Environmental Management Systems (EMS)

Benefit your institution and its stakeholders by taking preventative action to reduce your environmental impact

All institutions have an impact* on the environment and should attempt to operate in a sustainable manner. Environmental management systems are the most logical and effective way of doing this.

Environmental management systems are based on the Shewart and Deming cycle of continual improvement (Fig below) and are similar to systems used for quality management.

Firstly, you review your institution and plan how it can be improved. Next you develop procedures to implement the plan. Once the system has been implemented it is checked to see if it is functioning effectively. Finally, any recommendations for improvement are implemented. The cycle then starts again so that the system is continually improved and refined to accommodate changing circumstances.

An EMS will help you to identify and reduce your institution's impacts on the environment. It will also help you to set and achieve objectives and targets for environmental improvement.

EMS Standards

There are a number of regional, national, European and international EMS standards. Some are guidance standards, which explain how to develop an EMS
(e.g. BS 8555:2003).

Others are specification standards, where the EMS is examined by external auditors to check that it meets the specified standard required (e.g. Eco-Management and Audit Scheme [EMAS] and BS EN ISO 14001:2004). Specification standards are more prestigious as they give external verification of the quality of your EMS.

Benefits of implementing an EMS

• assists in obtaining a licence to operate and complying with legal and other requirements such as planning consents,
• improves relationships with regulators,
• helps to prevent enforcement or civil actions,
• reduces hidden costs associated with legal action (including substantial draw on management time),
• avoids fines and damages awarded from legal action through criminal or civil courts,
• improves operational and process efficiency,
• reduces operating costs and resource use thereby increasing profitability,
• reduces outlay on waste disposal,
• gives the institution a long-term sustainable future,
• develops relationships with stakeholders by satisfying investors', lenders', ands insurers' environmental performance requirements,
• helps to obtain insurance at a reasonable cost,
• enhances the internal and external image of the institution, making it more marketable,
• helps attract and retain quality staff and students,
• reduces pollution and improves the environment.

The drawbacks of an EMS are that it:

• requires human and financial resources;
• takes time to convince people that it is worthwhile;
• requires good communication and training;
• can be time-consuming to implement and maintain.

The advantages of an EMS far outweigh the disadvantages and it is the most systematic and effective way for an institution to improve its environmental performance.