- a valuable tool for successful sustainability work.

If issues such as responsibility, communication and structure are not handled well by a business it can lead to diminished interest and commitment; work on these issues can come to a standstill. For many companies a management system has become a strategically important tool to keep up the pace and direction in sustainability work.


Environmental management systems

The environmental management system helps businesses to work in a well structured way to reduce the environmental impacts from production processes, products and services. The starting point is identification of the strategically important environmental issues within company operations, so called “camels”. The environmental management system is built around these issues, with the help of an environmental policy, measurable goals, action plans and follow-up. A major part of the work with an environmental management system is ensuring that the connections between these tools are clear and function well.

The environmental management system helps a business to work both preventively and proactively with environmental issues. Using operational controls, all new operations and products are analysed from an environmental perspective. Furthermore, the system facilitates integration of environmental issues in daily operations.

An environmental management system has many advantages. For example, financial saving can be made through lower energy and material consumption. The company strengthens its competitiveness and can gain in market share. And an environmental management system gives better control and knowledge about the company operations.

Standardised environmental management system?
A business can work very successfully with an environmental management system without choosing to let a third party audit the system. However, more and more businesses are now choosing to certify their operations according to one of the standards used in Sweden: EMAS, ISO 14 000 and Miljöbas. There are several reasons for doing this. For example, certification may be a customer requirement. It can also be valuable for marketing the company and can function as an incentive by setting intermediate goals to be achieved.

U&W [you&we] can help you in your work with an environmental management system, for example through:

'Camel analysis' – an analysis which identifies the company's strategically important climate and environmental issues.
Management seminars on sustainable business development and strategies
Workshops and training courses on change processes and project management
Training for key staff in areas such as environmentally responsible procurement, low carbon product development, communication and marketing
Acting as project manager, in close collaboration with the environmental manager, to lead the implementation of a full environmental management system


Ellinor Eke will happily tell you more.

Our contact details are found under 'Contact' in the top menu.