Why effective environmental management is a business opportunity and where should you start with environmental management?
Are you thinking about implementing an environmental management system? Even if you aren’t considering introducing one yet (and in fact you might not be entirely sure what it is!) it makes a lot of business sense to know more about the core principles involved. Because potentially they can have a very positive impact on your bottom line.
Many businesses choose to implement a formal environmental management system (EMS) because, like other management systems such as quality and safety, it allows them to develop a better understanding of their strengths and weaknesses and assists with meeting legal responsibilities. The tools it provides helps with identifying and managing significant environmental issues as well as creating benchmarks for improvements. But the impact goes beyond that. It’s an excellent way of saving your business money. How? By making sure you’re managing waste and using resources carefully to reduce costs. An effective EMS has the potential to help you increase business too by demonstrating to customers and other stakeholders that you’re an environmentally aware company with a genuine commitment to continual improvement. If you choose to have your system externally verified you’ll increase that impact. Many large businesses and government departments will only consider dealing with you if you’ve an externally accredited EMS in place – and that can present a massive sales opportunity. There are a number of environmental standards your business can be certified against; one of the best known is ISO 14001 but whichever you choose, make sure it’s a certification body that’s approved by the United Kingdom Accreditation Services (UKAS).
Even if you don’t feel going down the EMS route is right for you, some basic knowledge about the key issues will be extremely helpful when it comes to running your business more efficiently and using resources more effectively. And let’s not forget that sustainability and corporate social responsibility are moving higher up the agenda too. With more millennials entering the workplace – a generation with big expectations in terms of social responsibility – you don’t want to be left behind. Different environmental issues will resonate with different people for different reasons but they’re all important considerations for a business.
So where do you start? You may be uncertain about whether you should implement any kind of EMS, let alone a fully accredited system. Or you may want to increase general awareness of environmental issues in your business or help employees understand the role they can play in improving its environmental performance. The one day NEBOSH Environmental Awareness at Work qualification provides you with the perfect starting point.
What does it cover?
It’s an information-packed course that introduces you to the main concepts behind effective environmental management. It starts off by making sure you understand the key terms before taking you through, amongst other things, the core components of an EMS, pollution management, impact assessments, waste management and dealing with environmental emergencies. As course trainer Dr Louise Womack (of Xenon Technical Services Limited) says, this is a day that touches on a bit of everything.
‘We’ll talk about sustainability, climate change and biodiversity. And waste management which can be a major problem too. Many companies I’ve worked with have been shocked when they’ve realised what a massive issue – and bill – is being created by poor waste management. Social responsibility is increasingly becoming a significant factor in the way companies of all sizes are run and this course helps delegates know where to begin with addressing all these diverse issues.’
While it’s helpful if you’ve already attended previous NEBOSH courses, this is a programme that’s ideal for anyone who’d benefit from a general understanding of environmental issues in the workplace. As course attendees must be registered with NEBOSH before taking the course and short assessment, they must be enrolled a month ahead. Interested in learning more? Then visit Delyn Safety UK for further information and to register for upcoming environmental awareness at work courses.
