Environmental Management Systems

An Environment Management System, or EMS, is a comprehensive approach to managing environmental issues, integrating environmentally-oriented thinking into every aspect of business management. An EMS ensures environment considerations area priority, along with other concerns such as costs, product quality, investments, productivity and strategic planning. It increases efficiency and focuses on customer needs and marketplace conditions, improving both the company’s financial and environmental performance. EMSs can save on management time and help a company be better prepared to meet emerging corporate governance obligations.

Our aim is to help our clients outperform their competitors through a systematic approach to enhanced environmental management. In our experience, a structured and tailored approach to environmental management can lead to:

• The long-term and effective management of environmental impacts.
• Provide assurance to the managers, stakeholders and other interested parties that the business is complying with existing environmental legislation and environmental concerns are being addressed and reviewed.
• Improve the business profile in the eyes of customers and regulatory authorities by demonstrating a positive and comprehensive approach.
• Potentially identify cost savings - An Environmental Management System enables the business to make cost savings through greater efficiency and less waste. Cost savings can be made in reduction from energy consumption, water usage, as well as, from raw materials and waste disposal.
• Competitive advantage -A business certified to an EMS standard will have a competitive advantage over it s competitors since environmental issues and criteria are becoming part of contract requirements. Furthermore the more attractive to environmentally conscious customers.
• Staff engagement and improved working culture.
• Safeguarding of reputation through improved corporate governance.

How can PricewaterhouseCoopers help?

PricewaterhouseCoopers has assisted a wide range of businesses with auditing and implementation of environmental management systems such as ISO1400 and EMAS (Environmental Management Audit Scheme). This has helped them to achieve positive results which include better public and shareholder perception, cost savings and brand enhancement.