Environmental Management

An Environmental Management System is crucial in implementing a planned and focused approach to the care of the environment. Such a System seeks to apply a universal standard of care within the different parts of an organisation in a comprehensive and coherent manner and consists of five major areas - an environmental policy, planning, implementation and control, checking and corrective action followed by management review. The five elements provide a systematic approach in addressing the widespread range of issues involved in protecting, conserving and improving the environment as well as in dealing with new issues as they emerge and evolve.

The seed of our programme was sown in 1994 when we participated in the Government's pilot environmental audit. Since then we began our own programme of environmental audits, which is carried out by an in-house audit team. To date 103 EMSD locations have been audited. At the same time, a green manager scheme was implemented to administer the environmental audit programme and to oversee green measures within the Department. The Energy Efficiency Office acts as the Green Manager and together with our Environmental Management System working group meets regularly to review progress of the audits and programmes implemented as a result of audit findings.

With a view to integrating all our environmental related initiatives, we are therefore planning to develop and implement an Environmental Management System, aiming for ISO 14001 certification in 2000.