790 Environmental Management Systems (EMS)

The EMS Framework

The most commonly used framework for developing the EMS is a five stage 27-step process developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for the ISO 14001 standard. The framework is structured within the four-phase PLAN-DO-CHECK-ACT (PDCA) methodology.

The organization first commits to an environmental policy, then uses its policy as a basis for establishing a plan which sets objectives and targets for improving environmental performance.

The Planning (PDCA PLAN) Phase: As part of the planning process, top management commits to environmental improvement and establishes the organization's environmental policy. The policy is the foundation of the EMS. This phase includes the first 12 steps in the planning process of the framework:

1. Explore the Context of the Organization: The first thing an organization must do is decide why it is pursuing the development of an EMS. The organization must also focus on stakeholders to determine who is interested in or affected by its decisions or activities related to environmental management.
2. Secure Leadership Commitment: A critical step in the planning process is securing top management's commitment and support for EMS development and implementation.
3. Establish an Environmental Policy: An environmental policy must be written to guide all actions within the EMS and reflect the organization's values and goals.
4. Roles and Responsibilities: Roles and responsibilities must be assigned to form a dedicated EMS team including top management, an EMS Champion to lead the process, and the EMS team.
5. Hold Kick-Off Meeting: Once the EMS team is established, it holds a kick-off meeting with top management to ensure that everyone is motivated to implement the EMS and supports the organization's environmental policy.
6. Determine Environmental Aspects and Impacts: The organization determines which aspects and impacts are significant by choosing criteria considered most important by the organization.
7. Identify Compliance Obligations: All applicable environmental legal and regulatory requirements must be identified to ensure full compliance.
8. Prepare Budget and Secure Resources: A realistic budget and resource plan must be developed to support EMS implementation and operation.
9. Set Environmental Objectives and Action Plan: Environmental objectives must be set along with detailed action plans to meet those goals effectively.
10. Identify Operational Controls, and Monitoring and Measurement Needs: Operational controls and monitoring tools must be identified to manage significant environmental aspects.
11. Define Roles and Responsibilities for Specific Environmental Tasks: Job-specific responsibilities related to environmental performance must be assigned to staff and documented clearly.
12. Establish Other System-Level Procedures: Other procedures required to support the EMS, such as documentation and recordkeeping, must be developed.

The final part of the planning process is devising an action plan for meeting the targets. This includes designating responsibilities, establishing a schedule, and outlining clearly defined steps to meet the targets.

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