Environmental Management System (EMS) Basics
Today it's more important than ever to the success of organization that they help maintain a balance between socio-economic needs and the environment. The challenge in meeting this goal can best be met by establishing an effective Environmental Management System or "EMS".
An effective EMS helps a company achieve its environmental goals through consistent control of its operations through the entire life cycle of its products or services. The assumption is this increased control will improve the environmental performance of the company. The EMS itself does not dictate a level of environmental performance that must be achieved; each company's EMS is tailored to the nature of the company's business and goals.
Purpose and Scope
An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a set of systematic processes and practices that enable an organization to reduce its environmental impacts and increase its operating efficiency. The scope of the EMS will depend largely upon the context of operations: its size, activities, and the nature of its products and services.
Compliance Obligations
An EMS helps a company address its environmental compliance obligations in a systematic and cost-effective manner. This proactive approach can help reduce the risk of non-compliance and improve health and safety practices for employees and the public.
The EMS concept represents a fundamental change from the traditional reactive, compliance- based environmental management programs to a proactive, impact-predicting management system focused on the corporate mission and embedded in everyday business processes and activities.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
1-1. A/An _____ is a set of systematic processes and practices that enable an organization to reduce its environmental impacts and increase its operating efficiency.
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