Enviromental Management System

Federal customer agencies can count on GSA to provide first class workplaces at good economies to the American taxpayer, while ensuring environmental stewardship that is compliant with current federal laws, policies, and state and local regulations. The purpose of this website is to inform our clients, federal agencies and interested organizations on how GSA accomplishes the twin goals of environmental stewardship and compliance.

Executive Order 13423, Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management, requires Federal agencies to “use … an EMS as the primary management approach” for environmental management. GSA NCR implemented a regional Environmental Management System (EMS) in November 2006.

We encourage anyone interested in learning more about GSA's EMS to view the following pages and associated resources, or to contact NCR’s EMS Coordinator at EMS.NCR@gsa.gov.

What is an EMS?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defines an Environmental Management System as: “a set of processes and practices that enable an organization to reduce its environmental impacts and increase its operating efficiency.”

NCR's EMS is a program to synchronize efforts for meeting our clients' environmental (including energy and transportation), health and safety goals.

Goals and Benefits of using an EMS approach

Shifts environmental management from reactive to proactive which:

• Improves communication with internal and external stakeholders
• Commits to continuously improving environmental management
• Increases awareness of each employee’s role in environmental management
• Provides tools and resources to go green! (even simple things such as reminders to turn off lights when leaving a room can make a positive impact, and reduce our energy consumption)

Environmental Program Areas - Significant Aspects

To create the benefits of an EMS approach, agencies manages the root cause of potential risks, not their effects. These root causes are called aspects. An aspect is “risk,” “cause,” or the possibility that an environmental interaction (positive or negative) may occur. If an aspect poses a large risk, it is considered a significant aspect. Not all aspects need to be managed. Though, all significant aspects must be managed. In order to manage significant aspects, an agency develops Environmental Management Programs.

Examples:

Positive - Solid waste is an aspect. If solid waste (paper, bottles, cans, etc.) are recycled there will be a positive result. NCR's recycling program focuses on this positive aspect.

Negative - Hazardous waste is an aspect. It could have a negative impact on the environment if it was improperly managed, i.e. a spill. NCR has a program in place that focuses on reducing the risk of hazardous waste.

Environmental Management Programs and additional areas of focus in the National Capital Region

The shortcut for this page is www.gsa.gov/ncrems.