ISO 14001:2004

ISO 14001:2004

What is an Environmental Management System?

An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a structured framework to manage an organization’s environmental performance and minimize its environmental impact. Certified EMS’s ensure the public and other stakeholders that an organization is doing everything in its power to effectively manage their environmental responsibilities.

Some main components of our EMS include:

  • Creating anEnvironmental Policy
  • Identifying all legal requirements
  • Objectives and Targets to minimize significant impacts
  • Monitoring and auditing to ensure EMS compliance
  • Allocating environmental roles and responsibilities
  • Creating EMS documentation (guidelines) such as an EMS Policy and Procedure Manual, Operating Procedures Manuals, Emergency Response Procedures Manuals etc…

 

What are some benefits of implementing an EMS?

An EMS allows an organization to analyze, control and reduce the environmental impact of its activities, products and services. Some benefits also include:

  • Improved environmental performance
  • Pollution prevention and reduced resource consumption
  • Reduced liability and improved legal compliance
  • Reduced operational costs and increased operational efficiency
  • Fewer environmental and safety related accidents
  • Heightened employee environmental awareness and staff involvement
  • Enhanced public trust and confidence in operations and management
  • Improved management of population growth and aging facilities

 

Key requirements of an EMS include:

  • The commitment must include senior management: in some jurisdictions, this has important legal implications;
  • Legal and other requirements must be addressed;
  • Interested parties’ concerns must be reflected in the development of objectives and targets; and
  • A commitment must be made to continuous improvement.

There is no fixed approach to establishing an EMS, but the framework set out below is one example:

1) Commitment by senior management

  • Senior management defines, and commits itself to, the implementation of an EMS

2) Background analysis

  • All aspects of the organization’s activities which are expected to have an environmental impact are identified
  • Relevant laws and regulations are identified
  • Any other commitments which the organization has already made are identified

3) Planning

  • Objectives and targets are set – and quantified where possible

4) Monitoring

  • A process is established to monitor performance against the objectives, targets and legal requirements, and to channel this information back into the EMS

5) Work plan

  • A work plan is created through which the objectives and targets can be achieved. The plan may involve changes in production processes, new product designs, training, communication of results, evaluation of performance indicators, and documentation.

6) Review

  • Possible changes to the policy and objectives of the EMS are considered on a regular basis
  • The EMS is audited
  • Possible changes to the work plan are considered

7) Recommitment to EMS

  • A recommitment is made to the prevention of pollution and to the continuous improvement of environmental performance.

A company can seek official accreditation for its EMS, under one of several schemes. Certification helps to ensure that the company gets the greatest benefit from its efforts. Go to the section on ‘Standards’ for details of the two most popular schemes for EMSs – namely ISO 14001 and EMAS.