Environmental Management Systems

(EMS)
An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a set of
processes and practices that enable an organization to reduce
its environmental impacts and increase its operating efficiency.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues with its
progress in developing and maintaining an environmental
management system at each of its offices, labs, and
other facility operations, focusing on the reduction of the
agency's environmental footprint.
EMS Basics
What is an EMS?

An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a framework that

helps an organization achieve its environmental goals through
consistent review, evaluation, and improvement of its
environmental performance. The assumption is that this
consistent review and evaluation will identify opportunities for
improving and implementing the environmental performance of
the organization. The EMS itself does not dictate a level of
environmental performance that must be achieved; each
organization's EMS is tailored to its own individual objectives
and targets.
Basic EMS
An EMS helps an organization address its regulatory demands in
a systematic and cost-effective manner. This proactive approach
can help reduce the risk of non-compliance and improve health
and safety practices for employees and the public. An EMS can
 also help address non-regulated issues, such as energy
conservation, and can promote stronger operational control and
employee stewardship. Basic Elements of an EMS include the
following:

 Reviewing the organization's environmental goals;

 Analyzing its environmental impacts and legal requirements;
 Setting environmental objectives and targets to reduce
environmental impacts and comply with legal requirements;
 Establishing programs to meet these objectives and targets;
 Monitoring and measuring progress in achieving the
objectives;
 Ensuring employees' environmental awareness and
competence; and,
 Reviewing progress of the EMS and making improvements.

Costs and Benefits of an EMS

Internal

 Staff/manager time (represents the bulk of EMS resources

expended by most organizations)
 Other employee time

External

 Potential consulting assistance

 Outside training of personnel

Potential Benefits

 Improved environmental performance

 Enhanced compliance
 Pollution prevention
 Resource conservation
 New customers/markets
 Increased efficiency/reduced costs
 Enhanced employee morale
 Enhanced image with public, regulators, lenders, investors
 Employee awareness of environmental issues and
responsibilities

EMS under ISO 14001

Figure 1: The continuous improvement cycle.

An EMS encourages an organization to continuously improve its
environmental performance. The system follows a repeating
cycle (see figure 1). 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 next step is
implementation. After that, the organization evaluates its
environmental performance to see whether the objectives and
targets are being met. If targets are not being met, corrective
action is taken. The results of this evaluation are then reviewed
by top management to see if the EMS is working. Management
revisits the environmental policy and sets new targets in a
revised plan. The company then implements the revised plan.
The cycle repeats, and continuous improvement occurs.
The most commonly used framework for an EMS is the one
developed by the International Organization for Standardization
(ISO) for the ISO 14001 standard EXIT. Established in 1996, this
framework is the official international standard for an EMS
which is based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act methodology. The five
main stages of an EMS, as defined by the ISO 14001
standard EXIT, are described below:
1. Commitment and Policy - Top management commits to
environmental improvement and establishes the organization's
environmental policy. The policy is the foundation of the EMS.
2. Planning - An organization first identifies environmental
aspects of its operations. Environmental aspects are those
items, such as air pollutants or hazardous waste, that can have
negative impacts on people and/or the environment. An
organization then determines which aspects are significant by
choosing criteria considered most important by the organization.
 For example, an organization may choose worker health and
safety, environmental compliance, and cost as its criteria. Once
significant environmental aspects are determined, an
organization sets objectives and targets. An objective is an
overall environmental goal (e.g., minimize use of chemical X). A
target is a detailed, quantified requirement that arises from the
objectives (e.g., reduce use of chemical X by 25% by September
1998). The final part of the planning stage 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.
3. Implementation - A organization follows through with the
action plan using the necessary resources (human, financial,
etc.). An important component is employee training and
awareness for all employees. Other steps in the implementation
stage include documentation, following operating procedures,
and setting up internal and external communication lines.
4. Evaluation - A company monitors its operations to evaluate
whether targets are being met. If not, the company takes
corrective action.
5. Review - Top management reviews the results of the
evaluation to see if the EMS is working. Management determines
whether the original environmental policy is consistent with the
organization's values. The plan is then revised to optimize the
effectiveness of the EMS. The review stage creates a loop of
continuous improvement for a company.

HOW TO DEVELOP AN EMS

Guide to Developing an
Environmental Management System -
Plan
Other Steps of the EMS Cycle

 Do
 Check
 Act

Background
Building an Environmental Management System (EMS) might
sound like an overwhelming task for a smaller organization, but it
need not be. Taken in steps, it is a job that small and medium
sized organizations can tackle. These pages will take you
through basic steps as they are outlined in the 2001 Second
Edition of Environmental Management Systems: An Implementation
Guide for Small and Medium Sized Organizations. This page pulls
out particular steps from the "Plan" section of the Guide, and
points back to specific pages in the guide to fill out worksheets
and get additional materials.

Plan: Planning, including identifying environmental aspects and establishing

goals

 Step 1: Define Organization's Goals for EMS

 Step 2: Secure Top Management Commitment
 Step 3: Select An EMS Champion
 Step 4: Build An Implementation Team
 Step 5: Hold Kick-Off Meeting
 Step 6: Conduct Preliminary Review
 Step 7: Prepare Budget and Schedule
 Step 8: Secure Resources, Assistance
 Step 9: Involve Employees
 Step 10: Monitor and Communicate Progress
Time and resources are limited in any organization, so it is
important to use resources wisely. The information below
illustrates 10 steps in the EMS planning process. Take the time
to figure out what needs to be done, how to do it, and who must
be involved.

