According to the World Bank, more than half of the world's GDP is generated in sectors that rely heavily on the services provided by the environment. However, the integrity and functionality of these natural assets are increasingly compromised, as 60% to 70% of the world's ecosystems are being degraded more than they can recover.
It is therefore urgent that economic actors develop plans with sustainable courses of action. Environmental Management Systems are available to companies for this purpose; implementing them is a priority.
Environmental management: What it is and its goals
In the business field, environmental management is the administration and management of all the company's activities that influence the environment through a set of guidelines, techniques, and mechanisms that ensure the implementation of a rational and sustained environmental policy.
This management method is regulated under ISO 14001, which requires the company to maintain an Environmental Management System under which all activities, services and products that may have an impact on the environment are controlled. The purpose of the system is to guarantee the correct use of means and resources, ensuring that the growth of the organization is within a sustainable development model.
Why adopt an Environmental Management System
Having an EMS based on ISO 14001, in addition to demonstrating the organization's commitment to the environment, makes it possible to identify the way in which resources are being used and the deficiencies of that strategy, allowing corrections to be made to reduce costs and improve results.
On the other hand, in the regulatory field, it shows the authorities that the organization complies with current environmental legislation. There are multiple benefits of this management method, both for the organization and for the environment.
How to implement an Environmental Management System in the organization
The international standard ISO 14001 determines the totality of requirements that an EMS must meet to be considered feasible and effective. These can be summarized as having an Environmental Policy.
The Environmental Policy is a documented statement of environmental compliance and improvement defined at management level. It should state the company's commitment to: environmental legislation, pollution prevention and control, and continual improvement.
It is common for organizations to find it complex to demonstrate compliance in these areas in a reliable and supported way; but there are software applications that support companies in management and compliance and provide them with hard data.
Environmental management supported by software solutions
The implementation of an Environmental Management System through a software solution facilitates and simplifies the administration of the aspects of the business that have an impact on the environment through the generation of goals, monitoring of KPI and control of the compliance program.
M-Risk software applications fully address the areas related to environmental management, simplifying compliance and providing information for correct decision making.
- Permit Management: This app facilitates the process of obtaining, complying and renewal of permits and licenses issued by the authority for the development of business activities. With this tool, total traceability of the status of permits and activities to be carried out on the dates required by those responsible assigned by the company is achieved. In addition, it has alerts of permits due to expire and notifications to the collaborators responsible for management.
- Commitments: This application systematizes the processes of identification, procurement, storage, and follow-up of environmental and social commitments to be fulfilled according to current regulations; as well as those commitments acquired internally and that are aimed at reducing the environmental, social, and economic impacts that could be caused by the development of its activities.
- Monitoring: The monitoring solution systematizes and centralizes the monitoring of physical, chemical, and biological indicators, notifying when any of them is out of the norm. In addition, the application allows obtaining updated graphs and tables, reducing the time to obtain internal reports and enabling the link with the company's environmental commitments.
- Waste: With this application, it is possible to identify and measure the generation of industrial waste throughout the different production stages of the organization, generating traceability of each type of waste generated and managing its handling, transportation, and final disposal, with its respective certificate.
Using software such as M-Risk simplifies the identification of business aspects with environmental impact and helps to manage them correctly, meeting improvement goals through detailed and reliable information on business performance. Digital solutions have revolutionized environmental management and are a key tool for obtaining successful results.
