EMAS – EU
The EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a premium management instrument developed by the European Commission for companies and other organisations to evaluate, report, and improve their environmental performance.
Summary
Region / Country
- EU
Environmental standards
Yes
Social and ethical responsibility standards
Yes
Is there a label to put on the product?
No
Who can hold accreditation?
- Organisation
Who / what has accreditation
- Organisation
Independent verification / audit
Yes
Accreditation information
Key stats
Relevant to book industry?
- Data centres
Where in supply chain?
- Across the supply chain
Key stakeholders?
- Any organisation that wishes to apply for the standard
What type of entity is the badge certifying?
- Finished products
Organisation/management procedures & outcomes?
Aligned to ISO 14001, you would be dealing with this, not a septate entity. Ideally aimed at organisations with ISO 14001 who want to bolster their environmental credentials. Website is incredibly detailed, but offers a useful interactive map of the full application process. Requires organisations to implement an environmental management system, conduct regular internal audits, act swiftly on non-compliances, and have an environmental audit verified by an external third party who are registered with EMAS. organisations that qualify for EMAS are awarded lawful use of their logo as a communication and marketing tool to display their commitment to their environment. With the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU, any organisations wishing to join or stay with the network will have to apply to EMAS Global, a subculture of the EMAS network. The requirements for this do not seem to differ from the general EMAS network.
Environmental Attributes
Identifying the key elements
- What are the applicable environmental attributes?
The Eco-Management and Audit Scheme, EMAS, is a voluntary environmental management tool for companies and other organisations to evaluate, report and improve their environmental performance.
- Does the badge intend to assess social aspects & how are they related to environmental attributes?
Yes, they are part of the bigger picture that an organisation has to work on their CSR at the same time as reducing their environmental impact.
- Which Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the accreditation aligned to? How would receiving the certification help an organisation to achieve these goals?
Not defined at this time.
- Is it recognised on an international, European or country level?
EU standard, but is recognized internationally
- Does the badge have mutual recognition with other labels?
Claims to be a step beyond ISO 14,001.
- What are the benefits and practicalities to the organisation receiving the accreditation?
EMAS has three major positive qualities: it ensures an organisation’s performance, credibility and transparency. Compared to other instruments, EMAS includes strict criteria for the legal compliance of the organisation. 70% of verifiers and EMAS-registered organisations agree that EMAS is more effective than ISO 14001 in ensuring legal compliance (RAVE Study, 2017). It is also the most transparent tool, since organisations are required to publish an annual report on their performance. 72% of verifiers consider EMAS more effective than ISO 14001 in ensuring the trustworthiness and completeness of environmental reports and documentation (RAVE Study, 2017).
- a) Cost
Several variables, including the size (micro, small, medium or large) and type (public or private) of organisations and the region in which they are registered, influence the costs of implementing EMAS.
- b) Time to achieve certification
Publication of key environmental data in an annual report, the environment statement. The scheme has been operative since April 1995 and has been amended several times.
- c) Do the certified bodies have to publish your progress every year ?
Yes, in your annual report.
- d) Response times for audit outcomes, reports and recommendations
Yes, there are penalties for non-compliance. Since EMAS is based on a Regulation, Member States are responsible for taking appropriate legal or administrative measures to resolve accidental non-compliance situations as quickly as possible. The main sanctioning instrument in the case of (ongoing) non-compliance with the Regulation is suspension or deletion from the EMAS register.
- Is the accreditation tiered?
Not defined at this time.
Assessment criteria
Governance Quality
- What is the overarching objective of the accreditation body?
Key actors ensure the HIGH QUALITY, PUBLIC CREDIBILITY and RELIABILITY of EMAS. Each actor fulfils their role within the key stages of the scheme: Development, Verification, and Registration. Staff participation is also required.
- a) How is the badge verified?
An Accreditation & Licensing Body is an independent, impartial institution or organisation designated nationally by each Member State and is responsible for the accreditation and issuing of licenses to and supervision of environmental verifiers.
- a) i. Independent body
Yes
- a) ii. Governing body
Not defined at this time.
- a) iii. Self-regulating
Not defined at this time.
- b) What are the criteria used to be recognized as the above? Considering human resource, technical expertise and financial input
The Accreditation or Licensing Body establishes, revises and updates a list of environmental verifiers and their scope of accreditation (according to NACE codes) in their Member State.
- a) How often are the certified products/organisations/projects re-evaluated?
On a yearly basis as you are required to detail your improvements for the next year in the yearly report.
- b) How often are the assessment and certification practices re-evaluated?
Continuous improvement
- c) What input do stakeholders have to the governance structure and certification processes?
Not defined at this time.
- d) How responsive is the certification body to this feedback?
Not defined at this time.
- To what extent are the answers questions 2 and 3 made transparent to consumers, the certified organisations and any other stakeholders?
Not defined at this time.
Governance effectiveness
- What environmental performance metrics are used – consumption data, emissions, life cycle analysis etc.?
Created by the company with a plan to reduce the environmental impact. Reviewed on a yearly basis.
- a) How complete and accurate are these assessments?
Independently verified
- b) How are these benchmarked?
Against what was said last year.
- c) What is the scoring system used?
Measured against previous statements and targets.
- In what form are the outputs of certification delivered?
Ability of the company to use the EU EMAS logo.
- Are clear, actionable recommendations delivered and implemented?
It appears you are assessed and the outcome of this, will depend on the companies documentation submitted.
- To what extent do end-users understand what the badge is certifying? How visible is this on an end-product e.g., through a label?
Yes, there is a label for the company to use, the company is being measured.
Social Responsibility Attributes
Key elements
- What are the key social performance areas the accreditations assesses? For instance, community involvement and human rights
Not defined at this time.
- Do the above social performance areas interlink with achieving any positive environmental impacts?
Not defined at this time.
- Does the accreditation have different requirements for SMEs compared with larger organisations?
Not defined at this time.
Governance Effectiveness
- What indicators are used to assess the social impact areas?
Not defined at this time.
- Are the above indicators a complete and accurate reflection of these social impacts?
Not defined at this time.
- How does the certification weight these indicators according to their effect on social value?
Not defined at this time.