Step 1: Define Organization's Goals for EMS

The first step in EMS planning is to decide why you are pursuing
the development of an EMS. Are you trying to improve your
environmental performance (e.g., compliance with regulations or
prevent pollution)? Write your goals down and refer back to them
frequently as you move forward. As you design and implement
the EMS, ask the following questions: How is this task going to
help us achieve our goals? How should we define the project
scope? (i.e., What is the "organization" that the EMS will cover?
One location or multiple locations? Should we "pilot" the EMS at
one location then implement the system at other locations later?)
Step 2: Secure Top Management Commitment
One of the most critical steps in the planning process is gaining
top management's commitment to support EMS development and
implementation. Management must first understand the benefits
of an EMS and what it will take to put an EMS in place. To
develop this understanding, explain the strengths and limitations
of your current approach and how those limitations can affect
the organization's financial and environmental performances.
Management also has a role in ensuring that the goals for the
EMS are clear and consistent with other organizational goals.
Management's commitment should be communicated across the
organization.
Step 3: Select An EMS Champion
Not all small or medium-sized organizations have the luxury of
choosing among multiple candidates, but your choice of project
champion is critical. The champion should have the necessary
authority, an understanding of the organization, and project
management skills. The champion should be a "systems thinker"
(ISO 9000 or ISO 14001 experience can be a plus, but is not
necessary), should have the time to commit to the EMS-building
process, and must have top management support.
Step 4: Build An Implementation Team
A team with representatives from key management functions
(such as engineering, finance, human resources, production
and/or service) can identify and assess issues, opportunities, and
existing processes. Include contractors, suppliers or other
external parties as part of the project team, where appropriate.
The team will need to meet regularly, especially in the early
stages of the project. A cross-functional team can help to ensure
that procedures are practical and effective, and can build
commitment to, and "ownership" of, the EMS.
Step 5: Hold Kick-Off Meeting
Once the team has been selected, hold a kick-off meeting to
discuss the organization's objectives in implementing an EMS,
the initial steps that need to be taken and the roles of team
members. If possible, get top management to describe its
commitment to the EMS at this meeting. The kick-off meeting is
also a good opportunity to provide some EMS training for team
members. Follow-up this meeting with a communication to all
employees.
Top of Page
Step 6: Conduct Preliminary Review
The next step is for the team to conduct a preliminary review of
your current compliance and other environmental
programs/systems, and to compare these against the criteria for
your EMS (such as ISO 14001:2015). Evaluate your organization's
structure, procedures, policies, environmental impacts, training
programs and other factors. Consider utilizing an ISO 14001 self-
assessment tool or incorporating Safer Choice for gap analysis
tools.
Step 7: Prepare Budget and Schedule
Based on the results of the preliminary review, prepare a project
plan and budget. The plan should describe in detail what key
actions are needed, who will be responsible, what resources are
needed, and when the work will be completed. Keep the plan
flexible, but set some stretch goals. Think about how you will
maintain project focus and momentum over time. Look for
 potential "early successes" that can help to build momentum and
reinforce the benefits of the EMS.
Step 8: Secure Resources, Assistance
The plan and budget should be reviewed and approved by top
management. In some cases, there may be outside funding or
other types of assistance that you can use (from a trade
association, a state technical assistance office, etc.). See
Appendix F of the Environmental Management Systems: An
Implementation Guide for Small and Medium Sized Organizations  for
more ideas on possible sources of help.
Step 9: Involve Employees
Ownership of the EMS will be greatly enhanced by meaningful
employee involvement in the EMS development process.
Employees are a great source of knowledge on environmental,
and health and safety issues related to their work areas as well
as on the effectiveness of current processes and procedures.
These employees can help the project team in drafting
procedures.
Step 10: Monitor and Communicate Progress
As you build the EMS, be sure to regularly monitor your progress
against the goals and project plan, and communicate this
progress within the organization. Be sure to communicate the
accomplishments that have been made and describe what
happens next. Build on small successes. Be sure to keep top
management informed and engaged, especially if additional
resources might be required.

Guide to Developing an
Environmental Management System -
Do
Other Steps of the EMS Cycle

 Plan
 Check
 Act
 Background
Building an Environmental Management System (EMS) might
sound like an overwhelming task for a smaller organization, but it
need not be. Taken in steps, it is a job that small and medium
sized organizations can tackle. These pages will take you
through basic steps as they are outlined in the 2001 Second
Edition of Environmental Management Systems: An Implementation
Guide for Small and Medium Sized Organizations. This page pulls
out particular steps from the "Do" section of the Guide, and
points back to specific pages in the guide to fill out worksheets
and get additional materials.

Several up front EMS planning tasks (such as gaining top

management commitment) were described in the "Plan"
stage and should be completed prior to putting these next
steps into place.  This "Do" stage begins the step-by-step
action plan for developing these elements of an EMS. It
describes a logical sequence for planning and implementing EMS
elements and explains how this sequence can be important in
building an effective EMS.
The Roadmap for EMS development, page 79 of Environmental
Management Systems: An Implementation Guide for Small and Medium
Sized Organizations, outlines the steps in the "Do" process in a
diagram.  Keep in mind that this is just one way to do the job -
you might find other approaches that work just as well. Each
step of the suggested implementation process flow (and a
rationale for its sequence) is discussed below.
A few hints to keep in mind as you build your EMS:

 You may already have some EMS elements in place, as

indicated by the preliminary review that you performed earlier.
Make sure to build links between elements. The effectiveness of
your EMS depends as much on the strength of its links as it does
on the strength of the individual elements.
 For many EMS elements, you will need to design and
implement a process. In these cases, you also should consider
documenting the process in the form of a procedure.

Do: Implementing, including training and operational controls

 

 Step 1: Identify Legal and Other Requirements

 Step 2: Identify Environmental Aspects and Related Products,
Operations, and Activities
 Step 3: Define Views of Interested Parties
 Step 4: Prepare Environmental Policy
 Step 5: Define Key Roles and Responsibilities
 Step 6: Establish Objectives and Targets
 Step 7: Develop Environmental Management Programs, Identify
Operational Controls, and the Identify Monitoring and Measurement
Needs
 Step 8: Establish Corrective Action, Document Control, and
Records Management Processes
 Step 9: Establish Operational Controls and Monitoring Processes
 Step 10: Define Job-Specific Roles and Responsibilities
 Step 11: Plan and Conduct Initial Employee Awareness
 Step 12: Establish Other System-Level Procedures
 Step 13: Prepare EMS Documentation (Manual)
 Step 14: Plan and Conduct Specific Employee Training

Top of Page

Step 1: Identify Legal and Other Requirements

A first step in the EMS-building process is understanding the
legal and other requirements that apply to your products,
activities and services. This step is important for understanding
compliance obligations and how these obligations affect the
overall EMS design. For example, you might have an operation
that is covered by an air quality permit, or might provide a
service that results in the generation of regulated wastes. Your
EMS should include processes to ensure that legal requirements
are addressed.
Step 2: Identify Environmental Aspects and Related Products, Operations, and
Activities
Once you understand legal requirements, you should assess how
your organization interacts with the environment. Identify
environmental aspects and impacts, and determine which are
significant. Some environmental aspects may be regulated, while
others may not be.  For example, if you identify the generation of
a particular air emission as a significant environmental aspect, it
would help to know which operation(s) generate such air
emissions. It might also help to know whether these air
emissions are monitored or otherwise measured in some manner.
Collecting this information at an early stage will help you
implement subsequent EMS elements. You can use a form to
capture this information (such as Figure 15 found on page 81
in Environmental Management Systems: An Implementation Guide for
Small and Medium Sized Organizations). One caveat: simply
because you identify an existing control and/or monitoring
activity related to a particular operation or activity, do not
assume that these controls are adequate for EMS purposes. The
adequacy of these controls will depend on several factors,
including the EMS goals and objectives.
Step 3: Define Views of Interested Parties
Gather information on the views of your "stakeholders" or
interested parties. Stakeholders might include your neighbors,
interest groups, customers and others. Their views might
address how your organization affects the environment, how well
you are meeting environmental obligations, and whether your
organization is a "good neighbor," among other topics. Gathering
this information allows you to consider stakeholder input in the
development of your environmental policy. Since you have
already assessed your legal and environmental aspects, you
should be in a good position to have meaningful dialogues with
these stakeholders.
Step 4: Prepare Environmental Policy
At this point, you should have a sound basis for developing (or
amending) an environmental policy. Using the information
developed in the previous three steps allows your organization to
prepare a policy that is relevant to the organization and the key
issues that it faces. You should understand how well you are
currently managing key issues. For example, information on the
views of your stakeholders might be valuable in developing an
environmental policy.
Step 5: Define Key Roles and Responsibilities
Once the environmental policy has been written, you can begin to
define key roles and responsibilities within the EMS. At this
stage of implementation, focus on "higher-level" responsibilities,
such as the roles and responsibilities of senior management, key
functional leaders and environmental staff (if one exists). Once
the key roles and responsibilities have been defined, obtain the
input of these individuals in the next step of the process -
establishing objectives and targets. EMS responsibilities for
other specific jobs or functions will be identified in a later step.
Top of Page
Step 6: Establish Objectives and Targets
These objectives should be consistent with your environmental
policy and the analyses you carried out on legal requirements,
environmental aspects and impacts, and the views of interested
parties, etc.
You have identified the operations and activities related to
environmental aspects and impacts, and key roles and
responsibilities. This information will help you to determine the
relevant functions within the organization for achieving
objectives and targets. For example, if you set an objective to
reduce hazardous waste generation by 10 percent this year, you
also should know which parts of the organization must be
involved in order to meet this objective.
Step 7: Develop Environmental Management Programs, Identify Operational
Controls, and Identify Monitoring and Measurement Needs
This brings us to one of the most challenging (and potentially
most valuable) steps in developing an EMS. You are ready to
tackle several EMS elements simultaneously. These elements
include the design of environmental management programs
(EMPs), the initial identification of necessary operational
controls, and the initial identification of monitoring and
 measurement needs. You should already have a head start on
this step, since you identified operations and activities related to
your significant environmental aspects (as well as existing
control and monitoring processes) several steps ago.
One reason for combining these steps is that they can often
overlap significantly. For example, your EMPs for achieving a
certain objective (such as maintaining compliance with
regulations) might consist of a number of existing operational
controls (procedures) and monitoring activities. Achieving an
objective might require a feasibility study or the implementation
of certain "new" operational controls. Determining progress on
achieving objectives often requires some form of monitoring or
measurement.
Compile a list of your operational control and monitoring needs.
As you develop your EMPs, ask yourself the following questions:

