Project ETIV – EMAS TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION AND VERIFICATION Prepared by:

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Essentials for Small Enterprises EMAS II – A Handbook for the Implementation of an Environmental Management System according to EMAS standard Essentials for Small Enterprises

Contents Introductory part: Aim of the Handbook What is an Environmental Management System – What is EMAS? The elements of EMAS shortly explained What are the advantages of EMAS? What are the challenges for SME implementing EMAS?

Part A: Successful implementation and application of EMAS Contents Part A: Successful implementation and application of EMAS Environmental review Environmental policy Environmental programme Implementation and operation of the EMS Checking and corrective action Management review Environmental statement Preparing for certification Part B: Working material

About the ETIV Project Aim of the handbook: Guidance on how to implement and document an environmental management system according to EMAS standard for Small and medium sized enterprises Organizations Public authorities and Interested parties

About the ETIV Project What is EMAS? EMAS... EMAS – Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (European Regulation (EC) No 761/2001) EMAS... Is a voluntary scheme designed by the EU for environmental management systems Provides a tool to continuously improve environmental performance Provides large potentials for cost savings Provides external verification of credible work for the environment

About the ETIV Project What is an environmental management system? A tool to systematically assess, control and improve all significant environmental aspects arising from a company’s activities

About the ETIV Project What are the different steps to implementing EMAS? The main stages involved in achieving EMAS registration can be roughly described as follows: Investigating an organisation's interactions with the environment in an environmental review; Establishing an effective environmental management system on the basis of the review; Communicating environmental performance in an environmental statement.

About the ETIV Project Schematic overview of the procedure to EMAS verification (modified from BMU 2003, p. 14)

About the ETIV Project Motivation to participate in EMAS

About the ETIV Project Cost reduction with EMAS

About the ETIV Project Summary of advantages implementing EMAS

Successful implementation and application of EMAS Part A Successful implementation and application of EMAS

Environmental review

Environmental review Extent of the review: 1st step: Review of existing procedures for dealing with environmental issues; 2nd step: Review of legislative and regulatory requirements; 3rd step: Identification of all environmental aspects of the company’s activities and assessment of the significance of environmental impacts; 4th step: Report including the review documentation.

Environmental review Examples of relevant environmental documents are 1st step: Review of existing environmental documents: Examples of relevant environmental documents are Maps Legal provisions Consumption balances and monitoring data Organisational documents Business policy documents An inventory of relevant documents must be established

Environmental review Aim: Register of legal requirements 2nd step: Review of legal requirements Aim: Register of legal requirements Example of how to document legal requirements

Operational environmental review 3rd step: Operational environmental review Identification of environmental aspects and impacts Environmental aspects can be, e.g.: Emissions to air or water, e.g. CO2 or wastewater Waste handling, Use of raw materials and energy, Noise, odour, dust, Transport (both goods and employees). An environmental impact is any change to the environment resulting from any environmental aspect. Example: CO2 emissions (env. aspect) cause global warming (env. impact)

Operational environmental review 3rd step: Operational environmental review Assessment of environmental aspects‘ significance, using defined environmental, economic or other criteria. Example of an evaluation matrix

Reporting the observations Environmental review Summary of report Introduction Scope of the environmental review Description of the company General description Brief description of production/ services/ activities Environmental aspects Location Soil and groundwater Water Energy Raw materials Chemicals Air emissions Discharges to water Waste Fire, spillage, and other uncontrolled situations Products Transport Working environment Suppliers and sub-contractors Components of the environmental management system Legal and other requirements Objectives and targets Environmental management programme Structure and responsibility Training, awareness and competence Environmental management system documentation Document control Operational control Monitoring and measurement Emergency preparedness and response Non-conformance, corrective and preventive action Records Environmental management system audit Management review 4th step: Reporting the observations Complete documentation covering all elements of the environmental review Purpose: identification of problem areas and non-compliance serves as basis for definition of activities and counter-measures

Environmental policy

Environmental policy In the environmental policy, a company’s environmental principles are laid down It is of strategic dimension It is the written expression of a company’s values, goals and codes of conduct with respect to the environment and environmental protection The environmental performance of a company will later be judged against its environmental policy

What is required for the environmental policy? EMAS requires that an organisation‘s environmental policy is appropriate to the nature, scale and environmental impacts of its activities, products and services; includes a commitment to continual improvement and prevention of pollution; includes a commitment to comply with relevant environmental legislation and regulations; provides the framework for setting and reviewing environmental objectives and targets; is available to the public.

Environmental programme

Environmental programme The environmental programme is one of the cornerstones of a company’s EMS What it serves for: It contains a description of how significant environmental impacts of a company’s activities will be reduced; It defines objectives and targets that enable the improvement of the environmental performance; It describes also how to achieve objectives and targets; It includes the designation of responsibilities, and the means and timeframe by which improvements are to be accomplished.

Environmental programme Environmental objectives and targets Must be in line with the company’s environmental policy; Must work together with the environmental policy and other elements of the environmental management system (see left). The environmental objective is the quantified overall goal of the company over a given period. The environmental target is the concrete measure taken to ensure the fulfilment of the quantified goal.

