Plan: establish objectives and processes required

Plan: establish the objectives and processes necessary to deliver results in accordance with the
organization’s environmental policy.

Prior to implementing ISO 14001, an initial review or gap analysis of the organization’s processes
and products is recommended, to assist in identifying all elements of the current operation and, if
possible, future operations, which may interact with the environment, termed "environmental
aspects."

Environmental aspects can include both direct, such as those used during manufacturing, and
indirect, such as raw materials (Martin 1998). This review assists the organization in establishing
their environmental objectives, goals, and targets, which should ideally be measurable; helps with
the development of control and management procedures and processes; and serves to highlight any
relevant legal requirement, which can then be built into the policy (Uganda Standards).

5.3.2 Do: implement the processes

During this stage, the organization identifies the resources required and works out those members
of the organization responsible for the EMS’ implementation and control. This includes establishing
procedures and processes, although only one documented procedure is specified related to
operational control. Other procedures are required to foster better management control over

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 elements such as documentation control, emergency preparedness and response, and the education
of employees, to ensure that they can competently implement the necessary processes and record
results.

Communication and participation across all levels of the organization, especially top management,
is a vital part of the implementation phase, with the effectiveness of the EMS being dependent on
active involvement from all employees.

5.3.3 Check: measure and monitor the processes and report results
Check: monitor and measure processes against environmental policy, objectives, legal requirements
and voluntary obligations, and report the results.

During the 'check' stage, performance is monitored and periodically measured to ensure that the
organization’s environmental targets and objectives are being met. In addition, internal audits are
conducted at planned intervals to ascertain whether the EMS meets the user's expectations and
whether the processes and procedures are being adequately maintained and monitored (Uganda
Standards).
Figure 5 4 Continual Improvement Process (CI)

START

Management
Review Commitment &
Policy

Measurements & Evaluation

Planning
 Monitoring & Measurement Continual  Environmental Aspects
 Non-Conformance/Corrective Improvement  Legal/Other Requirements
Actions
 Objectives and Targets
 Records
 Environmental Management
 EMS Audit
Programme

Implementation
 Structure & Responsibility
 Training, Awareness, Competence
 Communication
 EMS
 Document Control
 Operational Control
 Emergency Preparedness/Response

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5.3.4 Act: take action to improve performance of EMS based on results
Act: take actions to continually improve performance of the environmental management system.
After the checking stage, a management review is conducted to ensure that the objectives of the
EMS are being met, the extent to which they are being met, and that communications are being
appropriately managed; and to evaluate changing circumstances, such as legal requirements, in
order to make recommendations for further improvement of the system (Uganda Standards). These
recommendations are incorporated through continual improvement: plans are renewed or new plans
are made, and the EMS moves forward.

5.4 What is ISO 14001 standard?

The ISO 14001 standard is the most important standard within the ISO 14000 series. ISO 14001
specifies the requirements of an environmental management system (EMS) for small to large
organizations. The ISO 14001 standard is based on the Plan-Check-Do-Review-Improve cycle.
The Plan cycle deals with the beginning stages of an organization becoming ISO 14001-compliant.
The Check cycle deals with checking and correcting errors.
The Do cycle is the implementation and operation of the ISO 14001 standard within an organization.
The Review cycle is a review of the entire process by the organization's top management.
And the Improve cycle is a cycle that never ends as an organization continually finds ways to improve
their EMS.
ISO 14001 encourages a company to continually improve its environmental performance. Apart from
the obvious – the reduction in actual and possible negative environmental impacts – this is achieved
in three ways:
 expansion: more and more business areas get covered by the implemented EMS;
 enrichment: more and more activities, products, processes, emissions, resources, etc. get
managed by the implemented EMS;
 upgrading: An improvement of the structural and organizational framework of the EMS, as
well as an accumulation of know-how in dealing with business-environmental issues;
Overall, the CI concept expects the organization to gradually move away from merely operational
environmental measures towards a strategic approach on how to deal with environmental
challenges.
5.4.1 What are the benefits of ISO 14001?
Why should you implement ISO 14001 in your organization? Here are just a few of the benefits you
can discuss.

