Introduction

An Environmental Management System (EMS) provides a framework for an organization to consistently assess its environmental impacts and regulatory requirements. Its purpose is to serve as a systematic approach for reducing impacts and improving compliance.

However, specific environmental goals are outside the scope of an EMS. Rather, the organization uses the system to set its own objectives. These are the overall environmental changes that the organization identifies as priorities and chooses to work toward. This Fact File explains the basic functions of an EMS and describes how to set EMS objectives.

Background

The basic functions of an EMS include:

• Reviewing the environmental goals of the organization,
• Taking stock of environmental impacts and regulatory/legal requirements,
• Developing and implementing plans to address these impacts and requirements,
• Assessing the outcomes of these actions, and
• Analyzing and improving the overall functioning of the EMS.

This is a version of a Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle, and it allows for a proactive approach to regulatory compliance and environmental performance. An EMS has the potential to become a basis for larger, related concepts, such as sustainable development and corporate social responsibility, and to provide regulatory flexibility for its organization.

EMS Process for Objectives

The EMS process for setting and achieving objectives begins with taking stock of available information:

1. Identifying all activities with the potential for environmental impacts,
2. Finding baseline data if available,
3. Cataloguing the possible environmental impacts and their significance, and
4. Assessing this information in the context of the organization�s existing environmental goals.

Setting EMS objectives requires a balance among several factors:

• The overall values and goals of the organization,
• The relative significance of environmental impacts, and
• The organization�s resources and limitations.

A good objective is specific, quantifiable, significant, and realistic. Once chosen, objectives are achieved by:

1. Choosing measurable outcomes of the change, known as targets;
2. Laying out a roadmap for reaching the targets, known as an action plan;
3. Developing metrics for assessing progress;
4. Reviewing progress using these metrics; and
5. Adjusting the plan based on these findings.

ISO 14001 Requirements

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) lays out principles for setting up and operating an EMS under its ISO 14001 series of standards. ISO certification is voluntary, but it provides a systematic approach and a verifiable level of quality that can be helpful for proving general reliability as well as regulatory compliance.

The ISO 14001 requirements include a policy statement laying out three commitments: pollution prevention, continual EMS improvement, and regulatory/statutory compliance. Organizations must set objectives and targets that link back to these three commitments in a demonstrable way.

The EMS must be implemented to meet these objectives, including administrative tasks like training employees, setting procedures, and developing metrics. Processes must also be put in place to evaluate, correct, and improve the function of the EMS.

Applicable Laws & Regulations

None

Related Definitions

�International Organization for Standardization (ISO)� means an international, non-governmental body that develops and publishes �ISO standards,� agreed-upon best practices for an array of activities.

�Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle (PDCA)� means a model, commonly used in business, for continuously gathering feedback on and improving products or processes: make a plan, carry it out, see how it�s going, adjust as necessary, repeat.

Key to Remember

The three primary components for achieving environmental change using an EMS are:

1. Objective: the environmental goal being worked toward.
2. Target: a measurable outcome of the objective.
3. Action plan: a detailed roadmap for reaching the objectives and targets.

This is basically a PDCA cycle, perhaps weighted somewhat toward �plan� and �do.�

Real World Example

A major hotel chain wants to reduce environmental impacts. The staff responsible for the EMS ask questions and gather information:

• What resources do we use a lot of?
• What wastes do we produce?
• How does this compare to the resource use and waste production of other hotel chains?

They conclude that their most significant environmental impacts are water consumption and wastewater production. Looking at the possible ways to address each problem, they decide that water consumption can be reduced more quickly and easily. So they choose this as their primary EMS objective.

Achieving an objective requires a measurable target. Wanting to begin with a reasonable goal that doesn�t interfere with other priorities for the hotel chain, such as pandemic recovery, they decide to aim for a 2 percent reduction in overall water consumption within the next two years, with a tentative goal of 10 percent reduction within five years.

To develop an action plan, they note which activities consume the most water and which have the most flexibility, and they focus first on the overlap between these two categories. Landscaping uses lots and lots of water, can be adapted in many ways, and is less central to guests� comfort than interior features of the hotels (like bathrooms). So the action plan incorporates steps to use less water in landscaping, including reducing the use of lawn sprinklers, replacing some plants with native species, and giving individual hotels more latitude to adapt their grounds to the local climate.

Laundry, cleaning, and plumbing are not quite as adaptable, but some fixtures are updated or replaced with lower-flow versions, and guests are asked to request clean sheets and towels as needed.

After a few months, the EMS staff evaluates progress. So far, replacing plants has been expensive and not shown significant changes in water use, so they adjust the plan to rely on that less heavily (while also recognizing that the benefits might just take more time to appear). Many hotels have had complaints about low-flow showerheads and toilets, though these do seem to be helpful, so the EMS staff must decide whether the savings are worth some complaints, and perhaps explore other options.

The PDCA cycle continues, and bit by bit, the hotel chain reduces its water consumption.