Sustainable development
Environmental Management Systems
An environmental management system (EMS) is similar to other management systems, such as those that manage quality or safety. It assesses your business's strengths and weaknesses, helps you identify and manage significant impacts, saves you money by increasing efficiency, ensures you comply with environmental legislation and provides benchmarks for improvements.
Calderdale Council has adopted an EMS within its services and operations. It provides assurances in meeting our legal and other obligations as well as ensuring that we work to prevent pollution and delivers continuous environmental improvements. For more details see the Council's Environmental Policy and Calderdale's Environmental Management System.
An EMS can help your business manage its resources, and improves the reliability and credibility of its environmental policy. You can prove to customers that you are committed to meeting your environmental responsibilities by getting your EMS certified, such as through ISO 14001, BS 8555 or the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme.
For more information on creating an EMS within your organisation, in the first instance contact Business Link|
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There are numerous accreditation schemes for Environmental Management Systems, which if pursued can help your organisation to monitor and improve its environmental performance and comply with relevant legislation. The following web sites provide more information about these schemes:
- Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment|
The Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) is a not-for-profit organisation established to promote best practice standards in environmental management, auditing and assessment. - Eco Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS)|
EMAS is a voluntary scheme for industry introduced by the European Commission (EC) in 1993. Its aim is to promote on-going improvements in the environmental performance of companies and the provision of environmental information to the public.
A toolkit for smaller businesses is also available: Eco Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) Toolkit for Small Organisations |. - BSI Global|
The National Standards Body of the UK, British Standards is among the world’s leading providers of standards and standards products. Provides detailed information on ISO 14001, the international accreditation scheme for environmental management systems. - ISO/TC207|
The International Organisation for Standardisation formed Technical Committee 207 on Environmental Management in 1993. The scope of the committee is: 'standardization in the field of environmental management tools and systems,' based on the philosophy that improving management practices is the best way to improve the environmental performance of organizations and their products. Frequently asked questions on ISO 14001. - Envirowise|
Envirowise is a government-funded programme offering free, independent advice on practical ways to minimise waste and increase profit. Envirowise helps companies in the UK become more competitive, whilst improving their environmental performance, by reducing waste at source.