 How do we control this operation or activity now?

 Are these controls adequate to meet our objectives and to
ensure compliance?
 If additional controls are needed, what types of controls
make sense?
 What type of monitoring / measurement is needed to track
our progress in achieving objectives and to ensure that
operational controls are implemented as designed?

This process is usually repetitive. You might need to revisit your

management programs, operational controls, and monitoring
processes over time to ensure they are consistent and up-to-
date.
Step 8: Establish Corrective Action, Document Control, and Records
Management Processes
At this stage of implementation, your EMS will begin to generate
some documents (such as procedures and forms) and records
that demonstrate that various processes are being carried out.
You need an effective way to manage the records that your EMS
generates. Establish procedures for corrective/preventive action,
document control, and records management. These three
processes are essentially "system maintenance" functions. As
 you develop and implement procedures, work instructions, and
other EMS documents, you will need a process for controlling the
generation and modification of these documents to ensure that
you can correct problems when they occur, as well as manage
records properly (e.g., monitoring activities).
Step 9: Establish Operational Controls & Monitoring Processes
Refer to the list of operational control and monitoring needs from
Step 7. Use a template for the development of work instructions
or standard operating procedures. Employees that work in
relevant operations or activities can provide support here.
Step 10: Define Job-Specific Roles and Responsibilities
Roles and responsibilities should address the specific
operational controls and monitoring processes discussed above.
You might want to document these responsibilities in a
responsibility matrix or in some other form that is easily
communicated to employees.
Top of Page
Step 11: Plan and Conduct Initial Employee Awareness
Initial employee awareness training should be conducted to
promote understanding of the organization's EMS efforts and the
progress made to date. As a first step, train employees on the
environmental policy and other elements of the EMS. Discuss the
environmental impacts of their activities, any new or modified
procedures, the organization's objectives and targets, as well as
their EMS responsibilities. If you have contractors or others at
your site who are not employees of your organization, consider
whether these other individuals should be included in these EMS
awareness training sessions.
Step 12: Establish Other System-Level Procedures
Some system-level procedures (such as the procedures for
identification of environmental aspects) were developed at
earlier stages of the process. At this point, you can establish any
other procedures required for the EMS. These other system-level
procedures might include, for example:

 employee training and awareness,

 internal and external communication,
 emergency preparedness and response,
 EMS auditing, and
 management review.

Step 13: Prepare EMS Documentation (Manual)

Once you have established roles and responsibilities and defined
all of your system-level procedures, preparing the EMS manual
should be a relatively simple matter. The manual should
summarize the results of your efforts. It should describe the
processes developed, define the roles and responsibilities, as
well as other EMS elements. It is important to describe the links
among system elements and provide direction to other system
documents. Keep the manual simple - there is no need to provide
great detail on any particular system process.
Step 14: Plan and Conduct Specific Employee Training
Once the procedures and other system documentation have been
prepared, you are ready to conduct specific employee EMS
training. As a first step, identify specific training needs.
Employee training should be designed to ensure understanding of
(1) key system processes, (2) operational controls related to their
specific jobs, and (3) any monitoring or measurement for which
they are responsible. At this point, you should have sufficient
EMS processes in place to begin to "Check" your EMS.

Guide to Developing an
Environmental Management System -
Check
Other Steps of the EMS Cycle

 Plan
 Do
 Act

Background
Building an Environmental Management System (EMS) might
sound like an overwhelming task for a smaller organization, but it
need not be. Taken in steps, it is a job that small and medium-
sized organizations can tackle. These pages will take you
through basic steps as they are outlined in the 2001 Second
Edition of Environmental Management Systems: An Implementation
Guide for Small and Medium Sized Organizations. This page pulls
out particular steps from the "Check" section of the Guide, and
points back to specific pages in the guide to fill out worksheets
and get additional materials.

Check: Checking, including monitoring and corrective action

 
As discussed earlier, your EMS should be built on the "Plan, Do,
Check, Act" model to ensure that environmental matters are
systematically identified, controlled, and monitored. Using this
approach will help to ensure that performance of your EMS
improves over time and that you meet your goals for
implementing an EMS in the first place.
This stage continues the step-by-step action plan for developing
and implementing the elements of an EMS. By this time, you
should have sufficient EMS processes in place to begin to
"check" your EMS. One approach is discussed below.

Conduct Internal EMS Audits

Once internal auditors have been selected and trained, you
should design and initiate the internal auditing process. At this
point, you should have sufficient EMS processes in place to
conduct meaningful audits. Many organizations find that it is
easier to start with smaller, more frequent audits than to audit
the entire EMS at once. These early audits can serve as a
 learning tool. Audit records should be managed in accordance
with the records management process. Once the audit results
are known, use the corrective and preventive action process to
address any identified problems.

Guide to Developing an
Environmental Management System -
Act
Other Steps of the EMS Cycle

 Plan
 Do
 Check

Background
Building an Environmental Management System (EMS) might
sound like an overwhelming task for a smaller organization, but it
need not be. Taken in steps, it is a job that small and medium-
sized organizations can tackle. These pages will take you
through basic steps as they are outlined in the 2001 Second
Edition of Environmental Management Systems: An Implementation
Guide for Small and Medium Sized Organizations. This page pulls
out particular steps from the "Act" section of the Guide, and
points back to specific pages in the guide to fill out worksheets
and get additional materials.

Act: Reviewing, including progress reviews and acting to make needed changes to
the EMS
 
This stage continues the step-by-step action plan for developing
and implementing the elements of an EMS. At this point in the
EMS Cycle, you may have identified problems with your EMS and
should act to resolve these issues. One approach is discussed
below.
 Conduct Management Reviews
Use the results of your internal audits (along with other
information on the EMS) to conduct management reviews. The
management of your organization should consider the need for
any changes to the EMS based on your review, and make
assignments for any revisions needed. Such assignments should
be consistent with the roles and responsibilities previously
established. After acting on the results of the management
review, tasks performed in the "Plan" stage should be revisited,
thus continuing the "full circle" process.

