Q: 'We already have ISO 9001 in our organisation, how do we make sure we are not causing confusion and duplicating actions when we implement EMAS?'

A: It makes good management sense to integrate your systems as much as possible. There are many procedures required by both quality and environmental standards such as training and communication. A first step is to look at what procedures you already have in place and see where you can add in the environmental dimension so that you do not end up with a lot of duplicate procedures.

Q: 'Our senior managers are committed to EMAS and so are the lead officers, how do we get all staff interested and supportive of EMAS?'

A: Staff involvement is a key element to the success of EMAS. Involving staff in the review process and development of procedures for their own work activity areas are good ways of ensuring ownership throughout the organisation. It is likely that during the verification process the verifier will ask random members of staff about their awareness and understanding of the system.

Q: 'What is the difference between an 'environmental aspect 'and an 'environmental effect?''

A: Having identified the key activities of an organisation this must be broken down into the key elements that need to be managed. To do this the different aspects need to be drawn out. These are the individual parts within the activity area that interact with the environment and lead to change; it is then possible to identify the Environmental Effect which is the change that takes place eg. Water pollution, resource use as a result of that particular aspect of the activity. See the NEST* manual for further information and support.

Q: 'How can I make the significance test simpler so that staff does not spend a long time on this stage of EMAS development?'

A: As long as there is evidence that a consistent significance assessment has been carried out in order to filter the aspects with the greatest environmental effects the methodology used can be very simple. NEST* has identified 3 simple questions which cover legal compliance, stakeholder concern and ………. See the NEST* manual and spreadsheet for further details and assistance.

Q: ‘How can we keep to date with environmental legislation?’

A: There are different options depending on the size and nature of your organisation. If you have a legal section it is possible to ask them to provide a 6 monthly update. Alternatively it is possible to subscribe to an email notification service or link with a consultancy service who can do this for you.. Working through a group of local authorities in an EMAS network it is possible to share the task and any costs. It is important to remember that you need to update your legal register about every 6 months. You also need to ensure you consider and record how the legislation applies to your organisation and that the relevant departments or individuals are kept up to date.

Q: ‘What is the best way to raise environmental awareness in our organisation?’

A: An ongoing awareness campaign can be very successful. Providing themed materials on a 2 monthly basis for display in offices and shared areas, briefing notes for discussion at team meetings and running small competitions and events are good ways of maintaining a high profile of environmental issues. In larger organisations it is possible to identify environmental link officers who ‘cascade’ information throughout the department. Items in staff newsletters and environmental adverts on pay slips are other easy ways to make sure your message is seen.

Q: ‘How often should we do internal environmental audits?’

A: It depends on the size of your organisation and the severity of the impacts. It is recommended to develop an audit plan based on risk. Look at the departments in your council and the severity of their environmental impacts also considering the amount of environmental legislation applicable. For high impact services it is recommended to audit them at least once a year.