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Question 1

is a framework that helps an organization
achieve its environmental goals through consistent review, evaluation, and improvement
of its environmental performance. The assumption is that this consistent review and
evaluation will identify opportunities for improving and implementing the environmental
performance of the organization. The EMS itself does not dictate a level of
environmental performance that must be achieved; each organization’s EMS is tailored
to its own individual objectives and targets.

Answer 1

Environmental Management System

Question 2

This stage continues the step-by-step action plan for developing and implementing
the elements of an EMS. At this point in the EMS Cycle, you may have identified
problems with your EMS and should act to resolve these issues.

Answer 2

Act

Question 3

It is recommended that your EMS be built on the “Plan, Do, Check, Act’’ model to
ensure that environmental matters are systematically identified, controlled, and
monitored. Using this approach will help to ensure that performance of your EMS
improves over time and that you meet your goals for implementing an EMS in the first
place. This stage continues the step by-step action plan for developing and
implementing the elements of an EMS. By this time, you should have sufficient EMS
processes in place to begin to “check” your EMS.

Answer 3

Check

Question 4

An effective EMS is built on ______ concepts. To improve
environmental management, your organization needs to focus not only on what things
happen but also on why they happen.

Answer 4

Total Quality Management (TQM)

Question 5

These include environmental management
system (EMS), environmental auditing (EA) and environmental performance
evaluation (EPE).

Answer 5

Organization or process standards

Question 6

These include life-cycle assessment (LCA),
environmental labelling (EL) and environmental aspects in product standards
(EAPS).

Answer 6

Product-oriented standards

Question 7

These indicate the requirements that must be met and can
be audited for certification.

Answer 7

Normative Standards

Question 8

These provide guidance and the requirements need not
be audited for certifications

Answer 8

Informative standards

Question 9

is defined as the systematic documented verification process of
objectively obtaining and evaluating audit evidence to determine whether specified
environmental activities, processes, conditions, management systems, or information
about these matters conform with audit criteria, and communicating the results of this
process to the clients.

Answer 9

ENVIRONMENTAL AUDITING (ISO 14010, ISO 14011 AND ISO 14012)

Question 10

is based on a
voluntary environmental labelling standard that requires a third party verification and is
designed to reduce burdens arising from diverse multiple labelling. Existing eco-labelling
schemes, based on government initiatives, aim at influencing customer decisions to
select environmentally friendly products, but they lack the application of uniform criteria.
These are, therefore, difficult to comply with and are potential trade barriers.

Answer 10

ENVIRONMENTAL LABELLING STANDARDS (ISO 14020)- ISO 14020

Question 11

The environmental
performance evaluation (EPE) is an important ongoing internal management process. It
uses environmental indicators to compare an organisation’s past and present
environmental performance with its environmental objectives, targets or other intended
levels of environmental performance. This process helps management to measure,
analyse, assess, report and communicate an organisation’s environmental performance
over time and to determine necessary actions.

Answer 11

ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE STANDARDS (ISO 14030)

Question 12

defined as a compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs and the
potential environmental impacts of a product system throughout its life cycle. It is, thus, a
systematic set of procedures for compiling and examining the inputs and outputs of
materials and energy and the associated environmental impacts directly attributable to
the functioning of a product or service system throughout its life cycle from the
acquisition of raw materials through final disposal. An LCA is done in order to get the
whole picture of the environmental impacts throughout the lifetime of products and
services.

Answer 12

LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT (ISO 14040) - ISO 14040

Question 13

The written programme requires an organization to be
committed to producing a quality product with the lowest possible environmental
impact and sets forth the procedures to be followed to achieve this goal.

Answer 13

A written programme

Question 14

The implementation will not be effective, unless all
employees have access to and understand the EMS, and this is achieved
through education and training.

Answer 14

Education and Training

Question 15

The EMS
must incorporate the applicable environmental legal requirements.

Answer 15

Knowledge of relevant local and central environmental regulations

Question 16

To demonstrate leadership and commitment, there are
specific responsibilities related to the environmental management system in which top
management should be personally involved or which top management should direct. Top
management may delegate responsibility for these actions to others, but it retains
accountability for ensuring the actions are performed.

Answer 16

Leadership and commitment

Question 17

An organization determines its environmental aspects and
associated environmental impacts, and determines those that are significant and,
therefore, need to be addressed by its environmental management system. When
determining environmental aspects, the organization considers a life cycle perspective.
This does not require a detailed life cycle assessment; thinking carefully about the life
cycle stages that can be controlled or influenced by the organization is sufficient. Typical
stages of a product (or service) life cycle include raw material acquisition, design,
production, transportation/delivery, use, end-of life treatment and final disposal. The life
cycle stages that are applicable will vary depending on the activity, product or service.

Answer 17

Environmental Aspects

Question 18

The organization determines, at a sufficiently detailed level, the
compliance obligations that are applicable to its environmental aspects, and how they
apply to the organization. Compliance obligations include legal requirements that an
organization has to comply with and other requirements that the organization has to or
chooses to comply with

Answer 18

Compliance Obligations

Question 19

Auditors should be independent of the activity being audited, wherever
practicable, and should in all cases act in a manner that is free from bias and conflict of
interest. Nonconformities identified during internal audits are subject to appropriate
corrective action.

Answer 19

Internal Audit