Your Green Review

Part two of YGR’s EMS Guide covers the last half of implementing an Environmental Management System.  As with Part 1, each strategy should be based on your company’s unique needs, environmental impact, budget and so on.

At the bottom of the page you will find an EMS Manual Template and blank worksheets from the EPA for each of the following categories.  Additional resources can be found on the EPA’s website and throughout YGR’s EMS Guide.

STEP 2: DO, CHECK, ACT

Prioritize Environmental ‘Hot Spots’:

• Consider your Environmental Policy and make sure that tasks align with your company’s overall environmental goals.
• Create a ranking system to prioritize tasks based on environmental impact, potential improvements, budget, regulatory compliance and consumer/internal feedback (you are, of course, free to add your own criteria).
• Select a manageable number of tasks. Taking on too many at once could hinder the quality of your EMS and undermine staff morale. You can always add more following an initial review.

Set Targets/Goals:

• Targets should be clear, measurable, verifiable and include target dates. For example: “Reduce total energy use by 20% within 5 years” or “Implement a recycling program within 5 months”.
• Goals can be organization-wide or specific to facilities, units or processes.
• RESOURCES:
  • PEER Center’s Setting Objectives and Targets Module: http://www.peercenter.net/about/do.cfm?PageID=1110
    

Define Roles:

• Internal: Identify individuals responsible for meeting your targets
• Clearly define individual roles/responsibilities and create a system of accountability
• Determine if training or additional resources are needed per task.
• (PEER Center’s EMS Training Module: http://www.peercenter.net/about/do.cfm?PageID=1405)
• External: Determine if external assistance is needed.
• RESOURCES:
  • Energy Star’s Service and Product Provider Directory: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=SPP_DIRECTORY.)

Create/Implement Environmental Action Plans:

• Create a simple action plan for each target. This can include: Statement of Environmental Issue (eg solid waste stream), Objective (eg. Implement recycling program), Target (eg, recycle 100% paper, plastic and glass within 6 months), Performance Indicators (eg amount of paper, plastic and glass recycled/thrown in trash), Plan of Action (eg place recycling bins at every desk and communicate objective/target to all staff), Who is Responsible (eg. Bob, Leed Recycler), Resources required (eg, recycling bins, budget for recycling pickup) and Schedule for Review (eg. In 6 moths).
• Communicate action plans to staff and create incentives that encourage involvement and continuous improvement.
• Track, update and store all forms relevant to action plan progress.
• RESOURCES:
  • PEER Center’s Employee Communication Module: http://www.peercenter.net/about/do.cfm?PageID=1116

Checking and Corrective Action:

• In order to track progress, an ongoing program for detecting and correcting non-compliance with EMS and legal requirements is needed.
• Review and measure progress of your company’s Action Plans based on performance indicators.
• Periodic audits of your program should be conducted to assess facility performance.
• RESOURCES:
  • EMS audit checklist: http://www.deq.utah.gov/cleanutah/docs/EMSworksheet.pdf

Management Reviews:

• This final element reviews overall performance based on audits, EMS documents, staff feedback and adherence to legal regulations.  (
• Re-evaluates the system and identifies weak spots, strengths and changes needed based on findings of review (eg, does the Environmental Policy need to be reworked, and add or eliminate tasks based on value and success of action plans).
• Communicate findings internally to staff/employees
• RESOURCES:
  • Sample management review: http://www.resourcesaver.com/file/toolmanager/O73F84.pdf)
  • PEER Center’s Management Review guide: http://www.peercenter.net/about/checkact.cfm?PageID=1123

For the EPA’s EMS Company Manual Template visit: http://www.epa.gov/dfe/pubs/iems/iems_template/template.pdf

For a full list of blank EMS worksheets visit: http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/dfe/pubs/iems/iems_guide/apph.pdf