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Environmental Management Systems
This section focuses on promoting and supporting the use of EMSs to help a facility, organization, or government improve its environmental performance.Innovative Programs and Policies
Tools and Guidelines
Databases and Case Studies
Newsletters, Publication Collections and Reports of Interest
International Organization and Government Web sites
An EMS is a continual cycle of planning, implementing, reviewing and improving the processes and actions that an organization undertakes to meet its business and environmental goals. EPA supports and promotes the development and use of EMSs, including those based on the ISO 14001 standard (the international standard for EMSs), that help an organization achieve its environmental obligations and broaden environmental performance goals.
On April 12, 2004, EPA released a new Strategy for Determining the Role of Environmental Management Systems (EMSs) in Regulatory Programs (EMS Strategy). The EMS Strategy encourages thoughtful, carefully designed EMS experimentation to determine whether EPA and our State partners can achieve better environmental results at less cost, improve compliance, use our resources more effectively, and enhance public involvement by considering EMSs in regulatory programs. The EMS Strategy responds to increasing stakeholder interest in EMS use in permits and rules and explains the issues and considerations of interest to EPA as the Agency explores whether and how EMSs can play a role in our regulatory programs.
For more information on this strategy and EPA's EMS policies. EPA's Web site also provides links to a number of EPA programs involving EMS.
The European Union's REMAS 
is a 3-year project designed to examine environmental management systems (EMS) currently in place in business and industry across EU Member States. REMAS aims to demonstrate that companies and organizations that implement EMS show better environmental performance overall. Over the next three years, REMAS will collate data from sites throughout Europe with the aim of documenting the evidence to link the presence of an EMS to environmental performance.
EPA's new EMS Strategy and the EU's REMAS project show an increasing interest in the use of EMSs in the United States and abroad. This common interest presents a perfect opportunity for international learning and sharing.
Innovative Programs and Policies
European Commission's LIFE-Environment Initiative
Launched in 1992, LIFE cofinances environmental initiatives in the European Union and bordering countries. LIFE-Environment contributes to the development of innovative techniques and methods by cofinancing demonstration projects in a number of areas, including the reduction of environmental impact of economic activities and products through an integrated product policy. This Web site provides information on LIFE projects and hosts a database of over 1,000 state, municipal, and local level projects funded through this program, including case study reports of particular success stories.
European Union's Eco-Management and Audit Scheme
The EU's Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a voluntary registration scheme for organizations willing to commit themselves to evaluate and improve their environmental performance with an effective EMS in place. This Web site provides information on EMAS activities and links to other relevant documents.
European Union's Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive
Through the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control ( IPPC) Directive of 1996, the EU has a set of common rules on permitting for industrial installations. To minimize pollution from point sources throughout the European Union, all installations covered by Annex I of the Directive are required to obtain an authorization (permit) from the authorities in the EU countries. This Web site links to the directive and other relevant papers.
European Union's REMAS Project
REMAS is a 3-year project designed to examine EMSs currently in place in business and industry across EU Member States. REMAS aims to demonstrate that companies and organizations that implement EMS show better environmental performance overall. REMAS's Web site provides information on REMAS activities and links to reports and news sources.
Higher Education Environmental Performance Improvement Project (United Kingdom)
The Higher Education Environmental Performance Improvement (HEEPI) is a project funded under the Good Management Practice initiative of the Higher Education Funding Council in the United Kingdom. It aims to improve the environmental performance by stimulating environmental benchmarking within higher education . This Web site provides information on HEEPI's events and a small collection of EMS case studies.
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Tools and Guidelines
Australian EMS in Agricultural ResourcesThis New South Wales, Australia Web site offers resources on environmental management systems for agriculture and their development.
Canada's EMS Info Web site
The Canadian federal government departments and agencies are required to develop management measures needed to support their sustainable development objectives. The EMS Info page provides information on EMSs to employees of the Government of Canada, and to EMS practitioners around the world. Euro-EMAS Interactive
The tools on this Web site are designed to help environmental coordinators with the step by step implementation of the European Union's EMAS. They cover the policy, review, programme, management system and statement stages of EMAS.
European Environment Agency's EnviroWindows
The EnviroWindows Web site is the European Environment Agency's information "marketplace" for businesses, local authorities and their stakeholders. It facilitates consumer access to information on EMS related products and best practices.
International Network for Environmental Management's Environmental Management Tool Kit
The International Network for Environmental Management (INEM), a non-profit organization, is the world federation of non-profit environmental management associations and cleaner production centers. The Environmental Management Tool Kit offers downloadable tools to help companies improve environmental performance.
The International Environmental Technology Center (IETC) promotes the use of technology in UN nations to address urban environment problems. UNEP has been working with its partners to provide guidance documents on the application of EMS in all countries. This Web site offers training and resources for developing EMS programs.
Databases and Case Studies
European Commission's LIFE-Environment Database
Launched in 1992, LIFE cofinances environmental initiatives in the European Union and bordering countries. LIFE-Environment contributes to the development of innovative techniques and methods by cofinancing demonstration projects in a number of areas, including the reduction of environmental impact of economic activities and products through an integrated product policy. This Web site hosts a database of projects, including 14 for EMS, funded through this program, including case study reports of particular success stories.
European Union's Eco-Management and Audit Scheme Conference
The EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a management tool for EU companies and organizations to evaluate, report and improve their environmental performance with an effective EMS in place. A number of interesting case studies and discussions, linked here, came out of the June 2002 European EMAS Conference on the challenges and benefits of EMAS.
