3.2Environmental Management Systems (EMS)
Overview:
In this section you will learn about Environmental Management Systems (EMS).
We will start with a discussion about Environmental Management Systems, specifically ISO 14001. We shall examine the requirements of ISO 14001 and EMAS; as well as the general elements of Environmental Management Systems in detail. We shall then identify the arguments for and against formal certification. Finally we shall explore the links with Safety and Quality Management Systems.
Learning Aims:
At the end of this section you should be able to:
- Understand the standards for certificated EMS.
- Understand the purpose of an EMS in terms of controlling and improving environmental performance.
- Appreciate the principles, objectives and practice of an EMS.
- Appreciate the elements of an EMS and how they relate.
- Appreciate the role of suppliers and contractors.
- Appreciate the relationship between environmental, health, safety and quality management systems.
- Understand the business benefits of an EMS.
- Understand the role of internal communication.
Expected study duration:
6 hours.
Index:
1.Environmental Management Systems
1.1Environmental Management System and Environmental Performance
1.2BS EN ISO 14001:2004
1.3Introduction to ISO 14001
2.Requirements of ISO 14001
2.1Environmental Policy
2.2Environmental Aspects
2.3Legal and Other Requirements
2.4Objectives, Targets and Programmes
2.5Resources, Roles, Responsibility and Authority
2.6Competence, Training and Awareness
2.7Communication
2.8Control of Documents
2.9Operational Control
2.10Emergency Preparedness and Response
2.11Monitoring & Measurement
2.12Evaluation of Compliance
2.13Nonconformity, Corrective Action and Preventative Action
2.14Control of Records
2.15Internal Audit
2.16Management Review
3.Environmental Standards
4.Eco-Management and Audit Scheme
4.1Stages of EMAS
4.2Further Information:
5.BS 8555:2003
5.1Phases:
6.IEMA Acorn Scheme
7.Why have standards?
8.Certification
9.Elements of an Environmental Management System
9.1Policy
9.2Environmental Aspects
9.3Legal Requirements
9.4Objectives & Targets
9.5Management Programme
9.6Structure and Responsibility
9.7Training, Awareness and Competence
9.8Communication
9.9Documentation
9.10Document Control
9.11Operational Control
9.12Emergency Preparedness and Response
9.13Monitoring & Measurement
9.14Evaluation of Compliance
9.15Non-Conformance & Corrective and Preventative Action
9.16EMS Records
9.17Audits
9.18Management Review
10.Communication within an Environmental Management System
11.Environmental Management System and the Supply Chain
12.Benefits of an Environmental Management System
13.REMAS
14.Quality Management Systems
14.1Quality Standards
14.2A Brief History of Quality
15.Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems
16.Common Elements of Management Systems
17.Integrated Management Systems
17.1Integrated Management Standard
1.Environmental Management Systems
Background
People are more and more aware of environmental issues. Customers demand more environmentally responsible products and services (such as purchasing items with less packaging, choosing recycled paper or purchasing wood from sustainable sources). The public expect companies to demonstrate a commitment to the environment, as do shareholders.
This had led to environmental issues becoming part of board room agendas. Stakeholders and Clients now want proof that companies are acting in an environmentally responsible manner.
An effective way for organisations to demonstrate that they manage their environmental performance is through the implementation of an Environmental Management System (EMS). An EMS is a structured framework to help organisations manage their environmental issues.
What is an EMS?
An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a management tool to assist an organisation in improving its environmental performance. There are different types of EMS, but they all follow the same principle, a continual cycle ofPlan – Do – Check – Act with the aim of achieving continual improvement in environmental performance.
Plan what you are going to do. Do what you said you would. Check that it has gone as planned. Take action if it hasn’t.
1.1Environmental Management System and Environmental Performance
An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a continual cycle of planning, implementing, reviewing and improving the activities undertaken by an organisation. The purpose is to improve environmental performance.
An EMS is a tool. It will help an organisation assess strengths and weaknesses, identify and manage environmental impacts and provide benchmarks for improvements. All of which will ensure that environmental performance is monitored, required actions identified and environmental performance improved.
