2. UNON
COURSE INTRODUCTION
This is an ISO 14001 Environmental Management
System Basic Awareness course.
Objectives of this course
Understand what an environmental management
system (EMS) is.
The benefits of an EMS.
Why an EMS is important to what you do and
UNON.
2
3. UNON
Some terms you might encounter
environment – Surroundings in which an organisation operates: Air, water, land,
natural resources, flora, fauna, humans and their interrelationships.
life cycle – consecutive and interlinked stages of a product (or service) system, from
raw material acquisition or generation from natural resources to final disposal.
environmental policy – intentions and direction of an organization related to
environmental performance as formally expressed by its top management.
GHG - A greenhouse gas is any gaseous compound in the atmosphere that is
capable of absorbing infrared radiation, thereby trapping and holding heat in the
atmosphere which are responsible for the greenhouse effect, which ultimately leads
to global warming.The most significant greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide (CO2)
from burning fuels and deforestation.
4. UNON
x =
Population Activities Green Initiatives
Low Impact
Each human activity impacts the environment in several ways, either in a good or bad way.
Common effects include water quality degradation, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions,
depletion of natural resources and contribution to global climate change. Some of these are
the direct result of human activities, whereas others are secondary effects that are part of a
series of actions and reactions.
+
x =
Population Activities No Green Initiatives
High Impact
+
5. UNON
An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a set of processes and practices
that enable an organization to reduce its
environmental impacts and increase its
operating efficiency in a systematic and
cost-effective manner.
This set of processes and practices
is regulated by the Standard
ISO 14001-2015 framework based
on the specific methodology
Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA).
ISO - International Organisation for Standardization
ISO 14001:2015 – Environmental Management Systems
6. UNON
What are the key reasons for adopting an EMS?
• Ethical: as human beings we have a duty to look after the world in
which we live and to hand it on to our children
• Economic: conserving resources and not generating waste
products or wasting energy means we save on cost
• Compliance Obligations: each company, organization, entity
should comply with relevant environmental laws
• Commercial: more and more large organizations are taking control
of their environmental responsibilities
7. UNON
• Activity = Any Task or Operation or Service
• UNON is to identify all the direct and indirect activities that might
interact with the environment
• Environmental Aspect = The Activity’s interaction with the
Environment
• UNON is to identify all the interactions from the activities
• Environmental Impact = A change to the Environment, positive or
negative
• UNON is to evaluate these changes
Each Activity of UNON, operates in a specific Environmental
Aspect and produces one or more Environmental Impacts.
8. UNON
Some examples of UNON Environmental
Activities, Aspects and Impacts
Activity Aspect Impact
Toilet flushing Water usage Use of natural resources
Production of waste water
Lighting use Use of electricity
Air emissions
Use of natural resources
Air quality degradation
Changing oil Air emissions
Use of oil
Recycling of oil
Spills
Soil and land
contamination
Consumption of natural
Resources
Printing Use of electricity
Use of paper
Use of ink/toner
Consumption of natural
resources
Production of chemicals
9. UNON
UNON Environmental Impacts
• Water pollution
• Air emissions
• Noise
• Waste management
• Contaminated land
• Waste water treatment
• Consumption of natural resources
10. UNON
Waste recycling
Water conservation
Noise control
Energy saving
Renewable energy
Wastewater treatment and
recycling
Public and private transport
management
UNON is minimising its environmental impacts by
implementing some green projects and programs such
as;
11. UNON
Examples of UNON projects and programs
Impact Project
Waste Recycling Construction ofWaste Area, Using recyclable
bottles for water,Waste Segregation
Water Conservation Dual FlushingWC’s, Push taps,
Energy Conservation Energy Consumption Metering, Motion
Sensors, Energy saving bulbs
Wastewater treatment and
recycling
Revamp the existing wastewater treatment
plant, use recycled water for plants
12. UNON
What does an EMS require to be effective?
Staff involvement is crucial! Getting staff involved, from top
management to the workshop floor, will demonstrate UNON’s
commitment to the environment and help to ensure that the EMS is
realistic, practical and adds value.
More specifically an EMS needs at least the following:
Means / Methods / Resources
Training / Documentation / Reporting
Communication / Operational Controls
13. UNON
UNON will commit to the environment by developing a statement known
as UNON Environmental Policy.
I. Stewardship of the environment by preventing pollution, improving waste management, protecting
biodiversity and ecosystems, minimizing consumption of resources and finally GHG emissions.
II. Compliance with applicable legal and other requirements which UNON subscribes to and which relate to
its environmental aspects.
III. Provision of appropriate resources and information to implement, maintain continuous improvements,
encourage environmental protection among on-site staff and contractors and adopt an effective
emergency response to environment-related incidents.
IV. Regularly review and expand our environmental management systems at all levels with a view of
continually improving performance.
UNON’s policy will be used as a framework for planning and action and must
be publicly available!
14. UNON
Your Participation
All personnel have roles and responsibilities for the UNON
EMS.Your level of participation will vary according to the
work you perform. At a minimum, you are responsible
for knowing:
The commitments of the UNON Environmental Policy.
How your job impacts the environment.
The environmental related procedures/protocols that
impact on your job and adhering to them.
The potential environmental impacts of departing from
the procedures of your job.
14
15. UNON
Summary
• Being a good environmental steward is every UNON employee’s
business.
• Performing your job in an environmentally safe and sound manner
benefits us all by;
1. Protecting the health of the surrounding ecosystem
2. Preserving resources for future generations
3. Meeting needs and expectations of the surrounding community
4. Saving resources by decreasing wastage.
- Remember theWorld Environment Day – 5th June of each year
15