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Improve your image and credibility
If your contracts or tenders require an ISO 14001 certification, then this is an obvious benefit. But,
even if it is not a formal requirement, very often your customers, neighbors, and the local community
will be interested in how you care for the environment around you. Increasingly, consumers are
concerned about the environmental practices of the companies that produce the products they use.
One way to assure all of these people that you are committed to managing your environmental
impacts is to have a demonstrable environmental management system to identify and control these
impacts. This can enhance your image, help you maintain a good public image, and improve
community relations – which can help improve your market share with these interested parties.
Help you comply with legal requirements
One of the most important benefits that can be derived from implementing ISO 14001 is to provide
you with a framework for identifying, monitoring and complying with the various environmental
requirements that apply to your processes. Of course you try to follow all applicable laws before
implementing an environmental management system, but the system itself can aid in maintaining
your compliance. Additionally, implementation will tell people that you care about the environment,
and have a proven framework for identifying and complying with the various legal, regulatory and
contractual requirements, thus boosting your image and credibility as above.
Improvement in cost control
All companies want to reduce costs – this is a fact of life in today’s world economy – but you may
wonder how an environmental management system can help with cost control. The first way that this
can happen is by using your system to identify, control, and reduce the number of environmental
incidents that occur, which can cost your company through liability costs of fines, cleanup, and
reparations. Secondly, you can use the improvement aspect of the environmental management
system to help reduce costs by working to conserve the energy and input materials required by your
company processes.
Higher rate of success when implementing changes
When you are trying to make the improvements outlined above, it is important to ensure you are
working with good, accurate data, which is a key element of the ISO 14001 standard. When putting
these improvement activities in place, you can greatly increase the chances that you will be
successful the first time by tracking the improvement through good data collection – and even if the
initiative goes off track, you will find this out sooner so that you can correct problems and recover
faster. This can save further time and money.

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 Enable quicker improvement of processes
The element of continual improvement that is integral to the ISO 14001 requirements can be used
to help your organization to move from small improvements toward greater enhancements to your
organizational processes. Through these systematic processes, you can better build your public
image and reduce your costs as identified above, but to continue to do this can help your employees
find new and better ways to reduce your environmental impact and save time and resources when
they improve the processes. When people are involved in a culture that utilizes them to work toward
common goals of improvement, they are more engaged overall.
Reduce employee turnover
As just stated, employees who are involved in company improvements are more engaged in other
aspects of the company. Given a choice between working for a company that shows care and
concern for the environment around it and one that does not, most people would prefer the first
company. Engaged employees in a group effort to reduce the company’s environmental footprint will
often have an increased employee focus and retention, and it is easier and less expensive to retain
employees than it is to recruit and train new employees. So, every dollar spent on helping employees
become more engaged is worth more in savings for the training and recruitment department.
Of course, the main reason to implement an environmental management system using the ISO
14001 requirements is to help the environment by causing less of a negative impact and reducing
your environmental footprint. While this remains true, some companies can still find it difficult to
defend the monetary expenditures required to implement change. It can be easier to justify the cost
of making these improvements by focusing on these other benefits that can go beyond the simple
ideals of environmental stewardship and focus more on the long-term advantages of implementing
an environmental management system.
5.4.2 Benefits of implementing ISO 14001
 Identify cost savings with greater emphasis on resource, waste and energy management
 Develop the corporate image and credibility
 Quantify, monitor and control the impact of operations on the environment, now and in the
future
 Ensure legislative awareness and compliance
 Improve environmental performance of supply chain
 Protect the company, assets, shareholders and directors
 Potentially decrease public liability insurance costs for your organization
 Grow your access to business partners and potential customers