Higher Education Environmental Performance Improvement Project Case Studies (United Kingdom)
The Higher Education Environmental Performance Improvement (HEEPI) is a project funded under the Good Management Practice initiative of the Higher Education Funding Council in the United Kingdom. It aims to improve the environmental performance by stimulating environmental benchmarking within higher education. This Web site offers several EMS case studies at higher education institutions.
The International Network for Environmental Management (INEM), a non-profit organization, is a world federation of non-profit environmental management associations and cleaner production centers. INEM's Web site offers a number of interesting case studies on environmental management. Compilations of case studies are also available for purchase.
Newsletters, Publication Collections and Reports of Interest
Newsletters
Agricultural EMSs in AustraliaThe Australian government sees the development of EMSs in agriculture as an important contributor to sustainability and to future trading and marketing processes. The Australian government produces a newsletter on EMS in agriculture.
Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges Newsletter (United Kingdom)
The Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC) quarterly Newsletter reflects the activities of EAUC and provides discussions on environmental issues that impact the higher education sector.
European Union's REMAS Newsletter
REMAS is a 3-year project designed to examine environmental management systems (EMS) currently in place in business and industry across EU Member States. The REMAS Web site offers a newsletter and links to other relevant news.
Publication Collections
Australia's Environmental Management Systems in AgricultureThe Australian government sees the development of EMSs in agriculture as an important contributor to sustainability and to future trading and marketing processes. This Australian Web site provides links to research reports and information on EMS workshops and conferences. International Network for Environmental Management Publications
The International Network for Environmental Management (INEM), a non-profit organization, is a world federation of non-profit environmental management associations and cleaner production centers. INEM's Web site offers a number of publications for purchase, including compilations of case studies on environmental management.
Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment Publications Shop
The Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) is a not-for-profit organization established to promote best practice standards in environmental management, auditing and assessment. IEMA's publications shop offers subscriptions or individual purchase of IEMA's publications Environmental Assessment (EA) Outlook , Perspectives , Practitioner and The Environmentalist in addition to links to other environmental publications.
European Union's REMAS Publications
REMAS is a 3-year project designed to examine environmental management systems (EMS) currently in place in business and industry across EU Member States. The REMAS Web site offers links to publications and reports on EMS and environmental performance .
United Nations International Environmental Technology Center Publications
The International Environmental Technology Center (IETC) promotes the use of technology in UN nations to address urban environment problems. IETC publishes reports on environmental management and other environmental issues.
Reports of Interest
Connecting EMS to Permitting, Inspection and Enforcement Workshop Materials ( European Union)
Exploring New Approaches in Regulating Industrial Installations (ENAP) aims to foster a European debate on a number of promising innovations to reach solutions for persistent environmental problems. In June 2003, ENAP held a conference on Connecting EMS to Permitting, Inspection and Enforcement. The following documents pertain to this workshop:
- Background Report includes the specific comments received following the workshop.
- Summary of Workshop
- Documents used during the workshop
Measuring Environmental Performance of Industry (United Kingdom, 2001)
This Web site presents the main results of the Measuring Environmental Performance of Industry (MEPI) project coordinated by Science and Technology Policy Research (SPRU) at the University of Sussex, UK.
International Organizations and Government Web sites
Australian Government's EMS in Agriculture InitiativeThe Australian government sees the development of EMSs in agriculture as an important contributor to sustainability and to future trading and marketing processes. This Web site covers the Australian government's development of EMSs for agriculture. It includes a newsletter, research reports, and workshop proceedings.
Canada's EMS Info Web site
The Canadian federal government departments and agencies are required to develop management measures needed to support their sustainable development objectives. EMS Info is a page dedicated to providing information on EMSs to employees of the Government of Canada, and to EMS practitioners around the world.
Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (United Kingdom)
The UK's Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC) has around 200 institutional members in the Further and Higher Education sector. The EAUC aims to ensure that its members have access to important information relating to environmental legislation, technologies, best practice and research to enable each university and college to improve its environmental performance. This Web site offers a quarterly newsletter and information on EAUC's conferences and current activities.
European Commission's LIFE-Environment Initiative
Launched in 1992, LIFE cofinances environmental initiatives in the European Union and bordering countries. LIFE-Environment contributes to the development of innovative techniques and methods by cofinancing demonstration projects in a number of areas, including the reduction of environmental impact of economic activities and products through an integrated product policy. This Web site provides information on LIFE projects and hosts a database of over 1,000 state, municipal, and local level projects funded through this program, including case study reports of particular success stories.
Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment
The Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) is a not-for-profit organization established to promote best practice standards in environmental management, auditing and assessment. With over 8,000 individual and corporate members, the IEMA is dedicated to the promotion of sustainable development, and to the professional development of individuals involved in the environmental profession, whether they are in the public, private or non-governmental sectors. This Web site offers subscription to IEMA's news source, IEMA publications and information on training in EMS.
International Network for Environmental Management
The International Network for Environmental Management (INEM), a non-profit organization, is the world federation of non-profit environmental management associations and cleaner production centers. INEM's goals are to minimize the environmental impacts of industrial operations, and to help business and industry reconcile the imperatives of development and the environment. This Web site offers case studies, publications and the Environmental Management Tool Kit to aid in environmental performance.
United Nations Environment Programme's Division of Technology, Industry and Economics
The mission of the United Nations Environment Programme's Division of Technology, Industry and Economics (UNEP DTIE) is to encourage decision-makers in government, local authorities and industry to develop and adopt policies, strategies and practices that are cleaner and safer, make efficient use of natural resources, ensure environmentally sound management of chemicals, and reduce pollution and risks for humans and the environment. The Production and Consumption Branch has been working with its partners to provide guidance documents on the application of EMS in all countries. This Web site provides information on DTIE activities and links to its publications.