EMS-DOC-06-5 Environmental Aspects and Impacts Assessment Process

Environmental Aspects and Impacts Assessment Process

ISO14001 Toolkit: Version 2 ©CertiKit

Environmental Aspects and Impacts Assessment Process

Implementation guidance The header page and this section, up to and including Disclaimer, must be removed from the final version of the document. For more details on replacing the logo, yellow highlighted text and certain generic terms, see the Completion Instructions document.

Purpose of this document This document sets out how the process of determining environmental aspects and impacts, including those that are judged to be significant, will be carried out.

Areas of the standard addressed The main sections of the ISO14001 standard addressed by this document are as follows: •

6. Planning o 6.1 Actions to address risks and opportunities ▪ 6.1.1 General ▪ 6.1.2 Environmental aspects

General guidance It is important that a defined process is followed when carrying out the environmental aspects and impacts assessment due to the often-difficult nature of the task. You will need to make sure that each step is carried out fully before moving on to the next.

You may decide to use different criteria for the classification of aspects and impacts.

The ISO14001 standard is not too prescriptive in the way in which the environmental aspects and impacts assessment process is performed, so aspects of this document may be amended in line with the specific requirements of your organization.

Review frequency We would recommend that this document is reviewed annually.

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Revision history VERSION

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Contents 1

Introduction ............................................................................................................... 8

2

Environmental aspects and impacts assessment process ............................................ 9 2.1

The process................................................................................................................ 10

2.2

Process inputs............................................................................................................ 10

2.3

Process activities........................................................................................................ 10

2.3.1 2.3.2 2.3.3 2.3.4 2.3.5 2.3.6 2.3.7 2.3.8 2.3.9

2.4

3

Process outputs ......................................................................................................... 15

Roles and responsibilities ......................................................................................... 16 3.1

4

Establish the context ................................................................................................................. 10 Identify activities, products and services and their life cycles .................................................... 11 Determine environmental aspects............................................................................................. 12 Assess environmental impacts ................................................................................................... 13 Determine aspect significance ................................................................................................... 14 Document the assessment ........................................................................................................ 14 Obtain management approval ................................................................................................... 14 Communicate significant environmental aspects ....................................................................... 14 Regular review .......................................................................................................................... 15

RACI chart.................................................................................................................. 16

Conclusion................................................................................................................ 17

Figures Figure 1: Environmental aspects and impacts assessment process ................................................. 9

Tables Table 1: Impact severity scores ................................................................................................... 13 Table 2: Significance scores ........................................................................................................ 14 Table 3: RACI chart ..................................................................................................................... 16

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1 Introduction The effective management of its impact on the environment has always been a priority for [Organization Name] knowing as it does the high degree of importance that its stakeholders place upon the reputation of the business and the need to demonstrate social responsibility.

However, there is still much to be gained by [Organization Name] in introducing industrystandard good practice processes, not the least of which is the ability to become more proactive in our approach to environmental management and to gain and maintain a better understanding of the impact of our business activities, products and services.

The international standard for environmental management systems, ISO14001, was most recently updated by the ISO in 2015. [Organization Name] has started on the road to adoption of the standard and has decided to pursue full certification to ISO14001 in order that the effective adoption of best practice in environmental management may be validated by an external third party.

This process addresses one of the major requirements of the ISO14001 standard, namely that a clear understanding of our impact on the environment is reached, and particularly that those activities, products and services that have a significant impact are identified.

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2 Environmental aspects and impacts assessment process

Figure 1: Environmental aspects and impacts assessment process

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2.1 The process Each step in this process is described in more detail in the rest of this document.

This process should be followed using the form Environmental Aspects and Impacts Assessment Tool, which has pre-formulated templates for each of the steps described.

2.2 Process inputs The process starts with a number of inputs which are needed to ensure that all of the steps can be completed successfully.

These inputs should include where available: • • • • • • • • •

Business strategy, plans and objectives EMS Context, Requirements and Scope Environmental Policy Business process documentation, e.g. procedures Existing activity, product or service life cycle documentation Recent data from environment-related measurements Lists of employees by team Relevant contractual documentation Legal and regulatory requirements

The availability of this information will ensure that the conclusions reached are based on factual data rather than approximations.