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 The benefits of showing conformance to the ISO 14001 standard are numerous:
 Cost savings in waste, recycling and consumption
 Advantage over competitors when tendering for business
 Management of environmental risks
 Compliance with individual countries environmental regulations
 Demonstrates your commitment to improving the environment
 Shows you are a responsible future focused organization
 Can reduce insurance cover costs
 Can increase employee engagement in the knowledge that they are working in an
environmentally friendly organization
5.4.3 Complementarities and Differences
ISO 14001‘s environmental management system requirements are very similar to those of EMAS.
Additional requirements for EMAS include:
 stricter requirements on the measurement and evaluation of environmental performance
against objectives and targets;
 government supervision of the environmental verifiers;
 strong employee involvement; EMAS organizations acknowledge that active employee
involvement is a driving force and a prerequisite for continuous and successful
environmental improvements;
 environmental core indicators creating multi-annual comparability within and between
organizations;
 mandatory provision of information to the general public
 registration by a public authority;
5.4.4 ISO 14001 Use in Supply Chains
There are many reasons that ISO 14001 should be potentially attractive to supply chain managers,
including the use of the voluntary standard to guide the development of integrated systems, its
requirement for supply chain members in industries such as automotive and aerospace, the potential
of pollution prevention leading to reduced costs of production and higher profits, its alignment with
the growing importance of corporate social responsibility, and the possibility that an ISO-registered
system may provide firms with a unique environmental resource, capabilities, and benefits that lead
to competitive advantage.
Emerging areas of research are starting to address the use of this standard to show that ISO 14001
registration can be leveraged across the supply chain for competitive advantage. By looking at ISO
14001 registered firms, information from the study compared different amounts of integration and
16
 sustainability in the supply chain. Several research propositions and an empirical framework posit
the impacts of ISO 14001 on supply chain design.
The propositions include:
1. ISO registration leading to more proactive environmental management including process
and performance measurement related to sustainability across a supply chain;
2. That ISO-registered plants with formal environmental management systems will have higher
levels of communication required between OEMs and Tier I suppliers;
3. ISO-registered plants with direct relationships to other registered plants in their supply chain
will have higher levels of waste reduction and cost efficiency than nonregistered plants;
4. ISO-registered plants with direct relationships to other registered plants in the supply chain
will have sustainable practices and projects with better ROI than nonregistered firms;
5. ISO-registered plants with direct relationships to other registered plants will have higher
levels of customer relationship management and will be positively associated with greater
expansion opportunities and image than nonregistered plants;
6. ISO-registered plants with direct relationships to other registered plants will have fewer
issues with employee health and reduced numbers of safety incidents than nonregistered
plants;
7. ISO-registered plants with a direct relationship to other registered plants will have a strong
positive relationship between formal communication, training, monitoring/control systems,
and firm performance; and
8. ISO-registered plants with a direct relationship to other registered plants will have higher
levels of involvement and communication, which will be positively related to more internal
and external integration with supply chain members.
5.4.5 Prevention of pollution
Use of processes, practices, techniques, materials, products, services or energy to avoid, reduce or
control (separately or in combination) the creation, emission or discharge of any type of pollutant or
waste, in order to reduce adverse environmental impacts. Prevention of pollution can include source
reduction or elimination, process, product or service changes, efficient use of resources, material
and energy substitution, reuse, recovery, recycling, reclamation and treatment.

5.5 Environmental Policy (EP)

Environmental policy refers to the commitment of an organization to the laws, regulations, and other
policy mechanisms concerning environmental issues. These issues generally include air and water
pollution, waste management, ecosystem management, maintenance of biodiversity, the protection
of natural resources, wildlife and endangered species. Policies concerning energy or regulation of
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 toxic substances including pesticides and many types of industrial waste are part of the topic of
environmental policy. This policy can be deliberately taken to direct and oversee human activities
and thereby prevent harmful effects on the biophysical environment and natural resources, as well
as to make sure that changes in the environment do not have harmful effects on humans.
5.5.1 What is the environmental policy?
An environmental policy is a statement about an organization’s environmental position and values.
The ISO 14001 standard states that an environmental policy is the organization’s overall
environmental performance intentions and direction formally expressed by top management.
5.5.2 What should an environmental policy contain?
Although there is no legal requirement or standard structure for an environmental policy, there are
key issues that such a policy should address. It should identify the key objectives that the business
is following, who is accountable and how these are to be achieved and by whom.
An environmental policy should commit to:
 an on-going process of improvement
 the principle of preventing pollution, as opposed to dealing with pollution once it has happened
 complying with environmental legislation and regulations, and other environmental requirements,
e.g. voluntary agreements, which apply to its activities, products and/or services
 getting its employees involved in the system and resulting environmental improvement
measures;
 Other formal requirements are that the policy:
 must fit with the nature, scale and environmental impacts of the organization’s activities, products
or services
 must be documented, communicated and easily available for all employees
 must be made publicly available, whether in writing or on the internet
 should be reviewed on a regular basis at the highest management level and adapted where
necessary, e.g. if there are major changes in the organization,
All current sustainability issues should be covered for both the business operation and its product.
For architecture, in common with all design, this also must include the approach to the issues
embodied through the implementation of the designs. In fact these are invariably the most important
in terms of eventual global impact as design businesses tend to be quite small in themselves
compared to the impact of the products resulting from their designs.
Any internal or external communication should be succinct and easily understood and an
environmental policy is no different. Ideally it should be set on one sheet of A4 paper and contain
the key commitments the policy undertakes. However for design it is useful to have two sets of
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 issues – one for the business itself and one related to the products of the design. It is actually helpful
and adds to clarity for these to be separable.
5.5.3 ISO 14001 Environmental Policy Statement Requirements
 Defined by top management;
 Appropriate to the organization;
 Commit to continual improvement and prevention of pollution;
 Commit to comply with environmental laws and policies;
 Provide framework for setting targets and objectives;
 Document and communicate to all employees;
 Publicity available.
5.5.4 Environmental Policy Statement (EPS)
The Environmental policy is a written statement of the organization’s overall aims and principles of
action with respect to the environment, including compliance to all relevant regulations. It is a key
tool in communicating the environmental priorities of the organization to employees at all levels, as
well as to external stakeholders. The policy statement should set in writing, achievable quantifiable
priorities related to the environmental management system and the significant environmental effects
found at the work-site.
The environmental policy must fulfill the fowling requirements (ISO 14001, BS 7750):
1. State the rationale for having an environmental policy
2. Include a clear commitment
3. Continuous improvement
4. Compliance with environmental regulations
5. Maintain public relations
6. Cover the main environmental issues a company is facing and set priorities amongst them
7. Define good environmental management practice
8. Define responsibilities and authority
9. Document and publicize the policy.
5.5.5 Sample of an environmental policy statement
Example: 1
PALL EUROPE LIMITED
(Warning: If printed, this document is only valid on the day of printing)
Commitment: Pall I Ifracombe fully accepts and will adhere strictly to Pall Europe Limited’s
Environmental Policy Statement:

