For example, in the US, federal regulations are grouped by the sector or industry they cover. If you owned a furniture building company, you would look for regulations that cover the furniture manufacturing sector. [3] X Trustworthy Source United States Environmental Protection Agency Independent U. S. government agency responsible for promoting safe environmental practices Go to source
For example, your government may have grants available to help your organization switch to sustainable fuels or install solar panels. If you were initially planning to convert 50 percent of your power to sustainable fuel, the grant might enable you to convert 100 percent of your power. If your organization meets the qualifications for an environmentally sustainable business, there may be tax credits that you can claim on the organization’s taxes.
For example, you might set a goal to reduce your organization’s carbon footprint by 20 percent in the next 5 years. To measure this, you would need to get a solid estimation of your organization’s current carbon footprint, as well as various changes you could implement to lower it. Keep in mind that almost any goal can be made quantifiable. For example, if you wanted to improve your company’s image as a friend to the environment, you could conduct a poll to find out what the public currently thinks of your company. If 50 percent of those polled said they strongly felt that your company was environmentally friendly, you could make it your goal to increase that to 70 percent.
If you’re not sure how long it will take you to achieve the goals laid out in your EMP, or if you think you’re being too ambitious, research other organizations in your industry and find out what they did. You may even be able to find other organizations’ EMPs online that you can read over and compare to your own.
Your environmental policy should also include a basic statement that your organization intends to comply with all existing and future laws, regulations, and standards that are applicable to your business. For example, if you own a company that builds furniture, your environmental policy might be “Here at Fancy Feat Furniture, we focus on creating quality, durable furniture that will last a lifetime while also protecting the Earth. To accomplish this, we use organic and sustainable materials, dyes, and finishes. We follow through with this commitment by maintaining strict standards that exceed regulatory requirements in our industry. "
Typically you would use a large 3-ring binder or similar organizer for this purpose. A 3-ring binder allows you to easily add and remove documents as necessary. Include plastic slipcovers for regulatory documents, such as licenses and permits, that you don’t want to punch holes in.
If permits or licenses are required, list them along with contact information for the issuing agency. If you have permits or licenses that have to be renewed, include the dates of renewal. If you’re required to maintain records related to your compliance, add a list of records that need to be kept and how long you’re required to maintain them.
If you’re currently working toward full compliance, list any inspections that must be completed as well as contact information for the regulatory agency that would complete those inspections. File any licenses or permits you have that demonstrate compliance with environmental laws and regulations behind your outline.
For example, you may have full training for new hires and refresher training for all employees once every 6 months. Your spreadsheet would list the name of each employee with columns for you to write the dates they completed full training or refresher courses. If employees need licenses or permits, include those documents along with the date when they have to get them renewed.
For some managers, participation on the team will be mandatory. For others, start by asking who is interested in joining the team. Employees who are passionate about the environment can be tremendous assets on an EMP implementation team. Update your environmental manual after the team is in place, if necessary. For example, you may need to update the names of the employees in charge of compliance in each area.
For example, if you run a furniture shop, you may put the shop supervisor in charge of training all new employees who will be building furniture. Through that training, each employee will learn their specific responsibilities regarding your EMP.
Follow your timeline with your budget, providing estimates of resources needed to achieve each of the benchmarks you created. Where possible, break down the total resources needed to show specific amounts for each task that is necessary to reach the benchmark. For example, suppose each of your employees needs an environmental certification. The certification costs $250 and requires 18 hours of training followed by a 1-hour exam. Your total budget for that certification would be 19 hours of work at whatever rate each employee is paid (unless they are salary) plus $250 per employee.
At a minimum, the team should meet at least every week a benchmark is scheduled on your EMP timeline. The team member in charge of that particular section would prepare a report on whether that benchmark was reached and any problems that were encountered.
For example, if you owned a furniture manufacturing business, you would want to notify suppliers of wood for your furniture when you transitioned to using only organic wood products. As your organization progresses towards becoming more environmentally friendly, you’ll likely also want to tell the public about it. When you reach a substantial benchmark, prepare a press release or post about it on your organization’s social media accounts.