2.3 Process activities The following activities should be performed as part of the assessment process. It is recommended that each step is undertaken as part of a series of structured workshops facilitated by an independent resource qualified in environmental management if available.

The objective of the process is to identify those aspects of our activities, products and services that are significant in environmental terms.

2.3.1 Establish the context The overall environment in which the assessment is carried out should be described and the reasons for it explained. This should include a description of the internal and external context and any recent changes that affect the real or potential environmental impact of business activities in general.

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The internal context may include: • • • • • • •

Governance, organizational structure, roles and accountabilities Environmental policies and objectives, and the strategies that are currently in place to achieve them The resources and knowledge (e.g. capital, time, people, processes, systems and technologies) available Relationships with, and perceptions and values of, internal stakeholders The organization's culture with regard to the environment Relevant standards, guidelines and models adopted by the organization Information about existing or planned contractual relationships

The external context may include: • • •

The cultural, social, political, legal, regulatory, financial, technological, economic, natural and competitive environment, whether international, national, regional or local Key drivers and trends having impact on the environmental objectives of the organization Relationships with, and perceptions and values of, external stakeholders

The scope of the environmental aspects and impacts assessment should also be defined.

This may be expressed in terms of factors such as: • • • •

Geographical location, e.g. countries, offices, manufacturing facilities Organizational units, e.g. specific departments Business activities or processes Products or services

2.3.2 Identify activities, products and services and their life cycles It is important to fully identify the activities, products and services undertaken by the organization and which are within the scope of the assessment. The document EMS Context, Requirements and Scope should help in defining at an overview level the organization’s: • • • •

Products and services Partners and suppliers Interested parties Environmental objectives

It is recommended that an initial workshop is held with a relatively wide attendance (appropriate to the scope of the assessment) to gain views on the key activities, products and services involved. Function managers that are not able to attend should be consulted separately and/or encouraged to send a deputy to the meeting to ensure that all points of view are represented.

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For each activity, product or service identified as being within scope, the following should also be established [Note: the ISO14001 standard does not require a detailed life cycle assessment]: •

• •

Its life cycle under normal circumstances, covering stages such as: o Raw material acquisition o Design o Production o Transportation/delivery o Use o End-of-life treatment o Final disposal The outcome or deliverable of the activity The compliance obligations that apply to the activity

General agreement should be obtained within the organization that the list of activities, products and services within the scope of the assessment, and their basic life cycles, is correct before proceeding to the next step.

2.3.3 Determine environmental aspects An environmental aspect is defined within the ISO14001 standard as an “element of an organization’s activities or products or services that interacts or can interact with the environment”.

For each of the activities, products and services under assessment, a life cycle approach (as described above) may be taken to identify those aspects of normal, abnormal and emergency operation that do already, or could in some circumstances, result in an environmental impact.

These aspects may include: • • • • • • • • •

Energy emissions – e.g. radiation, light, heat Air – e.g. quality, atmospheric changes, climate change Water – e.g. rivers and freshwater lakes, water table, sea Land – e.g. soil erosion, geological issues Nuisance – e.g. noise, odours Waste – e.g. disposal, recycling Resources – e.g. non-renewables, fossil fuels, conflict minerals Ecology/Archaeology – e.g. habitat destruction, historical interest Transportation – e.g. emissions, hazardous materials

[You may decide to use a different list of aspects; the ISO14001 standard is not prescriptive]

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2.3.4 Assess environmental impacts An environmental impact is defined within the ISO14001 standard as a “change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, wholly or partially resulting from an organization’s environmental aspects”.