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Pall Europe Limited (hereafter referred to as “the Company”) is a world leader in Fluid Clarification
for a wide variety of Healthcare, Aero power and Fluid Processing applications. Our customers rely
on products and expertise in filtration and contamination control to help protect processes, people
and the Environment.
Pall Europe Limited will conduct all of its operations with due regard for the environment, and the
health and safety of our employees, customers and the general public. The Company is committed
to continuous, overall environmental improvement and the prevention of pollution.
We will conform to, or exceed, all regulatory and legal requirements affecting the environment, and
strictly comply with the requirements of other codes of practice to which the organization subscribes.
We will endeavor to:
 design our products, processes and packaging so as to minimize the use of materials and
energy, particularly by recycling, recovery or re-use.
 based on the severity of the environmental impact; systematically eliminate or, where this is
impractical, minimize any releases to air, land and water.
 minimize the amount of waste materials produced and energy consumed as a result of our
activities.
 establish publicly available objectives for environmental improvement at each of our facilities
and continually assess our performance using a system of audits.
 promote and undertake educational programmes on environmental matters for our
employees to enable them to contribute to the company’s aims.
 develop filtration products which will enable our customers to minimize or prevent their own
adverse environmental impact.
Adherence to our Environmental and Health and Safety policies is central to the Company’s business
operations. We shall seek to ensure that Pall Europe Limited continues to make a significant
contribution to improving the environment worldwide, and strive to advance the environmental quality
of our products, processes and packaging.
This policy statement will be displayed at each of our locations and copies are available to
employees, customers and other interested parties on application.
The policy applies to all departments of our Divisions throughout Europe, and each site will establish
a documented environmental management system to ensure its requirements are fully implemented.
D. T. D Williams, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
January 1997
Reference Documentation:
Reference to Standard:
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Document Distribution List:
PILF ENVIRO MANUAL
Approvers of this document: Roland Field
Printed on 13/01/1998
Example 2: Our workplace:
We are committed to providing a quality service in a manner that ensures a safe and healthy
workplace for our employees, visitors and minimises our potential impact on the environment. We
will operate in compliance with all relevant environmental legislation and we will strive to use pollution
prevention and environmental best practices in all we do.
We will:
 integrate the consideration of environmental concerns and impacts into all of our decision making
and activities
 promote environmental awareness among our employees and encourage them to work in an
environmentally responsible manner, such as by working electronically wherever it is safe and
secure to do so while ensuring that all key information is fully and securely backed up
 reduce waste through re-use and recycling and by purchasing recycled, recyclable or refurbished
equipment, products and materials where these alternatives are available, economical and
suitable
 ensure responsible disposal of remaining unavoidable waste
 promote efficient use of space heating/lighting, equipment, materials and resources including
water, electricity, raw materials and other resources, particularly those that are non-renewable
 purchase and use environmentally responsible products accordingly
 include energy efficiency as one of the selection criteria when purchasing new equipment
 avoid unnecessary use of hazardous materials and products, seek substitutions when feasible,
and take all reasonable steps to protect human health and the environment when such materials
must be used, stored and disposed of
 where required by legislation or where significant health, safety or environmental hazards exist,
develop and maintain appropriate emergency response programmes
 communicate our environmental commitment to clients, customers and the public and encourage
them to support it
 strive to continually improve our environmental performance and minimise the social impact and
damage of activities by periodically reviewing our environmental policy in light of our current and
planned future activities

