Environmental Management Systems

12 important questions on Environmental Management Systems

What do Management Systems do?

Constitute a systematic approach for company and stakeholder management

What is an Environmental Management System (EMS)?

The part of the overall management system which includes:
- Organisational structure
- Planning activities
- Responsibilities
- Practices
- Procedures
- Processes
- Resources

...for developing, implementing, achieving and maintaining the environmental policy

What does ISO stand for?

International Standardization Organization
  • Higher grades + faster learning
  • Never study anything twice
  • 100% sure, 100% understanding
Discover Study Smart

What are reasons to develop an EMS? (Internal motives)

- Identify, control and reduce environmental impacts
- Comply to environmental legislation
- Avoid potential environmental risks

What are reasons to develop an EMS? (External motives)

Governmental perspective:
  1. Stimulate companies into self responsibility and systematic environmental care
  2. Reduce permitting enforcement efforts

Company perspective:
  1. Management tool for effective and efficient environmental management
  2. Improve relations with government

What are the key principles of an EMS?

EMS is a tool that enables companies to direct its environmental activities:

  1. in a consistent way
  2. In a complete way
  3. In a continuous way 

What are the ISO14001 steps?

  1. Environmental Policy Statement
  2. Planning
    • Environmental aspects
    • Legal requirements
    • Objectives and targets
    • Action plan
  3. Implementation on operation
    • Organizational structure and responsibilities
    • Training and awareness
    • Communication
    • Documentation
    • Operational control
    • Emergency preparedness
  4. Checking and corrective action
    • Monitoring measurement and records
  5. Management review

What is the structure of a typical Environmental Policy Statement?

  • Set goals to:
    • Goals to comply with legislation
    • Realize continuous improvement
    • Establish good lines of communications
  • Achieving these goals by:
    • Maintaining effective EMS
    • Prioritizing environmental improvement
    • Training and education of employees

How does the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle translate to EMS?

  • Plan: Design a policy or programme
    • Env. Policy
    • Env. Planning
  • Do: Implement plan and operate system
    • Implementation
    • Operation
  • Check: Monitor and evaluate
    • Checking
    • Correction
  • Act: correct failures
    • Management review

What are the 3 levels of direction?

  • Strategic
    • Long term company policy involving top managers
  • Tactical
    • Policy implementation
  • Operational
    • Daily business and operators

Top-down approach to this direction

  • Top management involved from the start
  • Uniform and well-defined approach
  • Easier for planning and involving experts

Bottom-up approach to these direction

  • Workers involved from the start
  • Utilization of workers experience
  • Better geared to specific work conditions

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

  • A unique study and practice tool
  • Never study anything twice again
  • Get the grades you hope for
  • 100% sure, 100% understanding
Remember faster, study better. Scientifically proven.
Trustpilot Logo