The following attributes of the impact should be considered: •

• • • •

Operation Condition – whether the aspect relates to: o Normal operation o Abnormal operation, e.g. start-up and shutdown o Emergency situation What the environmental impact is, expressed in clear terms Nature of impact – whether its effect is positive or negative Type of impact – direct, indirect, or cumulative A score between 1 (low) and 3 (high) for the following criteria: o Likelihood – how likely is the impact to occur? o Compliance obligation – is the impact addressed by relevant legislation? o Cost – potential cost to the organization if the impact were to occur o Interested parties – the degree to which interested parties would be impacted o Detection or mitigation – how likely the impact is to be detected and/or addressed quickly

[You may decide to use different impact criteria; the ISO14001 standard is not prescriptive] A scoring system on a scale of 1 to 3 will be used to assess the severity of the impact in each of the above areas where:

SEVERITY SCORE

SEVERITY OF IMPACT

1

Low

2

Moderate

3

High

Table 1: Impact severity scores

[You may decide to use a different scoring system; the ISO14001 standard is not prescriptive, however this would require the formula used to calculate the Aspect Significance Score in the Environmental Aspects and Impacts Assessment Tool to be amended.]

In the event that there is disagreement about the severity of impact that should apply, it is recommended that you should err on the side of caution and assign the higher of the proposed impact scores.

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2.3.5 Determine aspect significance Using the scoring method described above, values for the impact and severity of impact are determined. A formula is then used to calculate a score for the significance of the aspect under consideration.

This significance score is then evaluated according to the following rules to determine whether an environmental aspect is classified by [Organization Name] as significant:

SIGNIFICANCE SCORE

ASPECT SIGNIFICANCE

1 to 10

Low

11 to 20

Moderate

21 to 45

High

Table 2: Significance scores

[You may decide to use a different scoring system; the ISO14001 standard is not prescriptive. This would require the formula used to calculate the Aspect Significance Level in the Environmental Aspects and Impacts Assessment Tool to be amended.]

2.3.6 Document the assessment The environmental aspects and impacts assessment should be documented using the Environmental Aspects and Impacts Assessment Tool, which may be tailored to show all aspects, or just those of greater than a chosen level of significance.

2.3.7 Obtain management approval At each stage of the assessment process, management will be kept informed of progress and decisions made, including formal signoff of the conclusions reached.

Signoff will be indicated according to [Organization Name] documentation standards.

2.3.8 Communicate significant environmental aspects Once the significant environmental aspects related to the organization’s activities, products and services have been determined, this information must be communicated to all levels and functions affected by the conclusions, so that awareness is raised, and any required actions may be put in place.

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Environmental aspects with a high significance (positive or negative) will be input to the risk and opportunity assessment process in order to identify actions that should be taken to address them.

2.3.9 Regular review In addition to a full annual review, assessments will be evaluated on a regular basis to ensure that they remain current and the resulting conclusions valid. The relevant assessments will also be reviewed upon major changes to the business such as office moves, mergers and acquisitions, or introduction of new or changed products and services.

2.4 Process outputs The process of environmental aspects and impacts assessment results in a number of outputs which show that all of the steps have been completed successfully.

These outputs should include where possible: • • • • •

The completed assessment Minutes of workshop sessions held Analysis report Management approval of the conclusions reached Results of regular reviews

The availability of this information will allow the conclusions reached to be verified and validated in future reviews and audits.

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3 Roles and responsibilities Within the process, there are a number of key roles that play a part in ensuring that all impacts are identified, addressed and managed. These roles are shown in the RACI table below, together with their relative responsibilities at each stage of the process.

3.1 RACI chart The table below clarifies the responsibilities at each step using the RACI model: • • • •

R: Responsible A: Accountable C: Consulted I: Informed

STEP

ENVIRONMENTAL REPRESENTATIVE

BUSINESS PROCESS OWNERS

OPERATIONAL STAFF

Establish the context

A

R

C

Identify activities, products and services

A

R

C

Determine environmental aspects

A

R

C

Assess environmental impacts

A

R

C

Determine aspect significance

A

R

C

Document assessment

A

R

I

Obtain management Approval

A

R

I

Communicate significant environmental aspects

A

R

I

Regular Review

A

R

C

Table 3: RACI chart

Further roles and responsibilities may be added to the above table as the process matures within [Organization Name].

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4 Conclusion The process of environmental aspects and impacts assessment is fundamental to the implementation of a successful Environmental Management System (EMS) and forms a significant part of the ISO 14001 standard.

By following this process [Organization Name] will go some way to ensuring that its significant environmental aspects are identified and that its environmental management plans are based on a firm and well-considered foundation.

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