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790 Environmental Management Systems (EMS)
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Environmental Policy Statement

Top management, preferably the President or CEO, should sign the Environmental Policy statement. In addition, the Environmental Policy statement should be maintained in a manner consistent with Document Control procedures within ISO 14001.

Image showing a group of managers and employees in an office setting
Top management, preferably the President or CEO, should sign the Environmental Policy statement.

Communicating EMS Policy

This requirement is really a subset of the ISO 14001 section Training, Awareness and Competence. All employees within the organization must:

  • understand and recognize EMS commitments
  • be able to relate how their job function interacts with the Environmental Policy statement

ISO 14001 encourages communication with external stakeholders. When a complete Environmental Policy statement is crafted by the organization, an opportunity is created to discuss openly the organization's Environmental Objectives. These objectives, along with mission and core values of the organization, have the potential to foster an open dialogue with outside parties.

View sample EMS Policy Statements developed by the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

2-7. Regarding EMS policy, all employees must be able to _____.