Demonstrating your commitment to managing, and where possible reducing, your company’s environmental impact can be straightforward with an environmental policy. But what should an environmental policy document contain? And how can you craft a policy that encapsulates an accurate demonstration of your intentions to meet green targets, and your ability to do so?
Why Are Environmental Policies Important?
An environmental policy is a clear demonstration of your business’s commitment to green issues and a reduction in the wider environmental impact of your operations.
It sets out a number of business improvements that can be measured in order to track performance.
While there is no legal requirement or standard structure for an environmental policy, it is one of the best ways of demonstrating that your company has a clear intent to comply with the vast range of environmental legislation which may affect your company.
What Are the Benefits of an Environmental Policy?
Creating a company environmental policy can provide some serious benefits to your internal operations, including:
- Staying within environmental legislation
- Clearly defining environmental roles within the workforce
- Reducing wastage of both materials and energy within your operations
- Structures for monitoring and reducing your environmental impact
- Preventing incidents that could result in a liability.
And when you look outside the business the benefits can become even more considerable:
- Preferred supplier: Many customers want to know about the green credentials of their suppliers and will choose a business that shows a clear commitment to the future of our planet.
- Improved relationships: Companies that take better care of their local environment, from less noise pollution to fewer vehicles on the road, tend to have a better relationship with the local community.
- Contractual advantages: Using an environmental policy, especially one that’s stamped with ISO 14001 certification, can pre-qualify you for contracts where the impact on the environment is a real concern – such as reducing carbon costs.
How to Write an Environmental Policy in Five Steps
1. Clearly state organisation objectives
The policy should make sense in terms of the wider objectives of the business. There is no point in creating targets for waste reduction or new behaviours if these are going to detract from the overall function and performance of the business. Key factors to consider include cost and risk reduction and PR and sales benefits.
2. Keep it short and concise
Work to condense the messaging until it is powerful and simple. When having a high degree of clarity on aims and objectives, these should be simple to explain.
3. Use simple language
Achieve maximum support for the policy by breaking down the complex ideas into clear, understandable language that makes sense to everyone.
4. Be realistic
Creating unachievable targets and going for significant goals could be demotivating if the business does not hit the chosen metric. Make sure targets and schedule for change are feasible for the company
5. Circulate the policy
Send a copy to all your suppliers and customers. Get it made into a poster and put it up in the staff room. Make sure that everyone understands why the policy matters and can get behind the program for improvement.
What to Include in Your Policy
An environmental policy should be aligned with the organisation’s specific activities, risks, and operational context. It has to examine the context of the enterprise and create a mandate for specific change.
Don’t think about the outcomes, which may be standard aspirations such as the reduction of carbon emissions. Instead concentrate on exactly how the business might complete this objective.
With this in mind, the following could be considered and included when writing an environmental policy statement:
- A central section that outlines the company’s mission, providing the background for the overall policy.
- Statements which are supported by performance indicators demonstrating a commitment to continual improvement of environmental performance and effective management.
- Listed plans to empower employees and suppliers in meeting green goals. How could you make sure they understand the importance of the policy, and what tools will you give them to complete their responsibilities?
- Indications of how progress will be monitored, and targets reviewed. This should also be backed with firm statements of how the policy will evolve once the targets are achieved.
What Is an Example of an Environmental Policy?
Every environmental policy document will be different depending on the business. It can be a good idea to take a look at different environmental policies and procedures examples in order to get an idea of structure, layout and format.
Again, it’s important to note that no environmental policy will be the same – it varies from business to business depending on wider business objectives and aims.
Keeping Your Environmental Policy Up to Date
If a business is regularly hitting its targets for environmental improvements, it is a good idea to update the policy document. Holding regular review sessions to get feedback on the progress that has been made towards meeting performance indicators from different business departments can help to ensure the business is maintaining an environmentally friendly workplace.
As business changes and new information regarding environmentally aware behaviour surfaces, it is vital that the policy is updated in-line with this understanding. It needs to reflect the state of company operations and the latest thinking. For instance, in the 1990s there was a move to use less paper. Now, businesses are trying to use less plastic and paper is seen as preferable – as sustainable rainforests become more prevalent.
Employees can also be an essential source of information regarding environmental policy. As these workers are on the front line, watching operations and having to deal with the day to day running of the company, they are able to provide top-level insight into how a business can easily adapt and change to meet environmental targets. Often they will have better, more well-developed ideas than the management team.
Adding to Your Environmental Policy
A good environmental policy can form the basis for your corporate social responsibility and sustainable development policies. If a business operates in a heavy production industry or uses lots of machinery then there will be a significant degree of correlation between responsibilities to the community and environmental responsibilities.
Equally a sustainability policy should be highly correlated with the environmental policy. Consider use of products and services. Check sources and ensure they are renewable. Is the business reusing or recycling waste, or even selling it as a resource? Going beyond legal obligations can help to ensure that a business is functioning in a sustainable manner.
Demonstrating commitment to a clear environmental policy is about more than creating specific targets to reduce harmful behaviour. It is a clear indication of the mindset of a business and the company culture. When it comes to marketing in the future, this kind of policy won’t simply be preferable, it could well be expected. Get ahead of the game and underline a feasible and thoughtful policy for your organisation.
Get ISO 14001 Certified
It is important to remember that an environmental policy needs to have a management and implementation section that focuses on how the policy is actually delivered alongside effective systems for measurement.
This is where certification like ISO 14001 excels, as it forces the business to create a management framework for full implementation and continual improvement. To help reduce your business’s environmental impact and become more environmentally friendly, request a quote today to get your ISO 14001 certificate.
