Environmental Management Systems Flashcards
What is the market structure for environmental reporting standards?
Standards published by international organisations to ensue standardisation
ISO–> CEN, ARSO, COPANT, PASC
National organisations and accreditation bodies
UKAS, DIN, AFNOR, SABS, ANSI, SAC
Adopted by continental certification bodies for profit and non profit organisations (clients)
How are international standards set and adopted?
Consultation process that lasts several years.
Continental committees (NGOs) review and promote these standards to national accreditation committees
National accreditation committees are responsible for implementing them at a national level and grant the right to certification at the private sector
Organisations invite consultants to develop management systems in line with the standards.
Someone from certification body undertakes external audit
What are the main characteristics of standards?
- Applicable to every organisation
- Voluntary
- Continuous improvement
- Address stakeholder concerns
- International in scope
- Require conformance with relevant laws (complement laws)
- Certified by third parties
- Require design, development and implementation of management system
- Allocation of a person or team to be responsible for monitoring the system
What is continuous improvement in terms of plan-do-check-act?
1) Plan - identify aspects to be addressed and resources needed to address them
2) Do: develop management system in line with standards
3) Check: identify potential problems
4) Act: Undertake corrective measures and preventative measures to prevent problems
What are the three standards of environmental management?
ISO 14001 - 300,000+ orgs certified, environmental management
ISO 50001 - 18,000+ orgs certified, energy management
EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) 3500+ registered orgs
- Meets the requirements of GRI and asks for info in relation to performance whereas ISO doesn’t
What is the difference between environmental management standards and environmental management systems?
Systems focus on process, don’t directly require improvement but imply that there will be improvement if orgs adopt standards
Firms uses systems as signals of product quality but they are not product standards
Implementation subject to regular audits by external auditors
No clear product criteria because they want process performance not product performance
What is an environmental management system?
A structured framework of practices and procedures that enables an organisation to execute its operation sin a consistent and sustained manner
What are the components of EMS?
1) Policy (formal statement of values and commitments)
2) Planning
3) Implementation and operation
4) Monitoring, checking and corrective action
5) Management review
What is a policy statement as the first component of the EMS?
Initial PR document, highlights priorities and impacts, stakeholders they perceive to be important
Outline strategic values - the foundation on which the EMS will be build
Internally and externally available
What is planning as the second component of the EMS?
Critical - should be holistic and practice
1) Identify the elements of the organisation’s activities and products that intersect with company policy: which are most important and which can be controlled
2) Establish a process to identify legal requirements to maintain compliance
3) Set objectives to help the company achieve and continue to improve upon the management system
How should goals be established to facilitate continual improvement in terms of setting objectives?
- Identify the objective and respective target
- Define the means to achieve the goal
- Provide a time frame
- Designate the person responsible to execute or oversee execution
- Periodically check progress
What is implementation as the third component of the EMS?
Identify the requirements necessary to execute against the policy and plans:
- Defined roles and responsibilities
- Two types of procedures: management and environmental
What are some examples of the EMS ISO14001 management procedures?
Management procedures (documents/record/planning)
Resource management procedures (training, maintenance)
Procurement management (supplier evaluation, delivery of supplies)
Communication with customers procedures (contracts, order management, customer satisfaction)
Design and development procedures
Products and service realisation procedures
What are some examples of EMS ISO14001 environmental procedures?
Environmental communication - communication mechanisms
Emergency preparedness and response - risk management, contingency planning
Environmental Impact Assessment - specific methodology for evaluating impacts stemming from operations
Waste management - demands a description of waste disposal from firm activities
Air pollution management - monitoring and controlling of air pollution
Noise control - way to measure and control
What is checking as the fourth component of the EMS?
Establish a process to monitor performance, legal compliance and the execution of management system requirements
Examine
- Employee awareness
- Goals and target progress
- Compliance
- Procedures, processes and related documents
- Records to demonstrate compliance
- Audit results
