Developing an environmental policy

An environmental policy states your company’s commitment to complying with legislation and achieving continual improvement by identifying and managing environmental issues such as waste and water consumption. Possible principles to address in an environmental policy include:

• compliance with legislation;
• use of materials, water and energy;
• waste minimisation, recovery and disposal;
• measuring, monitoring and targeting;
• suppliers and service providers;
• community impacts and transport issues;
• training, education and awareness.

A typical environmental policy occupies no more than one side of A4 paper and incorporates the following elements:

• introduction;
• responsibility for the policy’s implementation;
• aims of the policy;
• objectives and targets through which these aims will be met;
• monitoring and auditing;
• communicating the policy to stakeholders, eg customers, shareholders, employees, regulators and neighbours.

The table below summarises the type of information that can be included under these headings. It is vital to involve employees in policy development and to ensure they know how it affects them and what their responsibilities are.

Policy essentials

• Keep it concise, simple and clear.
• Make sure it is relevant to what you actually do.
• Make sure it covers the most important environmental issues for your company.
• Set realistic aims and objectives.
• Have the policy endorsed by the managing director.
• Date the policy.
• Communicate it to all employees.
• Make it publicly available and include it in marketing material, tenders, etc.
• State that you will review the policy annually to make sure it is still relevant.

Suggested Content of an Environmental Policy

Heading Information
Introduction and aim

• Which aspects/part/location of the business the policy covers
• Links to other aspects of the business such as quality systems
• The overall aim of the policy

Responsibility - State who is responsible for:

• integrating environmental considerations into the business;
• maintaining the environmental policy.

Resources - State that you will:

• make resources available to implement the policy (e.g. time);
• provide training to staff and stakeholders.

Objectives - State the company’s environmental objectives, e.g.:

• complying with relevant regulations;
• reducing material and energy consumption;
• reducing hazardous waste generation;
• minimising the impact of activities on neighbours.

Targets - Give specific targets relating to your objectives, e.g.:?

• percentage reduction in waste from a known baseline;
• percentage reduction in water use from a known baseline;
• percentage reduction in energy consumption from a known baseline.

Monitoring and auditing - Indicate the systems to be used to monitor progress, e.g.:

• reviews and assessments;
• data collection;
• annual audits;
• publication of annual summaries of progress against policy objectives.

Communication - How to obtain a copy (e.g. telephone number and address of company website).

• Who will be given a copy (e.g. all employees and customers).
• Name and title of person to contact with any queries.

More info about Environmental Policies