Environmental Management Systems: Key Elements & Sustainability

Posted on Dec 10, 2024 in Other subjects

Legal Requirements of an Environmental Management System (EMS)

You must establish, deploy, and maintain an Environmental Management System (EMS) containing procedures that address legal and other requirements related to its environmental aspects. This includes:

  • Laws
  • Statutes and regulations
  • Decrees
  • Directives
  • Permits and licenses
  • Orders and opinions issued by regulatory bodies
  • Treaties, conventions, and protocols

Environmental Goals

An organization, or a part of it, must develop the application of environmental objectives necessary to establish and meet those objectives.

Performance Indicators

Performance indicators are conducted to measure the progress of an organization. These indicators should be:

  • Measurable
  • Verifiable
  • Reproducible
  • Appropriate
  • Consistent with the company’s environmental policy
  • Practical and effective

Environmental Indicators

Environmental indicators are characterized by:

  • Amount of matter and energy used
  • Amount of emissions released into the environment
  • Waste produced per quantity of finished products
  • Material efficiency
  • Number of incidents and environmental accidents
  • Percentage of recycled waste
  • Quantity of specific pollutants
  • Investment in environmental protection

Environmental Management Program

Establish responsibility for achieving objectives and goals at every level and function within the organization. Define the terms and achievable means to meet these objectives and goals.

Implementation and Operation of an EMS

The company must provide resources, capabilities, structures, and support mechanisms to enforce policies, objectives, goals, and requirements. It should communicate its EMS and maintain operations and continuous improvement to enhance environmental performance.

Direction or Management

Maintain and ensure the availability of resources to establish, document, maintain, and continually improve the environmental management system. Define, document, and disseminate the roles, responsibilities, and authorities to ensure compliance with general requirements, policy, planning, implementation, verification, and review by management, thereby achieving effective environmental management.

Awareness

The company must ensure that personnel are aware of potential environmental impacts. Personnel must possess the necessary education, training, and experience, and records of these should be maintained.

Communication in the EMS

All environmental aspects of the Environmental Management System should establish procedures. Communication should occur at different levels and functions, and it should be received, documented, and responded to. The company should decide on and document the decision to communicate information about significant environmental aspects.

Emergency Response

Identify opportunities for potential accidents or emergency situations. Respond to, mitigate, and prevent these situations. Regularly test, review, and update procedures and contingency plans. Check roles and responsibilities, training, and drills. Implement monitoring, measurement, evaluation of legal compliance, corrective actions, risk controls, and perform internal audits.

Management Review

Management review is conducted to ensure the continued adequacy and effectiveness of the EMS. It should be documented at all times, considering changes in policy, objectives, and other elements of the EMS as a commitment to continuous improvement.

Sustainable Development

Sustainable development is using existing resources without altering them so that future generations can also use them.

Sustainability

Sustainability rests on three pillars:

  1. People: Participation in national and international policies regarding employee issues and public concerns, including those of company workers.
  2. Planet: The impact caused by processes and services that affect the environment, including flora, fauna, air, water, natural resources, human health, etc.
  3. Economic Profit: Activities related to the demand for products and services, monetary aspects, and the activities of the company and humanity.

Types of Capital

  1. Capital: Money or wealth devoted to producing goods and services.
  2. Human Capital: People and their ability to be economically productive.
  3. Capital Equipment: Machines, tools, and equipment needed to produce goods and services.
  4. Financial Capital: Cash, investments, and monetary instruments.
  5. Natural Capital: Resources, living systems, and ecosystem services.

Sustainable Development Involves

Sustainable development involves a triangle that encompasses environmental management, social responsibility, and economic development. The intersection of social and environmental aspects ensures citizenship, social justice, and environmental responsibility. The intersection of social and economic aspects ensures ethical investment, fair trade, job creation, etc. The intersection of economic and environmental aspects ensures eco-efficiency, environmental responsibility, environmental taxes, environmental liabilities, etc.