CREDITS TO. https://www.epa.gov/ems

EMS is "a system and database which integrates procedures and processes for training of
personnel, monitoring, summarizing, and reporting of specialized environmental performance
information to internal and external stakeholders of a firm". [1]
The most widely used standard on which an EMS is based is International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) 14001.[2] Alternatives include the EMAS.
An environmental management information system (EMIS) or Environmental Data Management
System (EDMS) is an information technology solution for tracking environmental data for a company
as part of their overall environmental management system. [3]

Contents

 1Goals
 2Features
 3EMS Model
 4Accreditation
 5Other meanings
 6Companies Providing Environmental Management Systems
 7Examples
 8See also
 9References
 10Literature
 11External links

Goals[edit]
The goals of EMS are to increase compliance and reduce waste: [4]
 Compliance is the act of reaching and maintaining minimal legal standards. By not being
compliant, companies may face fines, government intervention or may not be able to operate.
 Waste reduction goes beyond compliance to reduce environmental impact. The EMS helps
to develop, implement, manage, coordinate and monitor environmental policies. Waste reduction
begins at the design phase through pollution prevention and waste minimization. At the end of
the life cycle, waste is reduced by recycling.[1]
To meet these goals, the selection of environmental management systems is typically subject to a
certain set of criteria: a proven capability to handle high frequency data, high performance indicators,
transparent handling and processing of data, powerful calculation engine, customised factor
handling, multiple integration capabilities, automation of workflows and QA processes and in-depth,
flexible reporting.[5]

Features[edit]
An environmental management system (EMS):[2]

 Serves as a tool, or process, to improve environmental performance and information mainly

"design, pollution control and waste minimization, training, reporting to top management, and the
setting of goals"
 Provides a systematic way of managing an organization’s environmental affairs
 Is the aspect of the organization’s overall management structure that addresses immediate
and long-term impacts of its products, services and processes on the environment. EMS assists
with planning, controlling and monitoring policies in an organization. [6]
 Gives order and consistency for organizations to address environmental concerns through
the allocation of resources, assignment of responsibility and ongoing evaluation of practices,
procedures and processes
 Creates environmental buy-in from management and employees and assigns accountability
and responsibility.
 Sets framework for training to achieve objectives and desired performance.
 Helps understand legislative requirements to better determine a product or service's impact,
significance, priorities and objectives.
 Focuses on continual improvement of the system and a way to implement policies and
objectives to meet a desired result. This also helps with reviewing and auditing the EMS to find
future opportunities.
 Encourages contractors and suppliers to establish their own EMS.
 Facilitates e-reporting to federal, state and provincial government environmental agencies
through direct upload.[7]
EMS Model[edit]

The PDCA cycle[8]

An EMS follows a Plan-Do-Check-Act, or PDCA, Cycle. The diagram shows the process of first
developing an environmental policy, planning the EMS, and then implementing it. The process also
includes checking the system and acting on it. The model is continuous because an EMS is a
process of continual improvement in which an organization is constantly reviewing and revising the
system.[9]
This is a model that can be used by a wide range of organizations — from manufacturing facilities to
service industries to government agencies.

Accreditation[edit]
Environmental Data Management Systems (EDMS) can be accredited under the UK Environment
Agency's Monitoring Certification Scheme (MCERTS) for performance standards and test
procedures.[10]

Other meanings[edit]
An EMS can also be classified as

 a system which monitors, tracks and reports emissions information, particularly with respect
to the oil and gas industry. EMSs are becoming web-based in response to the EPA's
mandated greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting rule, which allows for reporting GHG emissions
information via the internet.[11]
 a centrally controlled and often automated network of devices (now frequently wireless
using z-wave and zigbee technologies) used to control the internal environment of a building.
Such a system namely acts as an interface between end user and energy (gas/electricity)
consumption.

Companies Providing Environmental Management Systems [edit]

 Wisdom business development agency

Examples[edit]

 EtQ workflow-based environmental management software

 NEMS environmental management suite
 Emisoft's environmental management, reporting and compliance platform
 Medgate environmental management software
 MonitorPro environmental data management system
 EsDat environmental data management system
 Enviance regulatory compliance system
 ERA Environmental's environmental management system

KEY CONCEPTS OF CHEMISTRY IN SPECIFIC TECHNOLOGIES

Chemistry in Civil Engineering

Whoever thinks of buildings, streets and bridges will certainly have pure physics on their mind:
Structures must be solidly built, statically stable and able to withstand tensile stress and compressive
forces. By following the laws of static engineering mechanics and strength theory, engineers design
and build our infrastructure. The ultimate objectives are the usability, safety and durability of the
structures.

For more than 10,000 years, however, man has not just used the building materials mother nature
put at our disposal. New building materials have been created and existing ones are altered
systematically. Chemistry is the discipline which deals with forming new substances from different
basic materials. For this reason it can be said that chemistry is inextricably linked with civil
engineering - although this link is not as obvious as that to physics.

Most building materials that are used for erecting a new building are man-made or artificial:

 To produce cement limestone and clay are made to react at high temperatures. The individual
elements Ca, Si, O, Al, Fe rearrange themselves to form reactive cement. When mixed with water
this cement will harden to become hydrated or hardened cement. 
 In the production of concrete grit or stone particles as well as water are added to cement. In
order to make the properties of concrete, e.g. its flowability or hardening speed, meet the special
requirements of a building project, concrete additives are used. These additives also use chemical
processes to change first the fresh concrete and later on the solid concrete.
 Lime mortar or cement mortar - often used as tile adhesives, floor fillers or plaster in the
construction of interiors and the making of facades - are also the result of chemical reactions.
 The most different types of engineering Plastics are used in the construction industry as
well. Concrete components, floors, roofs and facades are sealed or soundproofed to protect them
from damages.
 Wood cannot become a long-lasting building material unless wood preservatives are used to
protect the building components against pest infestation. And also flame inhibitors that make
wood and woodworking materials flame resistant cannot dispense with chemical substances.
The life cycles of all buildings are limited irrespective of the diligence and precautions that were
applied during their erection. Manifold environmental influences act upon buildings and are likely to
damage their structure. Hereby not only mechanical stress (e.g. a high traffic volume) plays an
important role but also chemical deterioration mechanisms. Due to the chemical reaction of
alkaline concrete and carbon dioxide from the air, for example, the building material carbonates, its
ph-value decreases and steel that is embedded in the concrete may corrode. Penetrating moisture and
salts can trigger various deterioration mechanisms such as the efflorescence of salts which has a
considerable blast effect, the conversion of beta phases into weaker substances or the corrosion of
structural steel. In addition to this, component damages often result from chemical reactions that
modify the original material and thereby strongly affect the strength of a structure or its aesthetic
value.

To enable useful counteracting the damaging mechanisms have to be recognized first. After this
identification process, effective countermeasures can be developed. Corrosion prevention not only
has to consider the mechanical stress buildings are exposed to but also the chemical impact on
buildings and structures.

Damaged structures can often be rescued by restoration and renovation. For these purposes the
building industry knows a range of products that is equally large as that available for the construction
of new buildings.

An important aspect that goes beyond the purely functional aspect of construction chemistry is the
interaction of construction chemical products with people, their health and the environment. A
responsible use of the applied materials and additives means that the effects of these substances after
the initial construction period are taken into consideration.

 What can be done to optimise the total energy balance in the production of these materials?

 How can an optimum recycling rate be guaranteed?

 How can we make products that contain substances with the least possible health and
environmental risk?

Building without chemistry is not feasible. The better we understand the chemical processes involved,
the clearer we can target at influencing them and the better and the more durable the results will be.
This is the reason why it makes sense for all architects and civil engineers to concern themselves with
the chemistry of building materials.

