Environmental Management

Almost everything we do has an impact on the environment. Whether it’s clearing vegetation during project groundworks, or purchasing a new vehicle, the decisions we make have a wide range of impacts on the environment.

Environmental management is the framework and processes that we put in place to understand what is causing an impact on the environment from what we do (the aspects, such as driving vehicles, extracting materials), and what the impacts to the environment are as a consequence: on the soil, air, water, atmosphere and biodiversity. It is then about putting plans in place to reduce or eliminate the negative, and maximise the positive impacts.

Common examples of environmental management might be to have systems in place to control and prevent pollution, such as effluents getting into a river course, or the implementation of a biodiversity programme to ensure that the flora and fauna of an area is enhanced once a project has been completed.

Often the need for a robust environmental management system is driven by statutory requirements, such as air quality and water effluent limits, but more forward-thinking organisations are increasingly setting the bar higher.

Key environmental management terms

• Environmental aspect – An element of an organisation’s activities, products or services that interacts or can interact with the environment
• Environmental impact – A change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, wholly or partially resulting from an organisation’s environmental aspects