EMAS

The EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a management tool for companies and other organisations to evaluate, report and improve their environmental performance. As with ISO 14001, EMAS does not target specific environmental goals concerning timber performance or forest management but is a company-based system that determines how the management of an organisation regulates its environmental performance. EMAS should not be compared with forest certification schemes such as FSC or PEFC, which are product-based systems.

The scheme requires an organisation to have an Environmental Policy, fully supported by senior management, and outlining the policies of the company, not only to the staff but also to the general public and other stakeholders. The policy needs to clarify compliance with Environmental Regulations that may effect the organisation and stress a commitment to continuous improvement.

Its aim is to recognise and reward those organisations that go beyond minimum legal compliance and continuously improve their environmental performance. In addition, it is a requirement of the scheme that participating organisations regularly produce a public environmental statement that reports on their environmental performance. It is this voluntary publication of environmental information, whose accuracy and reliability has been independently checked by an environmental verifier, that gives EMAS and those organisations that participate enhanced credibility and recognition.

Participation is voluntary and extends to public or private organisations operating in the European Union and the European Economic Area (EEA) — Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. An increasing number of candidate countries are also implementing the scheme in preparation for their accession to the EU.

EMAS was strengthened by the integration of ISO 14001 as the Environmental Management System required by EMAS; by adopting an EMAS logo to signal EMAS registration to the outside world; and by considering more strongly indirect effects such as those related to financial services or administrative and planning decisions. Many organisations progress from ISO 14001 to EMAS and maintain certification/ registration to both.

To receive EMAS registration an organisation must comply with an environmental review, EMS, and an audit procedure. The environmental statement must be approved by an accredited EMAS verifier and sent to the EMAS Competent Body for registration. It requires quantifiable data on current environmental effects emanating from the site, waste generated, raw materials utilised, energy and water resources consumed, and any other environmental aspect that may relate to operations on the site. And it must be made publicly available before an organisation can use the EMAS logo.

EMAS UK
EMAS EC