CHEMISTRY FOR ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

In a broad sense there is very little generic importance, but this may vary
from field to field within electrical engineering.
For example, if you are in an industry that makes UPS systems, Batteries
etc, there is a need to have a good grasp of the fundamentals of
chemistry (especially electrochemistry) because a lot of the background
knowledge required for this field comes from electrochemistry. There will
be situations when an electrical engineer may need to specify chemical
quantities that he requires as per his electrical design to a chemical
engineer so that a new model battery or cell can be fabricated. Also,
there are simulations that need to be done before the prototyping stage
and it is very important to have accurate simulation models for the same.
These models at their base have equations and since you will be
interfacing with chemical components like batteries, it is important that
you know their fundamental quantities and equations so that you can
suitably modify and manipulate them according to your specific
requirements.

Additionally, a lot of electrical engineering materials are now going into

the arena of polymers and plastics. This is again a branch of chemistry.
While per se, there may not be a requirement for an electrical engineer to
know the exact process by which all polymers are made, it might be
required to at least have a fundamental grasp of different types of
polymers and plastics so that one can chose what materials one requires
when making a component. Usually, a chemical engineer and an
electrical engineer will sit together to figure out all of these and such
situations where you have to produce non standard components will be
rare in an industrial scenario, but if you are in that broad field, it is not
entirely a bad idea to know the broad implications of all the different
branches there in.

Most of what an electrical engineer may have to deal with is

electrochemistry and it is a very intuitive field with clear mathematical
concepts and equations available. Also, electrochemists have developed
standard tables for a lot of quantities that may be required for an
electrical engineer. For something that is yet not worked upon, of course
you will always find a person who has majored in Chemistry to be of much
help.

CHEMISTRY FOR MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Mechanical engineering is on of the broadest and most versatile discipline of engineering. It

involves the design, production, analysis and maintenance of mechanical systems. Except design,
chemistry plays a very important role in all other mechanical engineering fields. Ex; Energy
science and engineering, Nanotechnology, Material science and engineering, Tribology (study
related to friction) etc., require in depth knowledge of chemistry which are parts of mechanical
engineering.

Energy science and engineering: Energy is one of the most significant challenges

facing humanity and is a central focus of mechanical engineering’s contribution to society.
Hence students of mechanical engineering need detailed elective courses on chemical fuels and
Combustion chemistry (kinetics and thermodynamics).
Nanotechnology: The miniaturization of devices and systems of ever increasing complexity
has been a fascinating and productive engineering endeavor during the past few decades. Micro
and nanotechnology can have tremendous impact on a wide range of mechanical systems [Ex:
Micro or Nano electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) which needs the knowledge of
chemistry at molecular level]. In order to prepare the students of mechanical engineering in
miniaturing of devices, certainly, need a detailed elective course on Nano-chemistry.
Material science and engineering, which is a part of mechanical engineering rest
heavily on physical chemistry, while there are more traditional applications in polymer
processes, new areas of development are in composite and advanced materials. An elective
course in “Physical chemistry” (or chemistry of materials) is essential, in order to prepare the
students of mechanical engineering in materials science and engineering.

Sustainable Development and Environmental

Reform
Environmental management system/cleaner production
Environmental management systems (EMS) and cleaner production (CP) are located at the top
of sustainable development tools. Huge efforts in spreading these concepts worldwide are
dedicated especially to developing countries due to the immediate environmental and financial
benefits they generate if properly applied as explained in Chapter 2.
By carrying EMS for existing activities, in addition to adopting the 7Rs rule, the organization
will be in compliance with environmental regulations, which will facilitate the implementation
of cleaner production techniques. Therefore, the 7Rs rule can now be called the hierarchy for
cleaner production in order to approach cradle-to-cradle. However, the adoption of the 7Rs does
not rely solely on investors; research institutes and universities should develop solutions to
existing environmental problems and promote the concept of sustainable development. On the
other hand, new investors should be encouraged to cooperate and establish a recycling unit to
reuse/recycle the waste and produce raw materials/products that can be sold.
EMS can be implemented using cleaner production techniques or pollution control systems. The
key difference between cleaner production and other methods like pollution control is the choice
of timing, cost, and sustainability. Pollution control follows a “react and treat” approach, while
cleaner production adopts a “prevent better than cure” approach as previously discussed. Cleaner
production therefore focuses on before-the-event techniques that can be categorized as discussed
in Chapter 2 and are as follows:
•

Source reduction:
–

Good housekeeping
–

Process changes:
♦

Better process control

♦

Equipment modification
♦

Technology change
♦

Input material change.

•

Recycling:
–

On-site recycling
–

Useful byproducts through off-site recycling.

•

Product modification.
Cleaner production can reduce operating costs, improve profitability and worker safety, and
reduce the environmental impact of the business. Companies are frequently surprised at the cost
reductions achievable through the adoption of cleaner production techniques. Frequently,
minimal or no capital expenditure is required to achieve worthwhile gains, with fast payback
periods. Waste handling and charges, raw material usage, and insurance premiums can often be
cut, along with potential risks. It is obvious that cleaner production techniques are good business
for industry because they:
•
 Reduce waste disposal cost.
•

Reduce raw material cost.

•

Reduce health, safety and environment (HSE) damage cost.

•

Improve public relations/image.

•

Improve company's performance.

•

Improve local and international market competitiveness.

•

Help comply with environmental protection regulations.

On a broader scale, cleaner production can help alleviate the serious and increasing problems of
air and water pollution, ozone depletion, global warming, landscape degradation, solid and liquid
wastes, resource depletion, acidification of the natural and built environment, visual pollution,
and reduced bio-diversity.
The EMS can provide a company with a decision-making structure and action plan to bring
cleaner production into the company's strategy, management, and day-to-day operations as
shown in Figure 4.3. As a result, EMS will provide a tool for cleaner production implementation
and pave the road toward it. So, integrating cleaner production techniques with EMS as shown
in Figure 4.3 will help the system to approach zero pollution and maximize the benefits where
both CP benefits and EMS benefits will be integrated together.
Sign in to download full-size image

