An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a management tool for evaluating the activities of an organization, identifying the environmental impacts associated with those activities and managing resources to reduce those impacts.
EMS can help an organization stay in compliance with environmental requirements.
The key concepts of an EMS are intended to help an organization understand the full range of its environmental impact, prioritize and effectively manage its programs, and track and document its progress.
These key concepts are:
Start by understanding the whole picture,
Adopt an environmental policy,
Manage significant impacts and legal requirements,
People are key to success,
Measure your effectiveness,
Write it down,
Review, evaluate and improve
ISO 14001:2004 is the most sought after EMS worldwide.