Management systems are based on predefined standards. In Bulgaria, the national standards body is Bulgarian Institute for Standardization. It is a public-law organisation whose membership includes all companies, organisations and institutions interested in standardisation activities. The international body in this field is International Organization for Standardization (International Organization for Standardization), of which 165 national standards bodies are members.
Striking a balance between the environment, society and the economy is essential to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Societal expectations of sustainability, transparency and responsibility are becoming part of legislation due to increasing pressures on the environment from pollution, inefficient use of resources, mismanagement of waste, climate change, ecosystem degradation and loss of biodiversity.
This has prompted organisations to adopt a systematic approach to managing environment by implementing systems that contribute to the environmental pillar of sustainability.
ISO 14001:2015 - Environmental Management System
The purpose of the standard is to provide organizations with a framework for protecting the environment and responding to changing ecosystem conditions in balance with socio-economic needs. It sets out requirements that enable the organisation to achieve the expected outcomes it has set out in its environmental management system.
A systematic approach to environmental management provides the organisation's senior management with guidance on the path to be taken to achieve long-term success and to create opportunities to contribute to sustainable development by:
- Protecting the environment by preventing or reducing adverse impacts on it
- Mitigation of potential adverse effects of environmental conditions on the organisation
- Assisting the organization in meeting compliance obligations
- Improving environmental performance
- Controlling the impact on the way in which the organisation's products and services are designed distributed, consumed and disposed of, using a life cycle concept that can prevent environmental impacts from being inadvertently shifted within the life cycle
- Achieve financial and operational benefits that can result from implementing environmentally sound alternatives that strengthen the organisation's market position
- Communicating environmental information to relevant stakeholders (customers, communities, suppliers, regulators, NGOs, investors and employees)
ISO 14001:2015, like other similar standards, is not aimed at increasing or changing the legal requirements of the organisation.
The success of the environmental management system depends on the commitment of all levels and functions of the organisation, led by senior management. The organisation can provide opportunities for prevent or mitigating adverse and enhancing beneficial environmental impacts, in particular those with strategic implications and positive impacts on enhancing competitiveness. Senior management can effectively exploit potential risks and available opportunities by integrating environmental management into the organisation's business processes, in setting its strategic directions and in its decision-making process, by benchmarking these against other business priorities and by integrating environmental management into its overall management system. Demonstrating successful application of this international standard can be used to assure stakeholders that an effective environmental management system is in place.
However, adopting ISO 14001:2015 will not in itself guarantee optimal environmental performance. Its application may vary from organisation to organisation, depending on their context. Two organisations may carry out similar activities but have different obligations to comply with environmental policy, to apply environmental technologies and to meet environmental performance targets, even though both meet the requirements of this international standard.
The level of detail and complexity of the environmental management system will vary depending on the context of the organisation, the application area of the system, its compliance obligations and the nature of the organisation's activities, products and services, including its relationship to the environment and associated environmental impacts.
The Plan - Do - Check - Act (PDCA) model forms the basis of the approach on which the environmental management system is based. This model provides an iterative process used by organisations to achieve continuous improvement. It can be applied to the environmental management system and its individual components, in brief as follows:
- Planning: establishing the environmental objectives and processes that are necessary to achieve results in accordance with the organisation's environmental policy
- Implementation: implementing the processes as planned
- Verification: monitoring and measurement of processes against environmental policy, including obligations, environmental targets, operational criteria, and reporting of results
- Action: take action for continuous improvement
Environmental Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS)
EMAS is a voluntary Environmental Management and Audit Scheme. Its aim is to promote continuous improvement in the environmental performance of organisations through the introduction and implementation of an environmental management system, the assessment of the performance of such a system, the provision of information on environmental performance, open dialogue with the public and other stakeholders, and active employee participation.
EMAS is available to any organisation operating in any sector of the economy within or outside the European Union that wishes to:
- Take environmental and economic responsibility
- To improve its environmental performance
- Communicate its environmental performance to the public and stakeholders at large
Organisations registering under EMAS must:
- Demonstrate compliance with environmental legislation
- Commit to continuously improving their environmental performance
- Show that they maintain an open dialogue with all stakeholders
- Involve employees in improving the organisation's environmental performance
- Publish and update an EMAS-certified environmental statement for public communication of information
Also, organizations should:
- Perform an environmental review (including identification of all direct and indirect environmental aspects)
- Be registered with a competent body following a successful verification of their organisation; thereafter, be entitled to use the EMAS logo
EMAS helps organisations to improve resource efficiency, reduce risks and set an example by publicising good practice. The costs of implementing the scheme are lower compared to the savings.
The main benefits of introducing EMAS are:
- Energy and resource savings
- Reducing negative environmental incidents
- Better relations with stakeholders, including public authorities
- More market opportunities
The general procedure for implementing EMAS is as follows:
- The organisation should start with an environmental review - an initial analysis of all its activities to identify relevant direct and indirect environmental aspects and applicable environmental legislation
- An environmental management system must then be put in place in accordance with the requirements of EN ISO 14001
- The system must be verified through internal audits and management review
- The organisation prepares an EMAS environmental statement
- The environmental review and environmental management system shall be verified and the declaration certified by an EMAS accredited or licensed verifier
- Once the organisation has been verified, it shall submit an application for registration to the competent authority
At this link The 2017 User Guide outlining the necessary steps to participate in EMAS under Regulation (EC) No 1221/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the voluntary participation by organisations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) can be found.
ISO 50001:2018 - Energy management system
ISO 50001:2018 is an international standard setting requirements for Energy Management Systems. It lays the foundation for managing energy use in any organisation.
The standard is applicable to all types of organisations, regardless of their size or sector. ISO 50001:2018 is based on an analysis of energy consumption, a review of the organisation's energy policy, and the establishment of an energy management framework and programme to contribute to more efficient energy use.
ISO 50001:2018 specifies the specific requirements applicable to energy use and consumption, including measurement, documentation and reporting, planning and purchasing of equipment, human resources, etc. that contribute to improving the energy performance of the organisation. Determining the energy profile of the organisation as well as examining the amount of energy consumed in the past, current and future energy consumption and developing an energy monitoring plan helps to improve energy management. This sets overall and specific energy targets and creates more efficient energy use patterns, which saves the organisation money.
The implementation of an energy management system according to ISO 50001:2018 is compatible and can be integrated with many other management systems, for example quality management systems according to ISO 9001, occupational health and safety management systems according to BS OHSAS 18001 or ISO 45001, environmental management systems according to ISO 14001 or food safety management systems according to ISO 22000. Such integration of management systems can provide a more efficient business infrastructure and higher competitiveness.
The benefits of implementing an ISO 50001:2018 energy management system for any organisation are as follows:
- Saving energy costs
- Increased energy efficiency awareness, active employee participation and engagement
- Reducing energy costs by making decisions based on consumption data
- Reducing the impact on the environment and limiting emissions of greenhouse and other gases
- Managing resources more efficiently and transparently and gaining a competitive advantage
- Improving corporate reputation
