- 4.2.1 Environmental Policy
- 4.2.2 Planning
- 4.2.3 Implementation and Operation
- 4.2.4 Checking and Corrective Action
- 4.2.5 Management Review
4.2 Environmental Management Systems (EMS)
Any organisation can have an environmental management system in place for the management of environmental issues. The ISO 14001 standard defines an environmental management system as:
"The organisational structure, responsibilities, practices,
procedures,
processes and resources for implementing environmental management."
The content of an EMS contains a number of elements including:
- Environmental Policy
- Planning
- Implementation and Operation
- Checking and Corrective Action
- Management Review
Buwalda (pers. comm, cited in Morriss et al 1995.) has described these categories as follows:
4.2.1 Environmental Policy
The Environmental Policy states an organisation's commitment to environmental management. It also provides a framework for setting objectives and targets. It must be documented, communicated to all employees and be available to the public. The policy must contain commitments to continual improvement of environmental management, to prevention of pollution and to regulatory compliance. The commitment to continual improvement of environmental management is to ensure that organisations are constantly assessing their environmental management systems and seeking to improve these. A commitment to continual improvement of management is likely to lead to improvements in performance.
The commitment to minimising of pollution is to ensure organisations use processes and materials that avoid or reduce the creation of pollution and waste. It is appropriate to require that organisations make this commitment because this ensures they look for opportunities for effective environmental management, rather than focusing only on waste treatment.
Organisations must be committed to regulatory compliance. One of the important principles of the 14001 standard, for example, is that it is not prescriptive. Organisations choose the level of environmental performance that is appropriate to their circumstances. Nevertheless, there must be some bottom-lines. Regulatory compliance is the absolute bottom-line for this standard. The RMA provides the framework in New Zealand for these bottom lines to be derived in a credible fashion.
4.2.2 Planning
The planning elements require an organisation to identify the environmental aspects of its activities, and its regulatory requirements. From the Policy, its environmental aspects and regulatory requirements, an organisation will set objectives and targets. These are expressed in an environmental programme. The environmental aspects of an organisation are those activities, products and services that can result in significant environmental impacts. The organisation need only consider those aspects that it can control and over which it can be expected to have an influence. A relevant question is whether the activities of farms and orchards supplying a company certified as ISO 14001, for example, accredited are "within the control" of the company, especially where supply conditions are imposed by these companies.
Organisations need to establish a procedure for identifying and recording legal and other regulatory requirements. These may also include voluntary codes of practice. Documented objectives and targets need to be developed from the environmental aspects, the regulatory requirements, business requirements and the views of interested parties. These need to deliver the commitments in the Environmental Policy. An environmental programme will set out these environmental objectives and targets with the designated responsibilities and schedules for achieving these.
4.2.3 Implementation and Operation
These elements set out procedural requirements for the day-to-day operation of the EMS. Roles and responsibilities are defined, documented and communicated. Management provides the resources that are essential to implementing and controlling the EMS. Top management appoints a management representative who is responsible for ensuring the EMS is maintained, and reports to management are provided. Organisations identify training needs and ensure all people are appropriately aware of the EMS and their responsibilities.
Organisations have procedures for both internal and external communication. Documentation is maintained to describe the core elements of the system. Procedures for document control are necessary. Operations and activities associated with environmental impacts are carried out under controlled conditions. These controlled conditions need to be explicitly described and available to staff as procedures. Organisations identify potential accident and emergency situations and develop emergency preparedness and response procedures.
4.2.4 Checking and Corrective Action
Checking and corrective actions occur at several different levels. Organisations require procedures to monitor and measure key characteristics and activities that can have a significant environmental impact. Organisations will also have a procedure for evaluating compliance. Procedures are also required to identify and respond to non-conformances. These procedures cover corrective and preventive actions. These offer the opportunity for continual improvement to be achieved. Records are maintained, within a properly managed document control system. The EMS must be regularly audited. Audits are required to determine whether or not the EMS conforms to planned arrangements. An audit programme is required.
4.2.5 Management Review
The EMS needs to be regularly reviewed to ensure that it continues to be suitable and effective. The management review will address possible changes to policy, objectives and other elements of the EMS.
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