1.2BS EN ISO 14001:2004
BS EN ISO 14001:2004 is the International Standard for Environmental Management. Its full title is:
“BS EN ISO 14001:2004 - Environmental management systems -- Requirements with guidance for use.”
What does BS EN ISO 14001:2004 mean?
BS / EN / ISO / 14001 / 2004Denotes that it is a British Standard.
BS / EN / ISO / 14001 / 2004Denotes that it is a European Standard.
BS / EN / ISO / 14001 / 2004Denotes that it is adopted from an Internal Standard.
[ISO is derived from the Greek word ISOS, meaning equal.]
BS / EN / ISO / 14001 / 2004The Standard number.
BS / EN / ISO / 14001 / 2004The year issued.
British, European and International … how can it be all three?
BSI (who issue Standards in the UK) is obliged to adopt all European Standards and to withdraw any national standards that might conflict with them. They are published in the UK as BS EN.
- The International Standard is ISO 14001:2004, which is identical to …
- The European Standard EN ISO 14001:2004, which is identical to …
- The British Standard BS EN ISO 14001:2004.
Please Note:
For ease of reference, throughout the course this will be referred to as simply ISO 14001.
1.3Introduction to ISO 14001
ISO 14001 is the International Standard for Environmental Management. It is aimed at all types of organisations and can be implemented within any business anywhere in the world.
It specifies a process for controlling an organisation’s environmental performance. The underlying element of the standard is Continual Improvement.
To establish and EMS that conforms to ISO 14001 you must obtain a copy of the standard and then implement your EMS in accordance with each of the requirements. The standard should help your organisation identify, prioritise and manage its environmental risks.
The actual standard is contained within the document: “BS EN ISO 14001:2004 - Environmental management systems -- Requirements with guidance for use.”. This is the specification, which details the requirements of the standard.
There is also an associated document, “BS EN ISO 14004:2004 - Environmental management systems -- General guidelines on principles, systems and support techniques.” This is not the standard itself, but a guidance document that will assist you in implementing the standard.
ISO 14001 = the EMS standard.
ISO 14004 = a guidance document to help you implement ISO 14001.
2.Requirements of ISO 14001
2.1Environmental Policy
An organisation must develop an Environmental Policy. This should explain the organisations commitment to environmental performance. It should demonstrate top management commitment, which usually means it is signed by a senior member of staff, such as a board member.
To ensure that the Environmental Policy remains relevant, it should be regularly reviewed. In practice this is often done annually, usually as part of the Management Review.
ISO 14001 requires that the Environmental Policy specifically states a commitment to prevent pollution and a commitment to continual improvement.
2.2Environmental Aspects
ISO 14001 requires an organisation to identify its environmental aspects and impacts. These must then be evaluated to determine which of these are significant. .
Many organisations create an Environmental Aspects and Impacts Register to meet this requirement.
2.3Legal and Other Requirements
An organisation must identify all of the legal requirements that apply to its activities, products and services. In addition, there are other requirements that will affect an organisation. These will vary from organisation to organisation and from sector to sector. For examples, if a construction site is operating under the Considerate Contractors Scheme, that is an “Other Requirement”. Many manufacturing companies operate or produce products in accordance with specific British Standards. These standards are an “Other Requirement”, just as for example, are the Environment Agency Pollution Prevent Guidelines (PPGs).
Many organisations create an Environmental Legislation Register to meet this requirement.
2.4Objectives, Targets and Programmes
ISO 14001 requires an organisation to set objectives and targets to achieve the Environmental Policy. When setting Objectives and Targets, issues such as legal requirements, significant impacts and the Environmental Policy must be considered. Objectives and Targets should be reviewed regularly.
To ensure that an organisation meets the Objectives and Targets, a Management Programme must be developed that outlines how they will be met.
2.5Resources, Roles, Responsibility and Authority
An organisation must develop roles and responsibilities in regards to environmental issues. Once these have been determined they must be clearly communicated to those affected.Adequate resources should be provided. This includes personnel, technology and finances.
2.6Competence,Training and Awareness
ISO 14001 requires an organisation to identify training needs. Procedures must be maintained to ensure that all employees are aware of the importance of the requirements of the EMS, how this affects them and the potential consequences of departing from the procedures. The content and level of the training will be specific to the tasks they are required to conduct.
