Table of Contents
- Emsstrategyreview
- Emsstrategyreview Verification And Scoring
- Emsmgmtcompetence
- Emsmgmtcompetence Verification And Scoring
- Emsstrategyawareness
- Emsstrategyawareness Verification And Scoring
12. Does your facility review the environmental management system with your facility’s managers each calendar year? (Ref ID - emsstrategyreview)
Answer Yes if: Your facility has conducted a review of your environmental management system with the facility’s management team(s) in the last calendar year.
Note: The review must have been conducted in the Higg FEM reporting year (e.g., for FEM 2023, the meetings must have been conducted in the 2023 calendar year).
If you select Yes, you will be asked the following sub questions:
- Please upload documentation, if available
- If you cannot upload the documents, please describe here:
Suggested Uploads:
- Records of environmental management system review(s) conducted during the Higg FEM reporting year.
What is the intent of the question?
The intent of this question is for factories to demonstrate that their environmental management system is reviewed on an annual basis with facility management team(s).
Technical Guidance
Conducting a management review of environmental management systems and programs is an important part of the plan, do, check, and act (PDCA) management system model to review performance and create action plans to drive improvement. Having a defined schedule for regular management meetings to discuss performance is recommended (e.g., on quarterly basis). At least one full management review is recommended annually. The meeting should review environmental information such as legal compliance, environmental performance, status of objectives and targets, status of preventive & corrective actions (including those from internal/external audits, incidents, accidents, emergency drills etc, recommendations for improvements, etc.)
Recognized environmental management system certification schemes (such as ISO 14001) include key objectives and processes for management systems reviews. Key areas that should be covered in a successful management review include:
- Results of internal audits, legal compliance, and other requirements to which the organization subscribes.
- Communication from external parties
- Environmental performance
- Progress of objective and targets
- Progress of corrective actions
- Follow-up actions from previous management review
- Changing circumstances including the update of legal requirements
- Recommendations for improvement
Resources:
- ISO 14001:2015 Environmental management systems — Requirements with guidance for use https://www.iso.org/standard/60857.html
- EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) https://green-business.ec.europa.eu/eco-management-and-audit-scheme-emas_en
Emsstrategyreview Verification And Scoring
How This Will Be Verified:
Full Points:
Documentation Required:
- Documentation that demonstrates the facility has conducted a management review of the facility’s environmental management system in the FEM reporting year. This may include:
- EMS management review meeting plan/agenda
- Meeting minutes and/or attendance records
- Meeting outcomes (e.g., action plan updated environmental strategy, objectives, or targets, etc.)
Interview Questions to Ask:
- Staff responsible for the facility’s environmental management system should be able to explain the facility’s procedures for management review of the environmental management system and programs.
- Facility management should be able to explain how they participate in the management reviews.
Inspection - Things to Physically Look For:
- Where applicable, onsite observations indicate that management reviews are conducted of the facility’s environmental management systems (e.g., posted meeting minutes or outcomes of management review meetings)
Partial Points: N/A
13. Do employees at your facility responsible for environmental management have the technical competence required to do their job? (Ref ID - emsmgmtcompetence)
Answer Yes if: Your facility is meeting all of the criteria below:
- Your facility has evaluated and defined the technical competencies and qualifications required to manage your facility’s environmental programs.
- Your current staff responsible for managing environmental programs meets the defined qualifications.
- Competency needs are evaluated on an annual basis to evaluate staff performance and competency and to identify needs for further professional development (e.g., obtaining additional certification or accreditation, attending professional development trainings, etc).
Answer Partial Yes if: Your facility has evaluated and defined the technical competencies and qualifications required for staff member responsible for managing your facility’s environmental programs, however your current staff do not meet the defined qualifications and/or competency needs are not evaluated on an annual basis to determine whether staff are qualified or require further professional development.
If you select Yes or Partial Yes, you will be asked the following sub questions:
- Please upload documentation, if available.
- If you cannot upload the documents, please describe here.
Suggested Uploads:
- Documentation that demonstrates the facility has processes in place to ensure environmental staff have the required technical competencies/qualifications (e.g., list of environmental staff/roles with the required competencies or qualifications, job descriptions that include competencies for environmental management, competency/qualifications need assessment, copies of staff’s certifications or accreditations, etc.)
- Documentation that demonstrates competencies and professional development needs are reviewed on an annual basis (e.g., annual competency/qualification needs assessment, professional development plan for environmental staff, etc)
What is the intent of the question?
The intention of this question is for facilities to demonstrate that processes are in place to ensure staff responsible for managing environmental matters have appropriate technical competencies and qualifications to effectively manage the facility’s environmental programs and that this is reviewed on an annual basis.
Technical Guidance:
Managing environmental programs at a facility requires an in depth understanding of both technical environmental subject matter as well as how to implement an effective environmental management system. One of the major barriers to progress on environmental performance and sustainability is the lack of technical expertise. Having staff with strong technical expertise in relevant impact areas is crucial to a facility’s environmental management program.
A team with appropriate qualifications and knowledge, helps facilities better understand environmental risks and impacts, and helps to identify and implement appropriate measures to mitigate those risks and make improvements. Also, it helps ensure compliance with environmental regulations and other requirements, which are constantly evolving and becoming more complex.
Facilities should have a process in place to evaluate and define the specific experience and qualification requirements for environmental team members. This should include:
- Educational requirements (e.g., Tertiary degree in environmental related field)
- Certification or accreditation requirements (e.g., legally required environmental certifications, Certified Environmental Professional (CEP), ISO 14001 Auditor certification, etc.)
