What is an Environmental Management System (EMS)?

An environmental management system (EMS) is a systematic approach to dealing with the environmental aspects of an organization. It is a 'tool' that enables an organization of any size or type to control the impact of its activities, products or services on the natural environment. The ISO 14001 standard "Environmental management systems--Specification with guidance for use" is the standard within the ISO 14000 series that specifies the requirements of an environmental management system.

What are the principles behind the ISO 14000 standards?

The ISO 14000 standards are being developed with the following key principles in mind:

• They must result in better environmental management
• They must be applicable in all nations
• They should promote the broad interests of the public and the users of the standards
• They should be cost effective, non-prescriptive, and flexible, to allow them to meet the differing needs of organizations of any size worldwide
• As part of their flexibility, they should be suitable for internal or external verification
• They should be scientifically based
• And above all, they should be practical, useful and useable

What are the benefits of an EMS?

• Assuring customers of commitment to demonstrable environmental management
• Maintaining good public/community relations
• Satisfying investor criteria and improving access to capital
• Obtaining insurance at reasonable cost
• Enhancing image and market share
• Meeting vendor certification criteria
• Improving cost control
• Reducing incidents that result in liability
• Demonstrating reasonable care
• Conserving input materials and energy
• Facilitating the attainment of permits and authorizations
• Fostering development and sharing environmental solutions
• Improving industry-government relations

What are the key elements of an ISO 14001 EMS?

·         The key elements of an ISO 14001 EMS are:

·         Environmental Policy
- the environmental policy and the requirements to pursue this policy via objectives, targets, and environmental programs

·         Planning
- the analysis of the environmental aspects of the organization (including its processes, products and services as well as the goods and services used by the organization);

·         Implementation and operation
- implementation and organization of processes to control and improve operational activities that are critical from an environmental perspective (including both products and services of an organization)

·         Checking and corrective action
- checking and corrective action including the monitoring, measurement, and recording of the characteristics and activities that can have a significant impact on the environment

·         Management Review
- review of the EMS by the organization's top management to ensure its continuing suitability, adequacy and effectiveness

·         Continual improvement
- the concept of continual improvement is a key component of the environmental management system; it completes the cyclical process of plan, implement, check, review and continually improve.