Environmental Management Systems

An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a key part of an organization’s overall management system that considers environmental issues in operational, business, marketing and other decisions. An EMS commonly includes an environmental policy, environmental aspects, objectives, targets, actions, significant aspects, environmental programmes, legal requirements, training and awareness, organizational structure, communication, emergency preparedness, operational and document control, plans for addressing non-conformities, monitoring, management reviews and auditing (Morrow & Rondinelli, 2002; Rondinelli & Vastag, 2000).  Implementing an EMS can reduce operational costs for an organization (U.S. Green Building Council, 2005).  An EMS will increase employee environmental considerations in daily activities, which often leads to increasing environmental awareness (Rondinelli & Vastag, 2000).