2. What is an environmental management system (EMS)?
It refers to system for managing an organisations environmental
programme’s in a formal comprehensive, systematic, planned &
documented manner. It embraces organisational structure,
planning & resources for developing, implementing & maintaining
the policy for protection of environment. Thus it has to have,
•Commitment of top management
•Written objectives for EMS
•Benefits of EMS
•Relevant legal requirements
•Documents or written procedures
3. Part of an organisation’s management system
used to develop and implement its
environmental policy and manage its
environmental aspects.
What Is an Environmental Management System (EMS)?
An EMS is simply a set of procedures to reduce our
environmental footprint in our day-to-day activities.
An EMS is the combination of people, policies, procedures,
review, and plans to help address environmental issues.
An EMS is that part of an overall management system which
includes organizational structure, planning activities,
responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes, and resources
for...achieving environmental policy.
Important EMS elements include continual improvement,
management commitment, formalization, and awareness of a
systems based approach.
4. Why have an EMS?
•Improve management of environmental impacts
•Set targets to reduce energy use, water use &
waste to landfill
•Initiate and maintain procedures to improve
efficiencies including:
Environmentally friendly purchasing
procedures
Preferred business travel option
•Define key responsibilities for achieving targets
•Monitor and measure environmental
performance against key indicators
•Regularly assess progress towards achieving set
objectives
•Ensure due diligence and ongoing consideration
of legal and other environmental requirements
5. Some important EMS definitions
Environment
Environmental Aspect (Cause) – The elements of an
organization’s activities, products, or services which can interact with
the environment.
Examples include: air emissions, water discharges, , use of raw materials,
energy use, use of natural resources, use of volatile organic compounds.
Environmental Impact (Effect) – Any change to the
environment whether adverse or beneficial, wholly or partially
resulting from an organizations activities, products, or services.
Examples include: depletion of natural resources, air pollution,
hazardous waste generation, soil and water contamination.
i
6. What is ISO all about?
ISO 9000 Quality Management system
ISO 14000 Environmental Management Systems
ISO 18000 (OHSMS) Safety Management System
ISO 28000 Security Management Systems
International Organization for Standardization –
creates programs
ISO “program numbers and names”
7. Purpose of an EMS
An EMS brings together the people, policies,
plans, review mechanisms, and procedures used
to manage environmental issues at a facility or in
an organization.
Benefits of an EMS
•Helps maintain compliance
•Reduce operating costs
•Integrate environmental
programs into mission
•Increase employee involvement
•Reduce environmental impacts
9. EMS Components
(e.g., ISO 14001)
•Environmental Policy
•Planning
•Implementation and
•Operation
•Checking and
Corrective Action
•Management Review
10. The Continuous Cycle
Plan
Planning, identifying environmental
aspects and establishing goals
Do
Implementing, includes training and
operational controls
Check
Checking, includes monitoring and
corrective action
Act
Reviewing, includes progress reviews
and acting to make needed changes
11. The EMS
Plan, Do, Check, Act Cycle
(e.g., ISO 14001)
Checking/
Corrective Actions
• Measurement and Monitoring
• EMS Nonconformance and
Corrective Actions
• Records
• EMS Audits
Continuous
Improvement
Planning
• Environmental Aspects
• Compliance
• Objectives and Targets
• Environmental Mgmt.
Programs
Environmental
Policy
Management
Review
Implementation
• Roles and Responsibilities
• Training and Communication
• EMS Document Control
• Emergency Preparedness and
Response
12. Objectives and Targets
•Compliance with
Regulations
•Reduce Waste Streams
Hazardous, Solid, and
Universal
•Reduce Energy Consumption
•Recycle
•Green Purchasing
•Pollution Prevention
13. Environmental impact assessment (EIA)
It refers to review of potential impact of a project to be
launched by an organisation. It includes,
•Assessment of existing environmental status
•Analysis of various factors of ecosystems
like, trees, ponds,wildlife.
•Analysis of adverse impacts of the project
that is to be started
•Impact on people in the neighborhood
Certification body
ISO 14001 Such a body is called as certifier
14. Why EMS?
oIt is the statutory requirement & the
firms want to avoid prosecution.
oIn developed countries, imroved
environmental is becoming an popular
theme for enhancing the image of the .
oThe demand of various stake holders
especially the key clients puts pressure
for installing a formal EMS.