2.7Communication
An organisation must establish procedures for communication, both internally and externally.
2.8Control of Documents
ISO 14001 requires operational processes and procedures to be defined and appropriately documented. The core elements of the EMS and their interaction must be documented.Many organisations create an Environmental Manual to meet this requirement.
An organisation must ensure that EMS documents are controlled. They must be legible, periodically reviewed and approved by an authorised person. All documents should be easily located, with obsolete documents withdrawn.
2.9Operational Control
ISO 14001 requires an organisation to identify the activities which are associated with the significant impacts. Control measures must then be put in place to control these.
Most companies prepare suites of environmental procedures to address this requirement.
2.10Emergency Preparedness and Response
An organisation must develop procedures to identify potential emergencies. This should include preventing them and also responding to them should they occur.
2.11Monitoring & Measurement
ISO 14001 requires that the key operations which have an impact on the environment are monitored and measured. Information to track performance should be documented.
2.12Evaluation of Compliance
An organisation must ensure that they have a process in place for evaluating their compliance with legal (and other) requirements. This evaluation should be conducted periodically.
2.13Nonconformity, Corrective Action and Preventative Action
ISO 14001 requires that responsibility and authority is defined for managing non-conformances. This includes investigating them and taking corrective and preventative action.
2.14Control of Records
An organisation must have procedures in place to identify, maintain and dispose of environmental records.
2.15Internal Audit
ISO 14001 requires that environmental audits are conducted to ensure that the EMS is being implemented correctly. An audit procedure should cover the scope, frequency and methodology of environmental audits and include the reporting of audit results.
2.16Management Review
ISO 14001 requires that top management will review the EMS to ensure that it is suitable, adequate and effective. The potential need for changes to the Environmental Policy, Objectives and Targets and Environmental Procedures should be reviewed in light of any changing circumstances, with a view to maintaining continual improvement.
3.Environmental Standards
There is a series of Environmental Standards. Examples of some other environmental standards are provided below (this is not a fully comprehensive list):
- BS EN ISO 14001:2004 - Environmental management systems - Requirements with guidance for use.
- BS EN ISO 14004:2004 - Environmental management systems - General guidelines on principles, systems and support techniques.
- ISO 14015:2001 - Environmental management - Environmental assessment of sites and organizations (EASO)
- ISO 14031:1999 - Environmental management - Environmental performance evaluation – Guidelines.
- BS EN ISO 14040:2006 - Environmental management - Life cycle assessment - Principles and framework.
- BS EN ISO 14044:2006 - Environmental management - Life cycle assessment - Requirements and guidelines.
- ISO/TR 14047:2003 - Environmental management - Life cycle impact assessment - Examples of application of ISO 14042.
- ISO/TS 14048:2002 - Environmental management - Life cycle assessment - Data documentation format.
- ISO/TR 14049:2000 - Environmental management - Life cycle assessment - Examples of application of ISO 14041 to goal and scope definition and inventory analysis.
- ISO/FDIS 14050 - Environmental management - Vocabulary
- ISO/TR 14062:2002 - Environmental management - Integrating environmental aspects into product design and development
- BS ISO 14063:2006 - Environmental management - Environmental communication - Guidelines and examples.
- ISO Guide 64:2008 - Guide for addressing environmental issues in product standards
It is generally true that the 14000 series are the environmental standards, whilst the 9000 series (e.g. ISO 9001) is generally considered to be quality standards. However, there is cross-over and environmental issues are also present in other series. For example, a standard on auditing, which applies to both quality and environmental management systems, is published as part of the 9000 series:
- ISO 19011:2002 - Guidelines for quality and/or environmental management systems auditing.
4.Eco-Management and Audit Scheme
What is EMAS?
The EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a management tool for companies and other organisations to evaluate, report and improve their environmental performance. The scheme has been available for participation by companies since 1995 and was originally restricted to companies in industrial sectors.
Since 2001 EMAS has been open to all economic sectors including public and private services.
In July 2008 the European Commission proposed to revise EMAS to increase the participation of companies and reduce the administrative burden and costs, particularly for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).