FIGURE 4.3. CP-EMS model

Integrating CP strategies within the EMS (El-Haggar, 2003a; El-Haggar and Sakr, 2006)
promotes their implementation and compliance with environmental regulations. The EMS
provides a decision-making structure and action plan to incorporate cleaner production
strategies into the company's management – plan strategy and day-to-day operations, therefore
approaching minimum pollution levels and combining CP and EMS benefits. Cleaner production
can be incorporated into the environmental policy of the organization as a commitment from the
top management to encourage the organization to look after CP techniques everywhere as a
solution to any environmental problem. During the planning phase of EMS, CP should be the
main tool to achieve the objectives and targets.
Read full chapter
Purchase book
EMS: PRINCIPLES AND CONCEPTS
Nicholas P. Cheremisinoff Ph.D., Avrom Bendavid-Val, in Green Profits, 2001
THE BASICS OF AN EMS: WHAT IT IS, AND WHY DO IT
An environmental management system, or EMS, is an approach … a tool … a set of procedures
… a planned and organized way of doing things … a system. It is any planning and
implementation system that an enterprise employs to manage the way it interacts with the natural
environment.
An EMS is built around the way an enterprise operates. It focuses on an enterprise's production
processes and general management system — not on its emissions, effluents, and solid waste, as
environmental regulations do. An EMS enables an enterprise to address major and costly aspects
of its operations proactively, strategically, and comprehensively, as any good manager would
want to do. Without an EMS, an enterprise can only react to environmental disasters … to
environmental regulations … to threats of fines and lawsuits … to being undercut by more
progressive and efficient competitors.
An EMS is integrated into the overall management system of an enterprise. Like an overall
management system, it represents a process of continual analysis, planning, and implementation;
it requires that top management commit and organize such resources as people, money, and
equipment to achieve enterprise objectives; and it requires that resources be committed to
support the management system itself. Not too surprisingly, productive EMSs are found only in
enterprises that are fairly well managed in general. In some cases, these enterprises adopted
EMSs because they already had good management systems in place. In other cases, installing
and maintaining an EMS led to better overall management because it showed the way to improve
control over the enterprise's operations.
Without an EMS, an enterprise can only react to environmental disasters … to environmental
regulations … to threats of fines and lawsuits … to being undercut by more progressive and
efficient competitors.
There are lots of types of EMSs around. Some are industry specific, with guidelines often issued
by industry associations. Examples of this kind of EMS include the Forest Stewardship
Council's SmartWood EMS for forest property and forest products; the World Travel and
Tourism Council's Green Globe 21 for the travel and tourism industry; and the U.S.
Government's Code of Environmental Management Principles for federal agencies.
Many EMSs are uniquely designed for a particular facility: these range from a simple “plan-act-
review-revise” model to the high-tech FEMMS, or Facility Environmental Management and
Monitoring System, of the Tobyhanna Army Depot (for more information,
visit www.femms.com). And some EMSs are “global,” meaning that they are meant to be very
broadly applicable, at least across manufacturing enterprises. Two well-known examples of
global EMSs are the British Standards Institution's BS 7750, which served as the point of
departure for developing ISO 14001, and the European Union's EMAS, or Eco-Management and
Auditing Scheme, which permits ISO 14001 to serve as its core EMS component.
In its broadest outlines, an EMS is like any other system of planning and implementing for
continual improvement. The same basic steps apply to managing an enterprise, managing a
production line, managing your commute to work, or even managing economic development. In
other words, these basic steps are not new.
Figure 1, taken from a 1983 book on local economic development planning, supposedly
illustrates the basic steps and the circular process used by local officials in planning for
economic development. But Figure 1 really illustrates a local economic
development management system: it represents a continuous planning and implementation
process, grounded in the idea of continual improvement of the local economy.

Sign in to download full-size image

Figure 1. A planning and implementation process.
(Adapted from: Bendavid-Val, Avrom, Regional and Local Economic Analysis for Practitioners, Praeger
Publishers, New York, 1983 edition, p. 200.)Copyright © 1983

Though the words are different, and the planning and implementation cycle is illustrated with
fewer steps, the four-step EMS model mentioned earlier (“plan-act-review-revise”) is essentially
the same as the local economic development management system in Figure 1. “Plan” in the four-
step model is broken down into five constituent steps in Figure 1: goals, objectives, options,
comparative assessment, and planning. “Act” is called “implementation;” “review” translates
into “evaluation;” and “revise” — which involves making corrections that feed into a further
round of planning, acting, and so on — is illustrated in Figure 1 by the arrow showing the results
of evaluation feeding into the next round of goal formulation.
Really, how could it be otherwise? Sound planning and implementing, in one form or another,
necessarily involves:
1)

Establishing an overall policy (broad goals, aims, mission, values) to guide everything
that follows (this can be considered part of the planning activity or a step that comes
before it)
2)

Assessing the current situation

3)

Determining exactly what you want to achieve (setting explicit goals, objectives, targets,
performance standards)
4)

Examining different ways of achieving it

5)

Working out in detail what seems like the best course of action (type of program, project,
plan, action plan, initiative)
6)

Carrying out the plan (implementation)

7)

Monitoring how things are going

8)

Making corrections as needed to stay on course

If the planning and implementation is for a single purpose — say, a one-time initiative to reduce
waste from a particular production line — then “making corrections as needed to stay on course”
would be the last step. But if the planning and implementation is for continual improvement —
say, for an enterprise's product quality, or efficiency or environmental performance — then the
process is necessarily continuous; the process is a management system. In that case, each
planning and implementation cycle leads into the next. The final step in the cycle involves a
review of performance results and how well the management system itself is working. This
information is fed into the next cycle of planning and implementation. In enterprise terms, the
process can be summarized as: a) management direction, b) planning, c) implementing, d)
monitoring and correcting, and e) reviewing and revising.
This brings us to ISO 14001. The basic steps in the ISO 14001 EMS are a) environmental policy,
b) planning, c) implementation and operation, d) checking and corrective action, and e)
management review. One could quibble with the choice of words and the particular way the steps
are broken out, but what the authors of the ISO 14001 EMS did is quite remarkable: They took
the familiar basic elements of any continuous planning and implementation system — of any
management system — and adapted them to the needs of continually improving environmental
performance in enterprises worldwide. They made ISO 14001 so broad that it is applicable to
almost any organization of almost any size almost anywhere in the world … yet it has 52 very
specific requirements for procedures, actions, resources, and documentation. They built ISO
14001 on the proven general model for a sound enterprise management system so it would fit in
easily with existing management systems and reinforce them, and so it would introduce
principles of good management where they are lacking. In this way committees of the ISO
formulated an international standard for an EMS.
Here we are interested in a general EMS for enterprises. We will use ISO 14001 as the reference
model because it contains the core elements of any proper EMS; because it is an international
EMS standard; because though it has its detractors and will surely evolve over the years, it is
being accepted more and more widely throughout the world as the EMS standard; and because it
is meant to be enterprise friendly.
The aim in this and the next three chapters of this book is to show how enterprises can
implement an EMS to reap the benefits of reduced manufacturing costs, greater efficiency,
higher product quality, and improved control over production processes. These basic benefits
accrue from putting in place and maintaining any sound EMS, with or without certification —
not just ISO 14001. Nevertheless, in the course of these chapters readers will learn both the
essentials of any EMS and the specifics of an EMS that certifiably conforms to the requirements
of the ISO 14001 standard.
The basic steps in the ISO 14001 EMS are:
a)

Environmental policy
b)

Planning
c)

Implementation and operation

d)

Checking and corrective action

e)

Management review
Read full chapter
Purchase book
Rural and Developing Country Solutions
Salah M. El Haggar, in Environmental Solutions, 2005
CP-EMS Model
Cleaner production and environmental management systems are located at the top of sustainable
development tools. Huge efforts in spreading these concepts worldwide are dedicated especially
to developing country due to the immediate environmental and financial benefits they generate if
properly applied as explained before.
The EMS can provide a company with a decision-making structure and action plan to bring
cleaner production into the company's strategy, management and day-to-day operations. As a
result, EMS will provide a tool for cleaner production implementation and pave the road toward
it. Thus, integrating cleaner production technologies with EMS as shown in Figure 13.36 will
help the system to approach zero pollution and maximize the benefits where both CP benefits
and EMS benefits will be integrated together.
Sign in to download full-size image

FIGURE 13.36. Cleaner production (CP) and environmental management systems (EMS) model.
Read full chapter
Purchase book
ISO 9000, 14000 Series, and OHSAS 18001
Iyyanki V. Muralikrishna, Valli Manickam, in Environmental Management, 2017
10.4.2.3 Principle 3: Implementation and Operation
The successful implementation of an environmental management system calls for the
commitment of all employees of the organization. Hence, the responsibility for implementation
has to be a line function. Employees and contractors need to be trained on the impacts their work
might have on the environment. Documentation sufficient to describe the core elements of the
environment management system, which may be integrated with other systems, should be
available.
•

resources—human, physical, and financial—accountability, and responsibility;

•

knowledge skills and training: environmental awareness and motivation;

•

environmental management system alignment and integration.

