Frequently asked questions

 Why Develop an Environmental Management System (EMS)?
What are the benefits of implementing an EMS?
What is ISO14001: 2004?
Do I need to have my EMS certified to ISO14001?
What is Eco Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS)?
What is BS8555? 

Why Develop an EMS?

It is good for business
All types of organisations-large, small, domestic and international are adopting EMS, certified to a standard or freestanding. EMS is a structured way to help prevent pollution and reduce costs to run the company. A presence of an EMS is also becoming a requirement for many stakeholders (large customers, consumers, industry bodies, etc). Stakeholders want proof that companies are helping to protect the environment, and an EMS is a good way to demonstrate this.

One may argue that legislation is in place to help prevent pollution, so why add an extra burden of an EMS? While the EMS does ensure legislative compliance, legislation takes a reactive ‘end of pipe’ or ‘command and control’ approach, in particular after companies have already experienced an environmental incident and are fined thousands, sometimes millions, of pounds.
An EMS is largely a preventative measure to help companies avoid environmental incidents. This is achieved by having legislative updates written into the EMS.

It is good for the environment
An EMS does help prevent pollution that an organisation as a unit produces, but an EMS can also help widen the organisations’ scope on how it affects the environment. Supply chains from buying the raw materials to the end of life of the product when a consumer has purchased it can all be under a scope of the EMS. This wider scope sets off a chain reaction, in which suppliers must increase their environmental performance, then their suppliers and so on.

Overall, the benefits of an EMS outweigh the costs of implementing an EMS.
Companies cannot afford NOT to implement an EMS.

What are the benefits of implementing an EMS?

Organisations of all sizes and sectors are able to implement and reap the many benefits of implementing an EMS. Some examples of the many benefits include:
• Ensured compliance with environmental legislation with an EMS
• Increased environmental performance
• Increased overall efficiency in the organisation
• Increased competitive force
• Improved working environment
• Reduction of costs as a result of implementing an EMS
• Increased employee awareness of environmental impacts
• Organisation gained a positive public image

In one study conducted by our consultants, approximately 90% of the companies expressed that the benefits of implementing an EMS outweigh the costs of implementing it.

Besides the benefits above, implementing an EMS is a way to prevent non-compliance and to prevent environmental incidents. Most organisations can implement an EMS in the range of £10,000 and less! It makes good business and environmental sense for companies to implement an EMS, no matter how simple or how complex.

If you have any more questions regarding EMS please contact us.

What is ISO14001?

ISO14001: 2004 is an internationally recognised standard detailing the requirement for a certifiable environmental management system.

This standard is recognised as a British Standards, European Standard and and International Standard. The standard involves the development of an EMS within a continuing cycle of planning, controlling, measuring, and improving activities of an organsiation in order to control its environmental impact and meet environmental goals. Continual improvement of the EMS will support continuing improvement of the organisation's environmental performance.


Do I need to have my EMS certified to ISO14001?

Many different organsiation have implemented an EMS based on the requirements of ISO14001. However not all of these organisations have their EMS certified by an awarding body; they 'self-declare' their system to be built to the standards of ISO14001. Each company is different in their needs, and some companies may/ may not experience benefits from certification.


What is the Eco Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS)?

The Eco Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a voluntary scheme that identifies, and rewards those organisations that strive beyond minimum compliance and improving environmental performance is on ongoing matter and priority. ISO14001 is often the precursor for this scheme. EMAS also requires an environmental statement giving information on the organisation's performance--which is then checked by an independent auditor. The Environmental Statement is one of the key aspects of EMAS that makes it more involved than ISO14001.

What is BS8555 ?

British Standard (BS)8555 is a phased approach to build an EMS to the requirements of ISO14001. BS8555 is separated into six phases:

  • Phase 1-Commitment and establishing the baseline
  • Phase 2- Identifying and ensuring compliance with legal and other requirements
  • Phase 3 -Developing objectives, targets and programmes
  • Phase 4 -Implementation and operation of the environmental management system
  • Phase 5-Checking, Audit Review
  • Phase 6-Environmental Management System acknowledgement.
Each phase contains a series of steps, and when each phase is completed a certificate is awarded.This approach provides a 'stepped approach' to achieve an EMS with ISO14001 standards. This approach can be a useful approach for:
  • Companies who do not build their EMS all at one time. The certificate at each phase helps keep momentum, and not lose where the company is in building the process.












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