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 use public transport in preference to travel by car wherever it is possible and effective to do so,
Signature of person responsible for workplace policy:-
(print name) ……………………………………………………..
(signature) ……………………………………………………..
(position) ……………………………………………………..
(date) ……………………………………………………………….
Example 3: Our designs:
We recognise that the products of our designs will have far more environmental impact than our own
operations therefore we are further committed to exercising our professional skills in such a way as
to minimise environmental impact in so far as this is possible within the instructions received from
our clients.
We are committed:
 to raise the awareness of clients about sustainability and environmental protection, and help the
members of the design team to develop a shared vision of environmental aspirations
 to ensure as far as possible that building projects are supported by a travel plan that promotes
sustainable travel choices through public transport and cycling provision
 to assess sites for their ecological value and microclimate, and ensure buildings make best use
of the natural features of the site including sun, wind and landscape
 to ascertain the potential for local power generation from renewable energy sources locally or
on site
 to ensure that biodiversity is protected or enhanced
 to make best use of orientation and shape to reduce the need for artificial forms of conditioning
 to operate a ‘right-first-time’ culture (through our QM system) for our production information in
order to avoid wasteful site reworking
 to minimize the use of construction materials, and specify materials and components with the
optimum balance between environmental impact and performance in use
 to ensure that building services are inherently efficient and controllable, and that metering
encourages monitoring and management of resource use
 to ensure that buildings are commissioned fully before handover, and that full operating manuals
are provided
 to support clients in the first few months of operation by providing on-site training and advice to
ensure that systems are fine-tuned and operate in accordance with the design intent.
Signature of person responsible for design policy:-

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 (print name) ……………………………………………………..
(signature) ……………………………………………………..
(position) ……………………………………………………..
(date) ………………………………………………………………..

5.6 Environmental Management plan

An EMP is a site-specific plan developed to ensure that all necessary measures are identified and
implemented in order to protect the environment and comply with environmental legislation.
A site-specific EMP must be prepared for all civil works projects. It provides the answers to the
following important questions:
 What are the likely environmental issues for your site?
 What likely harm these issues can cause to the surrounding environment?
 How will you manage these issues to minimize harm to the environment?
5.6.1 Why do you need to do an EMP for an organization?
The scope of an EMP will vary depending on the scale and type of the development project.
Environmental issues for Greenfield developments will be somewhat different from those of urban
renewal projects. The EMP example for Green Meadows Estate Precinct 12 presents some of the
likely environmental issues that civil works contractors should consider when preparing each site-
specific EMP (see EMP – Planning & Implementation). Not all the environmental issues listed in the
example will be applicable to every site. Each site is unique and therefore the environmental issues
which need to be considered will vary from site to site. The Green Meadows Estate EMP example is
intended only as a guide and it is by no means exhaustive. Remember: Each site should be
considered in its local and regional context. An EMP is developed in stages.
These stages are:
 Commitment
 Planning
 Implementation
 Monitoring & Reporting
The scope of an EMP is committed to protecting the environment from its activities and requires the
same commitment from its service suppliers through development and implementation of an EMP. It
is the civil contractor’s responsibility to prepare a site-specific EMP and submit it to the project
manager for approval.
Commitment
Step 1 Make a Statement of Commitment. For example, our objectives are to:

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 Fully comply with applicable environment protection legislation,
 Comply with environmental guidelines and requirements,
 Minimize damage to the environment caused by our activities.
Planning
Step 2
List environmental issues related to your site activities and identify their likely impact on the
surrounding environment. You will need to be aware of sensitive natural features surrounding your
site that can potentially be affected by your activities onsite.
Step 3
Spell out the legal requirements, Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC)/Council
requirements development consent conditions, and requirements as stated in the Tender
Documentation and Special Conditions of Contract. Relate these to issues you have listed in Step 2.
Include these requirements in your staff training programme.
Step 4
Write a series of simple work instructions which will ensure compliance with the legal requirements
as well as minimizing damage to the environment. Provide training for staff appropriate to their level
of knowledge.
Step 5
Prepare an Emergency Plan for the site. See EMP – Site Emergency Response Plan:
 Identify the likely emergency situations that can arise on your site.
 The list prepared in Step 2 is helpful for this step
 Determine the actions required to manage each of the emergency situations.
 Identify relevant authorities and person(s) to be contacted in each emergency situation.
 Prepare a List of Emergency Contacts with up-to-date contact details.
 Prepare a site map and a locality map
Implementation
Step 6
Assign responsibility for implementing the Work Instructions. The implementation is generally the
Site Foreman’s responsibility.
Step 7
Provide adequate training to the personnel responsible for implementation of the EMP components.
Make sure all site personnel are aware of the Work Instructions applicable to their tasks.
Monitoring & Reporting