- Required training(s) from reputable training providers on specific environmental subject matter (e.g., Energy and GHG management, wastewater, or chemicals management, legally required trainings, etc)
It is also important for facilities to ensure that competency needs for environmental staff are regularly evaluated and that opportunities are available for environmental management staff to participate in professional development activities to enhance their knowledge on environmental management and technical subject matter such as attending external trainings, obtaining additional environmental certification or accreditation, etc.
Emsmgmtcompetence Verification And Scoring
How This Will Be Verified:
Full Points:
Full points will be awarded for facilities that are meeting all the criteria below:
- The facility has evaluated and defined the technical competencies and qualifications required to manage environmental programs.
- Current staff responsible for managing environmental programs meets the defined qualifications.
- Competency needs are evaluated on an annual basis to evaluate staff performance and competency and to identify needs for further professional development.
Documentation Required:
- Documentation that shows the facility has processes in place to ensure environmental management staff have the required technical competencies/qualifications. This may include:
- A list of environmental staff/roles with the required competencies or qualifications for each role.
- Job descriptions that include competencies for environmental management.
- Competency/qualifications needs assessment.
- Copies of certifications or accreditations for environmental management staff.
- Documentation that demonstrates competencies and professional development needs are reviewed on an annual basis. This may include:
- Annual competency/qualification needs assessment.
- Professional development plan for environmental staff.
- Meeting records of performance and/or competency evaluations.
Interview Questions to Ask:
- Staff responsible for recruiting environmental management staff are aware of the competency and qualification requirements for environmental staff and can explain how the facility ensures qualified staff are recruited for environmental management roles.
- Relevant environmental staff can demonstrate their knowledge and expertise related to the areas of environmental management they oversee.
- Relevant staff can explain the facility’s procedures for reviewing competency/qualification requirements and professional development needs for environmental management staff.
Inspection - Things to Physically Look For:
- Onsite observations indicate that environmental programs are being managed by staff with appropriate technical competency and qualifications (e.g., Certifications or trainings provided are for the individuals responsible for environmental management, environmental management staff’s ability to demonstrate technical understanding on environmental subject matter throughout the verification, etc.)
Partial Points:
- Partial points will be awarded for facilities that have evaluated and defined the technical competencies and qualifications required for staff member responsible for managing environmental programs, however current staff do not meet the defined qualifications and/or competency needs are not evaluated on an annual basis to determine whether staff are qualified or require further professional development.
14. Does your facility have a program to build awareness of your environmental impacts and performance with your employees? (Ref ID - emsstrategyawareness)
Answer Yes if: Your facility has a documented program for communicating awareness on your facility’s environmental impacts and performance to all employees and this is communicated to all employees on an annual or more frequent basis.
Answer Partial Yes if: Your facility has a documented program for communicating awareness on your facility’s environmental impacts and performance, but this has not been communicated to all employees or your facility is in the process of developing a communication program.
Note: This communication program must be in addition to basic environmental training for staff on their roles and responsibilities covered in level 1 and specifically include awareness on the facility’s environmental impacts and performance (e.g., performance on environmental KPIs and/or progress on the facility’s environmental strategy)
If you select Yes, you will be asked the following sub questions:
- Please upload documentation, if available
- If you cannot upload the documents, please describe here:
Suggested Uploads:
- Documentation that shows your facility has a communication plan in place that focuses on providing awareness on the facility’s environmental impacts and performance, and that communication was provided to all employees (e.g., Environmental performance communication plan and schedule, communication materials such as presentations, bulletins, newsletters, meeting agendas/minutes, etc)
What is the intent of the question?
The intent of this question is for facilities to have a formal program to communicate environmental performance and strategy to inform and motivate employees to support the facility’s environmental strategy.
Technical Guidance:
Clearly communicating a facility’s environmental management programs and performance to its workforce is a key to its success. The more involved employees are, the more committed they will be which can increase the effectiveness of environmental programs and performance.
Communicating environmental impacts and performance to employees can be done in a number of ways including training/presentations, meetings, bulletin boards, newsletters, posters, or other established communication channels at the facility.
Regardless of the mode(s) of communications used, a communication plan and procedures should be established to ensure that information is communicated in a clear and consistent way that provides employees with key information on the facility’s environmental programs, performance, and strategy. Some key areas to include in employee communications include:
- Information on the environmental aspects and impacts of the facility
- Information on the facility’s environmental strategy and updates on the facility’s progress on environmental objective and targets
- Information on any key performance indicators (KPIs) or metrics used to monitor the facility’s environmental performance.
- Information on how employees can participate in environmental programs and the benefits of doing so.
- Information on how employees can communicate suggestions for environmental improvements.
Emsstrategyawareness Verification And Scoring
How This Will Be Verified:
Full Points:
Full Points will be awarded for facilities that have a documented program for communicating awareness of environmental impacts and performance to all employees and this is communicated to all employees on an annual or more frequent basis.
Documentation Required
- Documentation that shows the facility has an established communication program and that communication to all employees occurs on an annual basis or more frequent. This may include:
- Environmental performance communication plan and schedule
- Communication materials such as presentations, bulletins, newsletters, meeting agendas/minutes.
- Records that demonstrate information on environmental impacts and performance had been provided to workers where applicable (e.g., meeting attendance records, past bulletins, or newsletters, etc.).
Interview Questions to Ask
- Staff responsible for the communication program can describe what information is communicated with employees and how it is communicated.
- Employees can demonstrate awareness of the facility’s environmental impacts, performance, strategy and KPIs.
Inspection - Things to Physically Look For
- Observations indicate the communication program has been implemented per the documented and reported communication procedures (e.g., awareness posters or bulletins, visible postings of the facility’s environmental performance and strategy, etc.)
Partial Points:
- Partial points will be awarded for facilities that have a documented program for communicating awareness on your facility’s environmental impacts and performance, but this has not been communicated to all employees or your facility is in the process of developing a communication program.