Solutions-IMS

Environmental management
Step by step

We all have a major role to play in helping protect and enhance the environment, in line with wider goals of sustainable development.

The way in which your business manages its interaction with the environment is coming under closer scrutiny - there is an increasing spiral of new legislation. However, increasingly companies are recognising that the environment is a management issue and not just a matter of compliance.

When evaluating your environmental system, make sure that emphasis is placed on the following: an environmental policy and impact review, clear and measurable targets and objectives, and mechanisms for improvement.

An effective policy does not have to be complicated. It is simply a realistic statement about what you are doing and how you are doing it. An environmental impact review will allow you to assess your company's baseline.

Based on your environmental impact review, you will also be able to make short-term targets and longer-term objectives to ensure that the policy is followed by all employees. Targets can be straightforward, for example 'to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by x% each year', but in all cases you should ensure that targets and objectives are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound).

Remember that small investments can reap large rewards and that environmentally friendly practices can save money while resulting in happier customers and of course a healthier ecology.