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 Step 8
Prepare your monitoring report card. See EMP – Monitoring Report Card:
 Identify what you must measure for compliance purposes as specified by the legislative
requirements (for example, dust emissions, water quality discharged from sedimentation basins).
These measuring requirements should be evident from your EMP.
 Include monitoring requirements (Monitoring Report Card) in your EMP
 Determine how often you will measure.
 Measure what you have identified.
 Submit your report card to Development Manager with your monthly reports or at the end of the
job.
 Establish an in-house audit process.
5.6.2 Summary of Steps for preparing an EMP
Step 1: Make a Statement of Commitment
Step 2: List all site-related environmental issue
Step 3: Relate legal and EPA/ Council requirements, development consent conditions, tender
documentation, and special conditions of contract to issues listed in step 2
Step 4: Write work instructions for managing the environmental issue
Step 5: Prepare an Emergency Response Plan
Step 6: Assign responsibility for implementing work instruction
Step 7: Provide appropriate training
Step 8: Prepare a monitoring report card and monitor regularly
5.6.3 Environmental Management Plan and Mitigation Measures
An EIA report contains predictions about the environmental impacts of proposals and
recommendations for their mitigation and management. The report is essentially a discretionary
planning document. Usually, a separate project approval sets the terms and conditions with which
the proponent must comply.
An environmental management plan (EMP), also referred to as an impact management plan, is
usually prepared as part of EIA reporting. It translates recommended mitigation and monitoring
measures into specific actions that will be carried out by the proponent. Depending upon particular
requirements, the plan may be included in, or appended to, the EIA report or may be a separate
document. The EMP will need to be adjusted to the terms and conditions specified in any project
approval. It will then form the basis for impact management during project construction and operation.
The main components of an EMP are described in the table below, which reflects practice at the
World Bank. Although there is no standard format, the EMP should contain the following:
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 summary of the potential impacts of the proposal;
 description of the recommended mitigation measures;
 statement of their compliance with relevant standards;
 allocation of resources and responsibilities for plan implementation;
 schedule of the actions to be taken;
 programme for surveillance, monitoring and auditing; and
 contingency plan when impacts are greater than expected
Figure 5 5 Components of Environmental Management Plan

EMP Component How to address

Summary of The predicted adverse environmental and social impacts for which mitigation is
impacts required should be identified and briefly summarized. Cross referencing to the
EA report or other documentation is recommended.
Description of Each mitigation measure should be briefly described with reference to the
mitigation impact to which it relates and the conditions under which it is required (for
measures example, continuously or in the event of contingencies). These should be
accompanied by, or referenced to, project design and operating procedures
which elaborate on the technical aspects of implementing the various measures
Description of The monitoring program should clearly indicate the linkages between impacts
monitoring identified in the EIA report, measurement indicators, detection limits (where
programme appropriate), and definition of thresholds that will signal the need for corrective
actions
Institutional Responsibilities for mitigation and monitoring should be clearly defined,
arrangements including arrangements for co-ordination between the various actors
responsible for mitigation
Implementation The timing, frequency and duration of mitigation measure should be specified in
schedule and an implementation schedule, showing links with overall project implementation.
reporting Procedures to provide information on the progress and results of mitigation and
procedures monitoring measures should also be clearly specified.
Cost estimates and These should be specified for both the initial investment and recurring expenses
sources of funds for implementing all measures contained in the EMP, integrated into the total
project costs, and factored into loan negotiations.
Source: World Bank, 1999

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The EMP should contain commitments that are binding on the proponent. It can be translated into
project documentation and provide the basis for a legal contract that sets out the responsibilities of
the proponent. In turn, the proponent can use the EMP to establish environmental performance
standards and requirements for those carrying out the works or providing supplies. An EMP can also
be used to prepare an environmental management system for the operational phase of the project.

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