Overview
This standard describes the skills and knowledge requirements for those who contribute to the assessment and evaluation of existing organisational Environmental Management policies. An Environmental Management policy is a written statement summarising the organisation’s intentions regarding environmental performance, carbon footprint, ethical purchasing, sustainability and local community engagement and much more.
This standard is suitable for:
· Anyone who contributes to the assessment and evaluation of existing organisational Environmental Management policies
This standard covers contributing to the assessment and evaluation of existing organisational Environmental Management policies with the intention of recommending improvements.
It also covers engaging and communicating with all those involved in the assessment and evaluation of existing organisational Environmental Management policies.
The focus for evaluating and recommending improvements to existing 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.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
1. Contribute to identifying existing organisational Environmental Management policies which may require impact assessment and evaluation for improvement
2. Contribute to assessing and evaluating existing organisational Environmental Management policies and internal and external commitments applicable to the organisation’s significant environmental aspects and impacts
3. Contribute to carrying out relevant Impact Assessments on the identified organisational Environmental Management policies to identify any likely or actual effects the policies may have
4. Contribute to identifying gaps, omissions and improvements to existing organisational Environmental Management policies and commitments with respect to organisational environmental performance
5. Contribute to recording the findings in a format that meets organisational requirements and best available techniques, based on recognised recording methods and relevant legislation
6. Seek the views of relevant stakeholders, including those from protected characteristics, on the content of the existing organisational Environmental Management policies
7. Contribute to reviewing the feedback from stakeholders to aid the preparation of the recommendations
8. Contribute to preparing recommendations based on the existing organisational Environmental Management policies
9. Confirm that the recommendations are based on the organisation’s significant environmental aspects and impacts, applicable legislation and are consistent with other organisational commitments
10. Contribute to checking that the recommendations for the existing organisational Environmental Management policies include a commitment to continual improvement in organisational environmental performance
11. Contribute to checking that the recommendations for the existing organisational Environmental Management policies provides a framework for environmental objectives
12. Contribute to checking that the recommendations for the existing organisational Environmental Management policies are relevant to the nature and scale of the organisation and are in the format required for stakeholders, including senior management and leaders
13. Engage and communicate the existing organisational Environmental Management policies recommendations to stakeholders including senior management and leaders
14. Contribute to identifying measures for monitoring whether the recommendations for the existing organisational Environmental Management policies are operating
15. Request continuous feedback from stakeholders on the content of existing organisational Environmental Management policies
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and
understand:
1. The purpose of the existing organisational Environmental Management policies
2. The types of guidelines relating to the content of the existing organisational Environmental Management policies
3. The significant environmental aspects and impacts of the organisation
4. The requirements of environmental legislation of relevance to the organisation and existing organisational Environmental Management policies
5. The existing organisational commitments applicable to the environmental aspects and impacts and the content of existing organisational Environmental Management policies
6. The organisational systems, tools and methods in place, if any, for contributing to the assessment and evaluation of existing organisational Environmental Management policies
7. The relevant stakeholders, including those from protected characteristics, who are required to review existing organisational environmental management policies
8. The types of Impact Assessments required to evaluate and assess the impact of the organisational Environmental Management policies
9. How to recognise areas where existing organisational Environmental Management policies and commitments can be improved
10. The importance of recording findings in a relevant format
11. How to use the findings from the review of existing organisational Environmental Management policies and organisational commitments to make recommendations for improvements to the policies
12. How to engage and communicate recommendations on existing organisational Environmental Management policies to relevant stakeholders, including senior management and leaders
13. The types of measures for monitoring whether the recommendations for the existing organisational Environmental Management policies are operating
14. The importance of continual improvement with respect to organisational environmental performance
Glossary
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
Relevant Occupations
Environmental Manager, Environmental Policy Officer
Keywords
impact; assessment; pollution; protect; climate;