Support action: communication and reporting; environmental management
system documentation; operational control; emergency preparedness and response.
Read full chapter
Purchase book
EMS: FIRST STEPS
Nicholas P. Cheremisinoff Ph.D., Avrom Bendavid-Val, in Green Profits, 2001
Gap Analysis
If an enterprise already has an environmental management system or program of some sort in
place, or if it has a quality management system certified to ISO 9001/2, then it would conduct a
gap analysis before embarking on EMS implementation planning. An EMS gap analysis
compares the system or program in place at the enterprise with the demands of ISO 14001,
requirement by requirement. To develop the full range of information to support good EMS
implementation planning, the EMS Committee would also want to conduct an IER or incorporate
elements of an IER into the gap analysis, focusing especially on elements that provide
information on existing programs or procedures that can be built upon, like question number 2 in
Section II of the IER information collection form above.
An EMS gap analysis compares the system or program in place at the enterprise with the
demands of ISO 14001, requirement by requirement.
As with an IER, a gap analysis would be conducted by the organization's own personnel, but
could be usefully assisted by an external consultant. And, as with the IER, the first step in a gap
analysis would be to define its scope.
The discussion in Chapter 3 on the internal EMS audit (Subclause 4.5.4, page 157) contains
important practical information for conducting a gap analysis, including a checklist of ISO 14001
requirements (page 160). When this checklist is used for gap analysis, the comments column
would be for notations on what needs to be done regarding each requirement to create an EMS in
the enterprise that conforms to the ISO 14001 standard. Or, readers may do several other things:
they can choose to use the checklist in their own words that they created in the first exercise at
the end of Chapter 2; they can assemble a checklist from the “Requirements of ISO 14001”
sections of Chapter 2; or they can review the print literature and surf the Web, where dozens of
ISO 14001 requirements checklists and gap analysis guides are available.
Once the EMS Committee has gap analysis information in hand, it needs to prepare it for
presentation to top management. A good structure for a gap analysis report would be first to
borrow some appropriate sections from the IER structure presented earlier to convey information
on the environmental context of the enterprise; then to provide a simple summary table of gap
analysis findings and EMS implementation needs, like the one in Table 2; then, to offer
recommendations regarding the EMS initial scope and implementation planning process.
Appendices could be used for detailed environmental information and gap analysis findings. A
summary table like the one in Table 2 serves both as a format for presenting gap analysis
findings and as a tool for the first broad step in the EMS implementation planning process.
Table 2. ISO 14001 Gap Analysis Findings and EMS Implementation Needs.
Conforms?

Implementation
ISO 14000 Section/Clause Yes No Needs

4.2 Environmental Policy

4.3 Planning

4.3.1 Environmental Aspects

4.3.2 Legal and Other Requirements

4.3.3 Objectives and Targets

4.3.4 Environmental Management

Programs

4.4 Implementation and Operation

4.4.1 Structure and Responsibility

4.4.2 Training, Awareness, and

Competence

4.4.3 Communication

4.4.4 EMS Documentation

 Conforms?

Implementation
ISO 14000 Section/Clause Yes No Needs

4.4.5 Document Control

4.4.6 Operational Control

4.4.7 Emergency Preparedness and

Response

4.5 Checking and Corrective Action

4.5.1 Monitoring and Measurement

4.5.2 Nonconformance and

Corrective and Preventive Action

4.5.3 Records

4.5.4 EMS Audit

4.6 Management Review

Read full chapter

Purchase book
POLLUTION PREVENTION: PRINCIPLES & CONCEPTS
Nicholas P. Cheremisinoff Ph.D., Avrom Bendavid-Val, in Green Profits, 2001
HOW ARE EMS AND P2 RELATED?
The reader might very well ask why the subjects of environmental management systems and
pollution prevention are treated in a single volume. Indeed, much of industry often views P2
practices as a separate and perhaps small component of an EMS. This is wrong, because the
goals of any EMS are to cost-effectively manage environmental affairs and to continually
achieve greater degrees of environmental performance. P2 programs are critical to accomplishing
these goals.
For those readers that are embracing the subject of EMS for the very first time, and who have
skipped ahead to this part of the book, we recommend that you spend a few moments and read
the first three to five pages of Chapter 1. These pages provide a succinct description of what an
EMS is, and why enterprises need to do it. The reasons for doing an EMS are practically the
same as those for doing P2 when enterprises face high costs for environmental compliance. But
there are some important distinctions that should be made between P2 and EMS.
First, enterprises can clearly practice P2 without having a formal EMS, although the
effectiveness of such programs may not be as great. In contrast, with perhaps only a few special
cases in industry, having an EMS without a P2 program integrated throughout an organization
makes little sense, simply because the underlying objective of EMS is to achieve a pollution-free
operation.
The next question one might ask is what comes first — the EMS or P2? This is a “chicken and
egg” question and, indeed, the authors decided the subject-presentation sequence over the toss of
a coin. One can argue that P2 defines the financial incentives for an organization investing in
developing and implementing a formal EMS, and obtaining certification for it. We may also
equally argue that many enterprises can justify the investments required for a formalized EMS,
recognizing that P2 is a component essential to effectively implementing it. Therefore, P2
programs evolve as a part of the development of an enterprise's EMS, and vice versa.
Finally, we should point out that, although the two subjects are intimately related, they do not
necessarily carry equal interest to the senior managers of enterprises. An EMS, as the term
implies, is a system that encompasses very specific guidelines on managing the complex and
varied environmental components of a business operation. P2 is not a system. Rather, it is a
collection of engineering and financial tools that help an enterprise achieve certain
environmental performance goals. To management, P2 is but one of the means by which
improved environmental performance can be achieved. EMS focuses on strategic management,
and a systems approach; P2 focuses on technologies and best practices, which we refer to as the
re-engineering of existing operations.
Read full chapter
Purchase book
Coastal Zone Management During Changing Climate and Rising
Sea Level: Transcendence of Institutional, Geographic, and
Subject Field Barriers Is the Key
Mu. Ramkumar, ... K. Kumaraswamy, in Coastal Zone Management, 2019
2.3 Need to Have Unified System of Coastal Environmental
Management
Coppola (2011) stated that the vast majority of environmental management systems are
concerned with specific individual issues and local areas, and thus ignore the fact that the natural
world is an interconnected and dependent system of which humans are a part, albeit a highly
influential one. Considering environmental issues on an individual and separate basis will never
be as effective as considering the issues, at least initially, at a systems level, where all of the
inputs can be taken into account. Because most environmental issues today involve at least some
level of human influence, it would be wise to manage human interactions with the environment
at wider scales with holistic policies that are as integrated and wide-reaching as is feasible. For
example, estuaries are situated on the border of the land and sea, they are zones of rapidly
fluctuating environmental conditions and are markedly influenced by catchment and oceanic
processes, as well as in-estuary uses (Traini et al., 2015). These features complicate their
management and need monitoring and assessment at a basin-scale rather than the coastal part
alone (Ramkumar, 2003, 2004a,b, 2007; Ramkumar et al., 2009, 2015a,b). According to
Coppola, many aspects of environmental management are currently conducted in isolation.
Managers focus on their own responsibilities, and all too often fail to consider other related
issues, and ignore the interrelated nature of the environment as a whole. Nowhere is this truer
than in coastal zones. These dynamic and highly inter-connected regions are frequently affected
by human land use decisions. While ecosystem-based management has made significant strides
in theory and design in recent years, straightforward and effective tools are needed to bring it
into wider use. These views are aptly supported by the recent review by Roy et al. (2015), who
opined that land-use and land-cover change is a key focus area for the global change community
because of its significant impacts on climate change, biogeochemical cycles, biodiversity, and
water resources. The land-use and land-cover changes are driven by variations in multi-scale
interacting driving factors, such as biophysical conditions of the land, demography, technology,
affluence, political structures, economy, and people's attitudes and values. These driving factors
vary with geography and time. The land-use and land-cover changes are also heterogeneous both
spatially and temporally. Therefore, improved representation of both spatial and temporal
dimensions of land-use and land-cover changes is crucial for a better understanding of human
influence on the natural environment.
At its core, environmental management is achieved through the design and control of human
behavior. Land use planning provides an excellent tool for the management of a variety of
influential human activities by controlling and designing the ways in which humans use land and
natural resources. In its present state, land use planning falls short of its potential as an
environmental and natural resource management tool. This is primarily due to a lack of
coordination and the failure of land use planners to consider the environment in their charge
holistically (Coppola, 2011). Case studies demonstrating the forward and feedback mechanisms
of local cause-regional processes and regional and or global phenomenon and local-regional
consequences include, but are not limited to, Weng (2000), Hall (2001), Ramkumar (2000,
2003), Ramkumar et al. (1999, 2015b), Baskaran (2004), Hema Malini and Rao (2004), Lewsey
et al. (2004), Ericson et al. (2006), Jayanthi (2009), Lichter et al. (2010), Rossi et al.
(2011), Ghosh and Datta (2012), Hinkel et al. (2014), Roy et al. (2015), Brown et al.
(2016), Conrad et al. (2017), Kallepalli et al. (2017), and Sreenivasulu et al. (2018).
Read full chapter
Purchase book
Pollution prevention and best practices for the pulp and paper
industry
Nicholas P. Cheremisinoff, Paul E. Rosenfeld, in Handbook of Pollution Prevention and Cleaner
Production, 2010
7.4 Audit forms for initial environmental reviews
The reader may refer back to Section 5.4 in Chapter 5 for a discussion of environmental
management systems and the concept of conducting environmental reviews, or what we prefer to
call initial environmental reviews (IERs). Regardless of how well a facility may be perceived to
meet compliance obligations, conducting an IER and establishing regular inspections
using audit forms aided by an environmental management information system (EMIS) will allow
the facility to continually improve its environmental performance and further identify cost
reduction opportunities. The authors discovered a reasonably detailed checklist for pulp and
paper mills developed by the China–Canada Cooperation Project in Cleaner Production
(http://www.chinacp.org.cn/eng/cpprojects/canada/cccpcp_index.html), which we recommend be
used as a starting basis for the IER. We have modified the checklist and updated some sections
for clarity. In performing the audit, it is advisable to depend on process flow sheets so that the
facility can be logically reviewed in a systematic manner.