Environmental programme Factors influencing objectives and targets

Environmental programme Environmental programme worksheet

Implementation and operation of an EMS

Implementation and operation of an EMS Divided into 4 parts: Structure and responsibility Training, awareness and competence Communication Environmental management system documentation

Implementation and operation of an EMS Structure and responsibility Organisation chart: Who fulfils which tasks? Who is responsible for which process, product, internal service? How is the work done? Elaboration of work instructions

Implementation and operation of an EMS Training, awareness and competence After having received training, personnel should be competent of acting in a responsible way that reduces the environmental impact of their work. Training contents: significant environmental impacts of their work activities and the environmental benefits of improved personal performance; their roles and responsibilities in achieving conformance with the environmental policy and requirements of the EMS; the importance of conformance with the environmental policy and procedures of the environmental management system.

Implementation and operation of an EMS Communication Procedures for communication have to be established and maintained Advantage for small organisations: Direct, informal channels of communication

Implementation and operation of an EMS Environmental management system documentation (or simply) Environmental Management Manual It is the structured collection of directions, procedures and responsibilities of the EMS 3 purposes of EMS documentation: Providing instruction to employees, Giving the EMS a binding nature, and Providing illustration to the EMS.

Environmental review

Checking and corrective action Divided into 4 parts: Monitoring and measurement Non-conformance, corrective and preventive action Records Environmental management system audit

Checking and corrective action Monitoring and measurement Measuring and monitoring environmental parameters in order to: Ensure that legally enforced emission limits are not exceeded Provide data for statistics required by authorities and the environmental report Identify potential for efficiency increase Verify that processes and equipment function in accordance with the operational procedures Measure performance against environmental objectives and targets

Checking and corrective action Monitoring and measurement

Checking and corrective action Non-conformance, corrective and preventive action Mistakes occur – no problem! If you learn from them!

Checking and corrective action Records The procedure of recording is the continuous process of collecting environmentally relevant documents. “Review of existing environmental documents” With recording relevant information, the company can prove its conformance with EMAS. EMAS requires records on Training courses, Results of audits, Results of reviews.

Checking and corrective action Environmental management system audit The environmental audit is a tool to systematically assess whether or not the environmental management system functions according to the plan set up, to check if the system contributes to fulfilling the environmental policy and objectives and targets, to identify non-conformances with the procedures, and to provide information that can lead to improvement.

Checking and corrective action Environmental management system audit Planning and preparation - allocate appropriate resources - inform all involved persons about their roles and responsibilities Recording of relevant documents - checking of records and documents - detailed interviews with employees - investigation of the operational circumstances Documentation of the audit findings - document and report findings and observations of performance and deficits Make a report of the audit - scope, objectives, audit plan, audit team - documents and proof - assess the situation Make conclusions from the audit - write a plan for corrective action

The management review is a corrective measure to EMS The top management of the company assesses the success of the EMS in place. evaluates whether the EMS still applies to the current situation and adjusts it if necessary. The review activities and its results must be documented. The review report serves as a basis improvement.

Management review The management review should take account of changing requirements and continual improvement Activities: Assessment of the environmental policy to make certain that it serves the intention to attain continual improvement; Evaluation of the objectives and targets and of the company’s environmental performance; Analysis of the environmental work with the aim of reduced consumption of resources and more efficient operation; Changes if necessary to environmental policy and management system regarding e.g. legislation, changes to operations, technological developments, etc.

Environmental statement

Environmental statement Environmental report The environmental statement is the public documentation of an organisation’s environmental situation. It should specify the results that have been achieved against the environmental objectives. It should also lay down the means by which the organisation plans to continuously improve its environmental performance.

Environmental statement What must be included in the environmental statement? A short description of the organisation, i.e. economic and legal parameters, number of employees, product range etc.; The environmental policy; A brief description of the EMS; A description of environmental aspects and impacts; The environmental objectives and targets; A summary of available data on the organisation’s performance; A description of environmental performance against legal or other provisions with respect to significant environmental impacts; The name and accreditation number of the environmental verifier and the date of validation.

Preparing for verification The process of verification includes three stages An initial step the certifying body is contacted. It can also include a preparatory check to see whether the company is ready for the certification audit. The verification audit includes the study of documents, interviews and site inspections. Regular surveillance audits to ensure that the environmental management system remains in place and is continuously improved. These surveillance audits take place at defined intervals, usually every 12 months.

Preparing for verification What is the purpose of verification? To review and verify that the formal requirements of the EMAS regulation are fulfilled; To check that the EMS covers control of significant environmental aspects; To make sure that different parts of the EMS support each other (e.g. links between significant aspects and measures in the environmental programme); To assess whether continual improvement can be expected on the basis of the EMS

Preparing for verification What is the purpose of verification? To verify improvements To assess whether the system is credible, for example: Has the environmental review been performed in a systematic way? Is the environmental review programme efficient? Are employees actively involved in the system?

Thank you very much for your attention!

Imprint Kolleg für Management und Gestaltung nachhaltiger Entwicklung gGmbH Presentation to: EMAS II – Essentials for small enterprises. A Handbook for the implementation of an Environmental Management System according to EMAS standard. Authors: Andrea Taha, Dipl.-Ing. Tobias Schmitt, M.Sc. Project: ETIV – EMAS Technical Implementation and Verification in the framework of: LEONARDO DA VINCI NATIONAL AGENCY / EUROPEAN COMMISSION LEONARDO DA VINCI PROGRAMME Contact: Kolleg für Management und Gestaltung nachhaltiger Entwicklung gGmbH Warschauer Straße 58a 10243 Berlin Germany www.kmgne.de