Implementation of EMAS
Development of the environmental plan
The environmental plan is a very important step in the implementation of the EMAS environmental management system. At this stage, the organisation's environmental objectives and tasks are defined and measures are designed to help improve environmental performance and implement the principles of environmental policy. The environmental plan is based on the results of the environmental overview and helps to guide daily work and continuous improvement. An environmental plan is a specific action plan for the implementation of environmental policy.
Important to know concerning this step
The environmental plan must include clearly formulated goals and specific tasks that are based on the important environmental aspects of the organization.
The targets must support environmental policy and lead to a measurable and time-bound improvement of environmental performance.
It is recommended that the tasks be formulated according to the SMART principle (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time-bound).
Further guidance on the definition of environmental objectives and tasks can be found in Annex II of the EMAS Regulation (Sections A.6.2.1 and B.5), the EMAS Guide (Chapter 3) and the EMAS Interactive Guide.
In order to achieve environmental goals, specific measures must be defined that are feasible in everyday work.
Measures are not the same as goals – they are steps that help to reach the goal.
The environmental plan must show:
- responsible person(s),
- the necessary resources,
- deadlines,
- Intended outcomes.
The environmental plan is not a one-off document, but needs to be updated regularly, especially if:
- changing processes, technologies or priorities in the organisation,
- significant changes in environmental aspects,
- new risks or opportunities emerge.
The updated environmental plan must be approved and, where appropriate, submitted together with the environmental statement in accordance with the requirements of Annex VI of the EMAS Regulation.
The environmental plan must be documented, clearly structured and relate to:
- environmental policy,
- environmental objectives,
- environmental tasks,
- an environmental statement and indicators.
As a result, a clear overview is formed of the measures planned to achieve environmental objectives and tasks, as well as the deadlines for implementation and descriptions of areas of responsibility and means.
The example form of the environmental plan can be found in the study material on the implementation of the environmental management system in chapter 4.5.
If sectoral reference documents have been published for your organisation's sector, their use will help to identify and review environmental objectives and tasks in line with the relevant environmental aspects identified in the environmental review.
Compliance with the benchmarks is not mandatory, but they provide a good guideline.
The sector's reference documents can be found here.
References
Annex I of the EMAS Regulation (Environmental Review)
Annex II of the EMAS Regulation (Environmental Management System Requirements)
EMAS Annex III (Internal Environmental Audit)
Annex IV of the EMAS Regulation (environmental reporting)
Annex V of the EMAS Regulation (EMAS logo)
Annex VI of the EMAS Regulation (information requirements for registration)
Annex VII of the EMAS Regulation (verifier's declaration of verification and validation)
Contacts
In case of any questions or to get advice, please contact the Environmental Agency. The Environmental Agency acts as the competent authority of EMAS in Estonia.