What Is an Environmental Audit?
What is an Environmental Audit
Environmental auditing is a systematic, documented, periodic and objective process in assessing an organization 's activities and services in relation to: • Assessing compliance with relevant statutory and internal requirements • Facilitating management control of environmental practices • Promoting good environmental management • Maintaining credibility with the public • Raising staff awareness and enforcing commitment to departmental environmental policy • Exploring improvement opportunities • Establishing the performance baseline for developing an Environmental Management System (EMS)
Conducting an environmental audit is no longer an option but a sound precaution and a proactive measure in today 's heavily regulated environment. Indeed, evidence suggests that EA has a valuable role to play, encouraging systematic incorporation of environmental perspectives into many aspects of an organisation 's overall operation, helping to trigger new awareness and new priorities in policies and practices.
Planning an Environmental Audit
Any premises that wishes to conduct an environmental audit must have a clear idea of the objectives of the exercise and the steps required to achieve it. Before commencing an environmental audit, the following requirements must be fulfilled:
[pic] • Obtain commitment at the Directorate level • Communicate commitment to personnel at all levels
[pic]
To include: • Audit site and boundary • Audit objective(s) • Areas of audit
Audit objectives typically entail: • Verification of legislative and regulatory compliance • Assessment of internal policy and procedural conformance • Establishment of current practice status • Identification of improvement opportunities
Areas of audit normally encompass: • Material management, savings and alternatives • Energy management and savings • Water management and economy
Environmental auditing is a systematic, documented, periodic and objective process in assessing an organization 's activities and services in relation to: • Assessing compliance with relevant statutory and internal requirements • Facilitating management control of environmental practices • Promoting good environmental management • Maintaining credibility with the public • Raising staff awareness and enforcing commitment to departmental environmental policy • Exploring improvement opportunities • Establishing the performance baseline for developing an Environmental Management System (EMS)
Conducting an environmental audit is no longer an option but a sound precaution and a proactive measure in today 's heavily regulated environment. Indeed, evidence suggests that EA has a valuable role to play, encouraging systematic incorporation of environmental perspectives into many aspects of an organisation 's overall operation, helping to trigger new awareness and new priorities in policies and practices.
Planning an Environmental Audit
Any premises that wishes to conduct an environmental audit must have a clear idea of the objectives of the exercise and the steps required to achieve it. Before commencing an environmental audit, the following requirements must be fulfilled:
[pic] • Obtain commitment at the Directorate level • Communicate commitment to personnel at all levels
[pic]
To include: • Audit site and boundary • Audit objective(s) • Areas of audit
Audit objectives typically entail: • Verification of legislative and regulatory compliance • Assessment of internal policy and procedural conformance • Establishment of current practice status • Identification of improvement opportunities
Areas of audit normally encompass: • Material management, savings and alternatives • Energy management and savings • Water management and economy