Source:
4.1Stages of EMAS
An organisation must complete with the following stages to obtain EMAS registration:
1. Environmental Policy:
The environmental policy is a document which describes the company’s overall aims and principles of action with respect to the environment. The Policy should be adopted by senior management. It must be reviewed and revised periodically.
The Policy must commit to comply with relevant environmental regulations and include a commitment to continuous improvement.
2. Environmental Review:
An organisation should conduct an environmental review. This should consider the environmental aspects of all of the organisations activities, products and services. It should also include the regulatory framework and any existing environmental management practices and procedures.
3. Environmental Management System:
Once the review has been conducted, the organisation should develop and establish an Environmental Management System (EMS). The EMS should be aimed at achieving the organisation’s environmental policy.
The EMSshould set environmental responsibilities andenvironmental objectives. It should include operational procedures, training needs, a monitoring system and communication method.
4. Audit:
The organisation should conduct an environmental audit. This should assess the EMS and its conformance to the Environmental Policy and Legal Requirements.
5. Environmental Statement:
The organisation must provide a statement of its environmental performance which details the achievement of the environmental objectives and the future action to be taken to ensure continual improvement of the environmental performance.
The European Commission hold a library of Environmental Statements that have been prepared by organisations participating in the EMAS Scheme. This library can be accessed from the following web link:
6. Verification:
The environmental review, EMS, audit procedure and the environmental statement must be approved by an accredited EMAS verifier. The validated statement needs to be sent to the EMAS Competent Body for registration and made publicly available. The organisation is then listed on the register of EMAS organisations and has the right to use the EMAS logo.
In the UK, the EMAS competent body is the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA).
4.2Further Information:
European Commission:
5.BS 8555:2003
The full title of the document is:
“BS 8555:2003 Environmental management systems. Guide to the phased implementation of an environmental management system including the use of environmental performance evaluation”.
BS 8555
BS 8555 builds on ISO 14001 and EMAS. It provides guidance to organisations on the phased implementation of an EMS.
The standard is applicable to all organisations, but appears to be predominantly aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It outlines a phased implementation of six stages, with progression towards full implementation. Therefore, it can be used by small companies who may not be in a position to implement a fully-fledged EMS or require a longer implementation period.
5.1Phases:
Phase 1 – Commitment and establishing the baseline;
Phase 2 – Identifying and ensuring compliance with legal and other requirements;
Phase 3 – Developing objectives, targets and programmes;
Phase 4 – Implementation and operation of the environmental management system;
Phase 5 – Checking, audit and review; and
Phase 6 – Environmental management system acknowledgement (to ISO 14001 or EMAS).
6.IEMA Acorn Scheme
The Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) operate the Acorn Scheme. This allows companies to implement an EMS in accordance with the phases of BS 8555 and to obtain recognition for each stage completed.
How to Participate?
Participation in the scheme is easy. All you have to do is:
- implement one or more phases of BS8555
- have this confirmed by an independently accredited Acorn Inspection Body
- demonstrate continuous environmental improvement to the Acorn Inspection Body on an annual basis to maintain your registration
It’s up to you how and when to use the Acorn Inspection Body – you can be inspected after you’ve implemented each Phase, or bundle two or more phases together before being Inspected. The choice is yours – Acorn is flexible to your needs so you can use it in the way that best meets your business needs.
Once the Acorn Inspection Body has confirmed that you’ve achieved the relevant Phase(s), you’ll be issued with an Acorn certificate and then entered onto the Acorn Register.
Source:
For further information, please visit the IEMA website:
7.Why have standards?
A Standard for an Environmental Management System (EMS) allows organisations to use a standard framework. This can focus the implementation phase of the EMS.
Once the EMS has been developed and implemented, verification against a set standard, whether European or International, demonstrates that the EMS meets recognised criteria.
It should create a level playing field, in the sense that all companies with a certain standard have similar environmental performance. In reality that may not be the case, as unfortunately some companies do pay lip service to the process without realising the full benefits. Complying with the specification of ISO 14001, EMAS or BS 8555 is one thing, complying with the intended spirit (to strive for a high level of environmental performance and to continually improve it) is quite another.