Eco-Management and Audit Scheme EMAS

The Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a is a voluntary management instrument developed by the European Commission (EU) for organisations to evaluate, report, and improve on their environmental performance and to communicate environmental achievements.

The EMAS Regulation was first introduced by the European Commission in July 1993 as an environmental tool intended to promote the move towards sustainable development. The EMAS scheme was first opened for voluntary participation by industrial sites in April 1995, and it was extended to all sectors in 2001. EMAS is now available worldwide through the EMAS Global mechanism.

The key elements of EMAS are:

• Performance: Evaluating and reducing environmental impact, and continuously improving environmental performance.
• Credibility: Through the EMAS registration process.
• Transparency: Providing publicly available information about environmental performance through an environmental statement.

To achieve EMAS registration an organisation must:

• Conduct an environmental review.
• Adopt an environmental policy.
• Develop an environmental programme setting specific environmental objectives and targets.
• Establish an environmental management system to deliver the environmental policy, setting out; responsibilities, strategies, procedures, training requirements, monitoring and communication systems.
• Carry out an environmental audit of conformity with the environmental policy and programme and compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Provide an environmental statement of performance.
• Receive approval by an accredited environmental verifier.

Registered organisations can use the EMAS logo on letterheads, in adverts and so on.

EMAS registration is claimed to deliver:

• Increased efficiency savings.
• Reduced negative incidents.
• Improved stakeholder relationships.

Ref Step up to EMAS": Study on Guidelines for Transition from Non-Formal EMS and ISO 14001 to EMAS, 2009.

ISO 14001 can provide a route to EMAS registration, and is an integral part of EMAS. However, EMAS considers additional elements of environmental performance.

EMAS Easy has been developed specifically for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

• Biodiversity offsetting.
• BREEAM Ecological value of site.
• BREEAM Enhancing site ecology.
• BREEAM Protection of ecological features.
• BREEAM Minimising impact on existing site ecology.
• Ecological impact assessment.
• Ecological survey.
• Ecologist.
• Ecology.
• Environmental policy.
• Environmental plan.
• Habitat Suitability Index.
• Preliminary ecological appraisal.
• Protected species.
• Tree preservation order.

[edit] External references

• European Commission, EMAS.