Environmental Management System (EMS)

Prof Bharat Nadkarni

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Environmental Management system

The organizations need to demonstrate their CSR (Corp Social Responsibility) that includes concern for environment. As a first step towards the goals for environmental concerns is to establish an Environmental Management System (EMS). EMS is not very much different from the general management. EMS is a formal system concerned with managing the aspects of companys activities, products and services that have or could have an impact on the environment. EMS is to be adopted as a strategy by the enterprise for meeting the expectations of society for Sustainable Development. EMS takes cognisance of nature, not infintum but nature finitum. The nature has been providing sustenance and protection to living creatures including human, but nature now is in need of protection from human. It is essential that relationship between natural resources and the activities of the company must be recognized at every level.

Environment Management The top management of the organization has to take a decision whether to install EMS. This decision or commitment of the top management would be based on many considerations including the primary aim of financial gain or loss. EMS refers to system for managing an organizations environmental programs in a formal, comprehensive, systematic, planned and documented manner. It embraces organizational structure, planning, and resources for developing, implementing and maintaining the policy for protection of environment. Thus it has to have : 1. Commitment of top management 2. Written objectives for EMS 3. Benefits of EMS 4. Relevant legal requirements 5. Documented or written procedures involving processes/ procedures so that those officers/ employees who are involved in the EMS follow the standard procedures.

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6. Assigning responsibilities to employees to ensure that everyone knows who is to do what. 7. Environmental audit to know the environmental aspect and impacts of companys activities and to have EMS assessed and certified by an independent certifier to demonstrate that system conforms to relevant standard; in other words to obtain ISO 14001. Terminology used in EMS
ENVIRONMENT It means surrounding in which any organization or living system operates. It includes natural physical entities like air, water, land and its resources, human beings, plants (flora), animals (fauna) and their interrelationships.

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ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECT It means organizations activities, services and products which interact with the environment. For example, packaging process of a manufacturing unit is an environmental aspect. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT A change in environment, wholly or partially resulting from an organizations activities, services or products (aspect) is referred to as Environmental Impact. As stated above packaging is an aspect but the waste in this process is an impact. Usually impacts are harmful; sometimes impacts can be beneficial as for example programs protect wildlife.

Those responsible for EMS, must be able to identify both existing well as potential impacts.

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For identifying impacts, following environmental aspects must be known : i. Emissions ii. Effluent discharges iii. Consumption or reuse of material iv. Noise For example: Aspects for plying of vehicles include; a. Use of engine oil b. Emission to air
The impact for a. is used oil and its disposal The impact for b. is pollution of air and its control

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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA)

EIA refers to review of potential impact of a project to be launched by an organization. It includes: i. Assessment of existing environmental status ii. Analysis of various factors of ecosystem like trees, ponds, wildlife etc iii. Analysis of adverse impacts of the project that is to be started. iv. Impact on people in the neighbourhood.

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CERTIFICATION BODY It is an independent organization which verifies that a companys EMS conforms to specific standard such as ISO 14001. Such a body is called certifier. If the system conforms to standard, the company will be awarded a certificate. It is advisable to select a certification body which has been accredited by government agency or other impartial organization with credibility. WHY EMS? The most common motives for adopting a formal EMS are the following : 1. It is the statutory requirement and the firms want to avoid prosecution. A manager today in any firm can not afford to be unaware of increasing complexities of environmental legislation. In case of non compliance, not only the company has to pay penalties but also would invite adverse publicity. Of course, it would depend how far a

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company is committed, concerned or even proactive in regard to environmental issues. There may be managers who would focus on legal requirements and would show little interest in taking other initiatives which are very important but may not be legal requirements. (ex. Installation of FGD by Tata Power) 2. In developed countries, improved environmental performance is becoming a popular theme for enhancing the image of the company. 3. The demand of various stakeholders especially the key clients puts pressure for installing a formal EMS. Also, in a supply chain, retailers face the consumers and their anger if the product is not up to their expectations in terms of quality and the environmental issues. The retailers would pass on the pressure to the suppliers in the chain asking them to rectify or improve concerns vis--vis environment.

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The service industry or financial services sector is also affected by environment issues and it is in its interest to be concerned about EMS. It is in interest of the supplier in the supply chain that they develop policies to protect themselves from financial penalties that may arise from environmental damage or pollution and thus ensure good performance of their investments. Certification for EMS By external party International standard called ISO 14001 European unions EMAS (Eco-management and Audit system British standard for environment BS 7750 The agencies that certify, are third party certifiers. They are Independent.

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ISO 14000

The international standard organization (ISO) took up the responsibility for drawing up a new environmental standard Series ISO 14000 with the help of Technical Committee TC 207. India is a member of TC 207. Bureau of Indian standard (BIS) represents India in this committee. This committee works through sub-committees each on : Environmental Management System Environmental Auditing Environmental Laballing Environmental Evaluation Life Cycle Assessment Definitions and Terminology. ISO 14000 is the response of the industry to interest in sustainable development precipitated by Rio, 1992. ISO created 14000 in collaboration with the national governments of many countries i.e. with their national standard agencies.

Environment Management Most of the collaboration was from the countries of the north with a few exceptions from the developing world. ISO was originally established by a group of nations to facilitate international trade, therefore the ISO standard creation is open to members of this group, i.e. standard setting bodies of these nations.

ISO 14000 (Series) The Basic Principles

ISO 14000 series was approved by European Commission through the recommendation of CEN (Comite European de Normalisation) which is EUs Standardisation body. ISO 14001 is derived from ISO quality standard, 9000 but it is broader in scope than quality standards because environmental issues are larger issues affecting the nations and the worlds resources and living conditions. Further, it requires organisation to be concerned with everything from raw materials to end products as it reaches the consumer and its final disposal a life cycle analysis approach.

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ISO 14001 is not a guarantee of excellence in environmental performance but it is an assurance that organisation has an EMS that manages its environmental issues. An organisation may like to upgrade from ISO 14001 to EMAS which is open to public. ISO 14000 enables an organisations EMS to :
1. Formulate and define policy and objectives in this regard

2. To formulate a plan to implement the policy and objectives

3. To develop the capabilities and support system to achieve the implementation of policy objectives 4. To monitor and evaluate environmental performance 5. To review the EMS for continuous improvement

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Five components of ISO 14001:

A. Environmental policy

B. Planning
C. Implementation

D. Monitoring and Evaluation

E. Review

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Thank you