Sign in to download full-size image

Sign in to download full-size image

Sign in to download full-size image

Sign in to download full-size image

Sign in to download full-size image

Sign in to download full-size image
Sign in to download full-size image
Sign in to download full-size image
Sign in to download full-size image
Sign in to download full-size image
Sign in to download full-size image

Sign in to download full-size image

Sign in to download full-size image
Sign in to download full-size image
Sign in to download full-size image
Sign in to download full-size image
Sign in to download full-size image
Sign in to download full-size image
Sign in to download full-size image
Sign in to download full-size image
Sign in to download full-size image
Read full chapter
Purchase book
EMS: APPLIED MODELS
Nicholas P. Cheremisinoff Ph.D., Avrom Bendavid-Val, in Green Profits, 2001
ONE MORE TIME
The basic elements of an EMS modeled after the ISO 14001 international standard are:
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
 
PLANNING
•

Environmental Aspects
•

Legal and Other Requirements

•

Objectives and Targets

•

Environmental Management Programs
IMPLEMENTATION AND OPERATION
•

Structure and Responsibility

•

Training, Awareness, and Competence

•

Communication
•

Environmental Management System Documentation

•

Document Control
•

Operational Control
•

Emergency Preparedness and Response

CHECKING AND CORRECTIVE ACTION
•
 Monitoring and Measurement
•

Nonconformance and Corrective and Preventive Action

•

Records
•

Environmental Management System Audit

MANAGEMENT REVIEW
The logic is as follows:
•

First, top management establishes environmental policy, which provides the overall
guidance for the EMS and environmental performance of the enterprise
•

Then, the enterprise plans specific environmental management programs to improve its

environmental performance and implement the policy
•

Then, to support its environmental management programs and sound environmental

practice overall, the enterprise establishes an EMS implementation and operation
infrastructure
•

Once the environmental management programs are underway, the enterprise monitors
performance and takes corrective action as indicated to ensure that environmental
targets are achieved
•

Finally, top management reviews what it has wrought, and figures out ways to improve
the EMS, starting with improvements in environmental policy
There is a sequential logic to the model, and initial EMS implementation activities may indeed
follow a sequential course. In practice, however, the model is not of a sequence of activities that
cycles from beginning to end, but of 17 elements, each of which repeatedly cycles through its
own process, so that all are active and supporting each other at all times. For each of these 17
elements, the ISO 14001 EMS standard contains specific requirements that certification auditors
will check.
An EMS is a tool for strategic environmental management. As such, it should integrate easily
with the overall management system of the enterprise, and reinforce its general strategic planning
and sound business practices and operations. One key to establishing an effective EMS at
minimal cost is to build on the enterprise's existing systems, procedures, practices, and programs
(if the enterprise has established ISO 9001/2, then to a great extent it can layer ISO 14001 onto
that). Another key is to focus on establishing a productive EMS, rather than on certification
requirements. Start small, with an initial EMS scope that is easily manageable, and gradually
expand to more operations, more facilities, more pollution media, more environmental aspects of
the enterprise. When an enterprise uses the ISO 14001 standard as a starting point for designing
its own EMS, then in due course, as it extends its EMS, it will come to meet all the ISO 14001
requirements and be ready for a certification audit. At that point, it will have a great deal of
experience with its EMS, will already have reaped substantial environmental and business
benefits from it, and will really know what it is doing.
Read full chapter
Purchase book
Road Map to Part I: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
Nicholas P. Cheremisinoff Ph.D., Avrom Bendavid-Val, in Green
Profits, 2001
Our purpose in the four chapters of Part I is to serve anyone with an
interest in the subject of environmental management systems. We
make the point (perhaps too often) that an EMS is not about ISO
14001 certification; rather, it's about running an enterprise better,
more efficiently, more competitively, and more sustainably, and about
making and saving money. Running an enterprise is a creative
endeavor; accordingly, Part I is built on the assumption that readers
want to understand what an EMS is all about and then apply
themselves creatively to building one that operates efficiently and
delivers huge benefits for their enterprises. Consequently, Part I does
not dwell so much on the details of what different EMS procedures
enterprises should include as it does on the knowledge and tools
managers need to figure this out for themselves in the context of their
enterprise's operations.