Contribute to the development of new organisational Environmental Management policy

This standard describes the skills and knowledge requirements for those who are involved in contributing to the development of a new organisational Environmental Management policy.  An Environmental Management policy is a written statement summarising the organisation’s intentions regarding environmental performance, carbon footprint, ethical purchasing, sustainability, local community engagement and much more.

This standard is suitable for:

·        Anyone who contributes to the development of a new organisational Environmental Management policy.

This standard cover’s contributing to the development of a new organisational Environmental Management policy, either based on the review and evaluation of existing environmental policies and the organisations environmental commitments or in the case of a new organisation in consultation with senior management and other relevant stakeholders.

It also covers engaging and communicating with all those involved in the development of the new environmental policy, before, during and after its development.

The focus for new organisational Environmental Management policies should derive from social, economic and environmental health and impact, stemming from an innovative, circular process where nothing is wasted and where natural resources are managed sustainably, and biodiversity is protected, valued and restored in ways that enhance society’s resilience. Environmental Management policies need to focus on how we can uncouple from resource use and set a standard for safe and sustainable society.

Organisations need to be accountable for how they manage their impact on the environment, they need to become more sustainable.  The organisation needs to look at their carbon impact at global as well as a local level.  This will also involve assessing the impact.

1. Contribute to identifying any existing organisational environmental policies and commitments of relevance to the organisation’s significant environmental aspects and impacts
2. Contribute to reviewing and evaluating any existing environmental policies and organisational commitments of relevance to the organisation’s significant environmental aspects and impacts
3. Contribute to carrying out relevant Impact Assessments on any identified organisational environmental policies to identify any likely or actual effects the policies may have had on the organisational environmental performance
4. Contribute to identifying gaps, omissions and improvements to any existing environmental policies and organisational commitments
5. Contribute to recording the findings in a format that meets organisational requirements and the best available technique based on recognised recording methods and relevant legislation
6. Contribute to preparing a draft of the new organisational Environmental Management policy, based on your finding and the organisation significant environmental aspects and impacts
7. Seek the views of relevant stakeholders, including those from protected characteristics, on the content of the draft organisational Environmental Management policy
8. Contribute to reviewing the feedback from relevant stakeholders to aid the update of the draft organisational Environmental Management policy where required
9. Contribute to preparing a final version of the new organisational Environmental Managemental policy, based on the organisation’s significant environmental aspects and impacts, relevant legislation, and is consistent with other organisational commitments
10. Engage and communicate the new organisational Environmental Management policy to stakeholders, including senior management and leaders
11. Contribute to identifying measures for monitoring whether the new organisational Environmental Management policy is operating
12. Request continuous feedback from relevant stakeholders on the content of the new organisational Environmental Management policy.

1. The environmental vision of the organisation and where they wish to be
2. The purpose of the new organisational Environmental Management policy
3. The significant environmental aspects and impacts of the organisation
4. The requirements of environmental legislation of relevance to the organisation and the new organisational Environmental Management policy
5. The existing organisational policies and commitments of relevance to the organisation’s significant environmental aspects and impacts
6. The importance of reviewing and evaluating existing environmental policies and organisational commitments
7. How to recognise areas where existing organisational environmental policies and commitments can be improved
8. The importance of recording findings in a format that meets the organisations requirements and how to use the findings to aid in drafting the new organisational Environmental Management policy
9. How to produce a new organisational Environmental Management policy which is relevant to the nature and scale of the organisation
10. The required format of the new organisational Environmental Management policy
11. The relevant stakeholders, including those from protected characteristics, who are required to review the draft organisational Environmental Management policy
12. The importance of reviewing feedback from relevant stakeholders when updating the draft organisational Environmental Management policy
13. The importance of preparing the final version of the organisational Environmental Management policy, based on the identified significant aspects and impacts, findings from any existing environmental policies, stakeholder feedback, relevant legislation and consistent with other organisational commitments
14. The importance of organisational continual improvement with respect to environmental performance
15. How to engage and communicate the new organisational Environmental Management policy to relevant stakeholders, including senior management and leaders
16. The types of measures for monitoring whether the new organisational Environmental Management policy is operating

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Impact Assessments:
Equality Impact Assessment (on people in respect of disability, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion or age)
Regulatory Impact Assessment
Risk Assessment
Health and Human Rights Impact Assessment
Environmental Impact Assessment