View source for Social:Environmental management system

{{Short description|Thorough process}}
An '''environmental management system''' ('''EMS''') is "a system which integrates policy, procedures and processes for training of personnel, monitoring, summarizing, and reporting of specialized environmental performance information to internal and external stakeholders of a firm".<ref name="ReferenceA">Sroufe, Robert. "Effects of Environmental Management Systems on Environmental Management Practices and Operations." Production and Operations Management. 12-3 (2003): 416–431.</ref>

The most widely used standard on which an EMS is based is [[ISO 14001|International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001]].<ref name="ReferenceB">Melnyk, Steven A., Robert P. Sroufe, and Roger Calantone. "Assessing the Impact of Environmental Management Systems on Corporate and Environmental Performance."</ref> Alternatives include the EMAS.

==Goals==
The goals of EMS are to increase compliance and reduce waste:<ref>Sayre, D., 1996. Inside ISO 14001: the competitive advantage of environmental management. St. Lucie Press, Delray,Beach, FL.</ref>

*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. Waste can be limited by ‘reduce, reuse & recycle’<ref>{{Cite web |last=US EPA |first=OLEM |date=2013-04-16 |title=Reduce, Reuse, Recycle |url=https://www.epa.gov/recycle |access-date=2023-03-03 |website=www.epa.gov |language=en}}</ref>
*Reduce resource usage by minimizing Green house gasses dependency and opting for more greener options like solar or wind power generation.
*Reduce pollution by reducing the usage of fossil fuels and making sure that the waste material is either processed before being dumped or is made sure that it is of least harm to the society directly.

== Features ==
An environmental management system (EMS):<ref name="ReferenceB"/>

* 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.emisoft.com/environmental-compliance-corporate-performance-can-you-have-it-all/|title=Environmental Regulatory Compliance & Corporate performance - Can You Have It All?|date=26 October 2016|website=www.emisoft.com|publisher=Emisoft}}</ref>
* 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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://info.era-environmental.com/news/bid/70641/era-environmental-introduces-direct-upload-to-tceq-s-steers|title=ERA Environmental Introduces Direct Upload to TCEQ's STEERS|last=Mali|first=Ria|access-date=2017-05-04|language=en}}</ref>

==EMS Model==
[[File:PDCA Cycle.svg|thumb|300px|right|The PDCA cycle<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bulsuk.com/2009/02/taking-first-step-with-pdca.html |title=Taking the First Step with PDCA |date=2 February 2009 |access-date=17 March 2011}}</ref>]]
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.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Kontinuierliche Verbesserung im Umweltmanagement : die KVP-Forderung der ISO 14001 in Theorie und Unternehmenspraxis|last=René|first=Gastl|date=2005|publisher=Vdf, Hochsch.-Verl. an der ETH|isbn=9783728130341|location=Zürich|oclc=181467595}}</ref>

This is a model that can be used by a wide range of organizations – from manufacturing facilities to service industries to government agencies.

==Accreditation==
Environmental Management Systems can be accredited under [[ISO 14001]].

==Other meanings==
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 [[Chemistry:Greenhouse gas|greenhouse gas]] (GHG) reporting rule, which allows for reporting [[Earth:Greenhouse gas emissions|GHG emissions]] information via the internet.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hansmiddendorp.nl/category/stedelijke-ontwikkeling/|title=Stedelijke ontwikkeling Archives - Hans Middendorp Advies|website=Hans Middendorp Advies|language=nl-NL|access-date=2018-05-23}}</ref>
*a centrally controlled and often automated network of devices (now frequently wireless using z-wave and [[Zigbee|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.<!--<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.echome.co.uk/renewable-energy-services/heating-and-lighting-controls/|title=echome.co.uk - This website is for sale! - echome Resources and Information.|website=www.echome.co.uk|language=en|access-date=2018-05-23}}</ref>-->

==See also==
* Eco-Management and Audit Scheme
* [[Social:Environmental resource management|Environmental resource management]]
* [[Engineering:Industrial ecology|Industrial ecology]]
* [[ISO 14000]]
* Life-cycle assessment

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Literature==

*Boiral, O 2007, 'Corporate Greening Through IS0 14001: A Rational Myth?', Organisation Science, vol. 18, no. 1, pp.&nbsp;127–146.
*{{cite web|author=Burden, L.|year=2010|title=How to up the EMS ante|url=http://www.environmentalmanagementsystem.com.au/iso-14001-environmental-management-systems.html}}
*Clements, R.B 1996, Complete Guide to ISO 14000, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River.
*Florida, R., & Davison, D. (2001). Gaining from green management: Environmental management systems inside and outside the factory. California Management Review, 43 (3), 64-85.
*{{cite web|author=Gastl, R|year=2009|title=CIP in Environmental Management|quote=English management summary of: Gastl, R 2009, Kontinuierliche Verbesserung im Umweltmanagement - die KVP-Forderung der ISO 14001 in Theorie und Unternehmenspraxis, 2nd Edition, vdf, Zurich-Switzerland|url=http://www.envirocip.com/downloadables/summary-of-basic-cip-concept.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110212193340/http://www.envirocip.com/downloadables/summary-of-basic-cip-concept.html|archive-date=12 February 2011}}
*{{cite journal|author1=Melnyk, Steven A. |author2=Robert P. Sroufe |author3=Roger Calantone  |name-list-style=amp |title=Assessing the Impact of Environmental Management Systems on Corporate and Environmental Performance|journal=Journal of Operations Management|volume=21|issue=3|year=2003|pages=329–51|doi=10.1016/S0272-6963(02)00109-2}}
*Sroufe, Robert. "Effects of Environmental Management Systems on Environmental Management Practices and Operations." Production and Operations Management. 12-3 (2003): 416–431.

==External links==
* [http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_14000_essentials ISO 14000 essentials]

{{Industrial ecology}}
{{Social accountability}}

[[Category:Sustainability and environmental management]]

{{Sourceattribution|Environmental management system}}