Environmental Management Systems (EMS) ISO-14001:2004 - In brief

Environmental Management Systems (EMS) ISO-14001:2004 - In  brief

                    The Global Environmental Initiative in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 was the catalyst for the formation of ISO 14000. Over one hundred of the countries attending the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) committed to improving international environmental management programs and petitioned the ISO to adopt the cause. In turn, the ISO established the Strategic Advisory Group on the Environment (SAGE) to determine whether an international environmental management standard could "promote a common approach to environmental management, enhance an organization's ability to attain and measure improvements in environmental performance, and facilitate trade and remove trade barriers." Following a favorable report, the ISO established a committee to standardize environmental management "tools and systems," but not performance standards.

                 ISO 14001, published on September 1, 1996, provides the basic framework for the establishment of an environmental management system (EMS). It is this system that can be audited under later provisions and that can lead to certification, or registration. As with ISO 9000, registration is the flag a company carries to convey to its consumers, investors, insurers, suppliers and government that it has successfully implemented ISO 14000. There are five requirements of ISO 14001: formation of a corporate environmental policy and commitment to an EMS, development of a plan for implementation, implementation and operation of the EMS, monitoring and possible corrective action, and top management review and continual improvement.

                An Environment Management System (EMS) is a tool for managing the impacts of an organisation's activities on the environment. It provides a structured approach to planning and implementing environment protection measures.

                 Like a financial management system monitors expenditure and income and enables regular checks of a company's financial performance, an EMS monitors environmental performance. An EMS integrates environmental management into a company's daily operations, long term planning and other quality management systems.

ISO-14001:2004 EMS Specification

ISO-14004:2004 EMS Guidelines

ISO-14010 Guidelines for Environmental Auditing

    - General Principles

ISO-14011 Guidelines for Environmental Auditing

    - Audit Procedures

    - Auditing of Environmental Management Systems

ISO-14012 Guidelines for Environmental Auditors

    - Qualification Criteria for Environmental Auditors

                            First, ISO 14001 requires corporate commitment and a written environmental policy. Many corporations already have environmental policies and they may be sufficient, but three key provisions must be incorporated into an ISO 14001 environmental policy. The business must conform to all applicable national laws and regulations. There must be pollution prevention provisions; however, the specifics are left to the discretion of the individual industry. Finally, the environmental policy must include a commitment to continual improvement that comes from top management. ISO 14001 recognizes that without high level management setting the example, all other efforts are meaningless.

                          Second, ISO 14001 requires a plan of action. Basically, the corporation must say what it is going to do, how it is going to do it, who is going to do it, and by when it is going to do it. More concretely, the corporation must: "designate responsibility for achieving objectives and targets at each relevant function and level; provide the means for fulfilling the objectives and targets; designate a time frame within which they will be achieved." The allocation of responsibility is a crucial element of ISO 14001. Simple sociology explains that workers are more productive when they understand the goal they are working for, when they are given responsibility for reaching that goal, and when they are rewarded for succeeding. This type of employee involvement and feedback is just one of the recurring themes throughout ISO 14000.

                         Third is the implementation of the EMS. Central to the effective operation of an EMS is employee training and competence. Resources and staff must be committed to training all involved employees, and at the very least to honing the understanding of all employees and contractors. Knowledge and communication are key. Not only must there be open communication among top management and various other levels but there must also be lateral communication. An EMS is an integrated approach to management that requires full and active participation to maximize utility additionally there must be diligent EMS documentation, document control, and external communication.

                       Fourth is monitoring the system and correcting any flaws. Although specific levels of environmental performance are not within the scope of ISO 14000, pollution prevention and performance improvement are valid aims under step one of ISO 14001.Monitoring the system takes place under the environmental performance standards developed in ISO 14031, the documentation requirement of step three above, and the environmental auditing procedures developed in ISO 14010,14011, and 14012.

                      The fifth and final step towards implementation of ISO 14001 is management review and continual improvements to the EMS. Top management review of the EMS is necessary to give the system credibility and to reinforce its diligent operation. Management review differs from an audit in that an audit examines the structure of the EMS and its component parts to ensure that all the requirements of ISO 14001 are in place. Management review examines the EMS itself and its interrelation with the functioning of the company as a whole. Management review answers the final question: does the EMS work?

Components of EMS :

Environmental Management Systems

    - Environmental Management Systems General Requirements

Environmental Management Systems Environmental Policy

    - Guidelines for an appropriate environmental policy

    - Pollution Prevention commitment

    - EHS compliance commitment

    - How to communicate an environmental policy

Environmental Management Systems Planning

    - Guidelines for the identification of environmental aspects/impacts

    - EHS compliance/EMS compliance

    - Objectives, targets and programs

    - Development of an organizational chart

    - Guidelines for amendments for new developments

Environmental Management Systems Implementation and Operation

    - Specific management representatives

    - Resource, roles, responsibility and authority

    - Competence, training and awareness

    - Communication

    - Documentation/Control of documents

    - Emergency preparedness and response

Environmental Management Systems Checking

    - Monitoring and measurement procedures

    - Track performance

    - EHS compliance/EMS compliance

    - Procedures for non-conformity(ies), corrective action and preventive action

    - Record retention

    - EMS/EHS audits

Environmental Management Systems Management Review

    - Involvement of top management

    - Review of EMS conformity

    - Address EMS audit results

Continual Improvement

    - Guidelines for the improvement in overall environmental performance

    - Consistent with environmental policy

    - Commitment to continual improvement

                

                 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 organizational 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. Further examples of components that should be considered when developing an EMS are:

Description of  used word in 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 assists a company in the following ways:

·         minimise environmental liabilities;

·         maximize the efficient use of resources;

·         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 is a powerful tool for organisations to both improve their environmental performance, and enhance their business efficiency. An EMS is not prescriptive; rather, it requires organisations 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 organisation itself.