An Environmental Management System (EMS) encourages an organization to constantly improve environmental performance. The system follows a cycle that repeats. The organization starts by committing to an environmental policy. Then the organization uses its policy as a foundation for developing a plan, which sets various goals for improving environmental performance. The next step in the process is implementation. Then, the organization evaluates its environmental performance to better understand whether the goals are being met. If goals are not being met, action is taken. The outcome of this evaluation is then analyzed by top management to see if the EMS is working. Management returns to the environmental policy and sets new targets in an amended plan. The company then puts the revised plan into action. The cycle repeats, and ongoing improvement happens.