Top Ten Tips – writing an environmental policy statement
More and more of the “bigger” companies are requesting safety and environmental information from their suppliers and contractors. To help business comply with the raft of environmental legislation and to improve their environmental “credentials” here are my top ten tips for writing an environmental policy statement.
1. Look at what you do and how it “impacts” on the environment. If you use materials then these are a “resource”. Include in your statement a commitment to minimise the use of natural resources.
2. Look at what you do and how it “impacts” on the environment. If you produce waste, then include in your statement a commitment to reducing waste going to landfill through reusing, reducing and recycling.
3. Look at what you do and how it “impacts” on the environment. If you use gas and electricity then add a commitment to being more energy efficient.
4. If you have staff, include a sentence on improving staff environmental awareness by providing information, instruction and training.
5. State that you will comply with all “applicable” environmental legislation and other “appropriate” requirements (you will need to find out what these are).
6. Be honest state “At **** we realise that our activities have an impact on the environment.” If necessary include large/ small to add a bit more detail.
7. State you will “prevent pollution” this will be received well with both corporate and tree huggers!
8. Make it available to all, if you are going to put on your website, do so. If you state this in your policy statement make sure you are doing what you say you are doing.
9. Make it applicable to you and your organisation. It does not need to be “War and Peace”, make it shorter and concise.
10. Include a commitment to “continual improvement”, continual means a gradual improvement over a set period of time. Do not expect to be perfect in one month!
Lastly (and I know this could be tip 11), this is just the policy statement. The real work is the arrangements under pinning it. You do not have to have a system such as ISO14001; it can be a small internal system. As long as it works!
For more information contact she ltd or go to our website www.she.ltd.uk
More and more of the “bigger” companies are requesting safety and environmental information from their suppliers and contractors. To help business comply with the raft of environmental legislation and to improve their environmental “credentials” here are my top ten tips for writing an environmental policy statement.
1. Look at what you do and how it “impacts” on the environment. If you use materials then these are a “resource”. Include in your statement a commitment to minimise the use of natural resources.
2. Look at what you do and how it “impacts” on the environment. If you produce waste, then include in your statement a commitment to reducing waste going to landfill through reusing, reducing and recycling.
3. Look at what you do and how it “impacts” on the environment. If you use gas and electricity then add a commitment to being more energy efficient.
4. If you have staff, include a sentence on improving staff environmental awareness by providing information, instruction and training.
5. State that you will comply with all “applicable” environmental legislation and other “appropriate” requirements (you will need to find out what these are).
6. Be honest state “At **** we realise that our activities have an impact on the environment.” If necessary include large/ small to add a bit more detail.
7. State you will “prevent pollution” this will be received well with both corporate and tree huggers!
8. Make it available to all, if you are going to put on your website, do so. If you state this in your policy statement make sure you are doing what you say you are doing.
9. Make it applicable to you and your organisation. It does not need to be “War and Peace”, make it shorter and concise.
10. Include a commitment to “continual improvement”, continual means a gradual improvement over a set period of time. Do not expect to be perfect in one month!
Lastly (and I know this could be tip 11), this is just the policy statement. The real work is the arrangements under pinning it. You do not have to have a system such as ISO14001; it can be a small internal system. As long as it works!
For more information contact she ltd or go to our website www.she.ltd.uk
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