The following information provides the governing federal policies that led to the creation of GSA Rocky Mountain Region's Environmental Management System (EMS) and to GSA’s commitment to its stewardship of the environment for future generations.

The EMS was created with the goal of creating a set of processes and practices that would enable organizations to reduce their impacts on the environment and increase their operating efficiency.

Resources

• Executive Order (EO) 13423: Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transporation Management.
  
  This EO consolidates EOs 13101, 13123, 13134, 13148 and 13149 into a more cohesive approach to environmental and energy management and adopts two memorandums of understanding—one on high performance buildings and another on electronics stewardship.
• Executive Order (EO) 13148: Greening the Government Through Leadership in Environmental Management 21 Apr 2000.
  
  EO 13148 initiated the EMS implementation process across all Federal Agencies. Though this EO has been revoked by EO 13423, the original EO provides detail that may provide insight and guidance to the EMS process.
• FedCenter Environmental Management Systems (EMS): The EMS Program Area includes the latest guidance, examples, and resources for the development and implementation of processes and practices that enable an organization to reduce its environmental impacts and increase its operating efficiency.
• FedCenter Sustainability: The Sustainability Program Area includes the latest guidance, examples, and information resources to aid Federal facilities in developing and maintaining sustainable facilities and helping to develop and promote sustainable practices within their environmental programs or activities.
• International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14000 Standards (nongovernment website) - Developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the 14000 series is primarily concerned with environmental management. The ISO standards must be purchased and so are not replicated here. The family of relevant ISO standards includes:
  • ISO 14001, Environmental management systems -- Requirements with guidance for use, 2004
  • ISO 14004, Environmental management systems -- General guidelines on principles, systems and support techniques, 2004
  • ISO 14015, Environmental management -- Environmental assessment of sites and organizations (EASO), 2001
  • ISO 14031, Environmental management -- Environmental performance evaluation – Guidelines, 1999
  • ISO 14032, Environmental management -- Examples of environmental performance evaluation (EPE), 1999
  • ISO 19011, Guidelines for quality and/or environmental management systems auditing, 2002.