ISO14 -- Setting the Standard in Environmental Management

The importance of employee involvement in developing and implementing your EMS has been discussed earlier. In addition, there may be parties with an interest in your environmental performance and management efforts outside the organization. Effective environmental management requires effective communications, both internally and externally.

Effective communications will help you:

Motivate your workforce

Gain acceptance for your plans and efforts

Explain your environmental policy and EMS and how they relate to the overall

organizational vision

Ensure understanding of roles and expectations

Demonstrate management commitment

Monitor and evaluate performance; and

Identify potential system improvements

Effective internal communication requires mechanisms for information to flow top-down, bottom-up and across functional lines. Since employees are on the "front lines," they can be an excellent source of information, issues, concerns and ideas.

Proactive, two-way communication with external parties is also important for an effective environmental management system. Taking steps to obtain the views of these stakeholders, which can include neighbors, customers, community groups, regulators and even your employees, will help you better understand how your organization is perceived by others. These stakeholders can also bring important environmental issues to your attention that should be addressed in your EMS. You should also consider ways to get specific advice from these stakeholders when developing critical elements of your EMS such as setting objectives and targets. Involving these parties, however, does not mean you should cede control of your EMS to them, but rather use their input to make your EMS stronger and more responsive to community concerns. Doing so will usually provide long-term benefits to your organization.

Step: 8 of 17