| There is a wide variety of concepts that are | | | | and they can easily miss things and even place |
| understood by some as environmental management | | | | themselves at risk of legal implications in areas that |
| systems or EMS and this varies in different industries. | | | | are not typical and so not covered by the so called |
| The concept has evolved over time. Essentially the | | | | system.. |
| name says it all - a system for managing actual and | | | | An effective management system needs individual |
| potential environmental problems. | | | | businesses to identify and understand what their |
| While people are wanting to have a green business | | | | environmental risks are or may be. They require |
| what they achieve is not always about environmental | | | | management of these risks and a real feedback and |
| sustainability, reduced carbon footprint and good | | | | continual improvement system. This can be enhanced |
| energy management within a practical environmental | | | | with auditing by qualified independent auditors, |
| management system. | | | | whether internal or external; although the greatest |
| Many industry groups have developed industry wide | | | | benefit does come from employing and independent |
| simplistic programs that they call EMS that actually | | | | external auditing body such as a certification body. |
| miss the S for system and some really only have a | | | | Some environmental management systems and |
| checklist approach that is based on an "average" or | | | | particularly some of the early ISO 14001 systems |
| "typical" business in that industry. So effectively they | | | | that were based on outdated engineering and military |
| also miss much of the environment. Many do not | | | | approaches to ISO systems are overly paper heavy |
| really involve any management either. Some are very | | | | and full of jargon resulting in something that is |
| superficial in the way that they select the | | | | probably unsuitable for small business and farms. |
| environmental aspects they manage because they | | | | These systems have given ISO 140001 a bad name |
| have been drawn up to be generic and cut out the | | | | in some circles. |
| need for the business owner to stop and think. In | | | | Unfortunately many consultants have come from an |
| this case it is difficult to understand how any process | | | | old style quality management background without |
| of continual improvement can result. | | | | any real understanding of or training in the |
| Some of these programs are as simple as a checklist, | | | | environment. They merely do a three day seminar |
| or what many involved call a "tick and flick" exercise. | | | | and a minimal assessment with a large auditing body. |
| These are barely even educational for the business | | | | Then they audit with a rigid paper based approach |
| owner and have no ongoing benefits like reduction of | | | | and do a serious disservice to both their clients and |
| costs or legal protection. | | | | to the auditing industry. |
| The problem even with the programs where the | | | | Small to medium businesses benefit from a simpler |
| business owners and/or managers spend a lot of | | | | approach based on a real understanding of the issues |
| time filling in forms and doing communication with | | | | involved and a genuine understanding of risks. Such |
| neighbours, remains the lack of real understanding of | | | | systems are based on ISO 14001 and have a real |
| how to identify and why they need to manage the | | | | emphasis on keeping things simple and minimising |
| varied environmental risks in their individual businesses | | | | paperwork. |