Environmental Management System

Environmental Management System

An environmental management system (EMS) is a framework that organizations use to manage their environmental impacts an improve their environmental performance. An EMS provides a systematic approach to identifying and managing environmental risks, complying with environmental regulations and standards and continuously improving environmental performance. The core elements of an EMS typically include:

1. Environmental policy: a statement of an organization’s commitment to environmental management and sustainability.
2. Planning: the identification of environmental aspects, evaluation of potential impacts and development of objectives and targets to reduce or eliminate negative impacts.
3. Implementation: the development of procedures, processes and guidelines to achieve the objectives and targets set in the planning phase.
4. Monitoring and Evaluation: the collection and analysis of data to measure progress and identify opportunities for improvement.
5. Review and improvement: the regular review of the EMS to ensure it remains effective and efficient and continuous improvement of environmental performance.

An EMS can be tailored to the specific needs of an organization and its context and can be certified to international standards such as ISO 14001. By implementing an EMS, organizations can not only reduce their environmental impact, they can also improve operational efficiency, reduce costs and enhance their reputation with stakeholders.