Steps to Environmental Management (STEM)

Working through STEM:

Developing an EMS for your business

Agenda

• 8:45am: Registration and networking• 9:00am: Introduction

– Introduction from Channel Chambers– What is an EMS?– What is STEM?– What is the South East Business Carbon Hub?

• 9:30am: Workshop: Working through STEM• 10:30am: Tea/Coffee• 12:30pm: Close

What is an EMS?

The way you manage your environmental impacts

For example:

• what do you do with your waste?

• Do you watch how much electricity you use?

Continual improvement

Environmental Policy

Planning

Implementation and operation

Checking and corrective action

Management review

EMS standards

•Aligns with 9001

•Internationally recognised

ISO 14001

•Recognised across Europe

EMAS

Carbon Trust Standard

•National standard

•Achieved through IEMA Acorn scheme

•Takes you through 6 stages (7th -> ISO 14001)

BS8555

•South East businesses only

•~ equivalent to stage 3 of BS8555

•Free, support from SEBCH team

STEM

- Real carbon reduction

Benefits of an EMS

• Lower operating costs • Improved reputation with customers/clients• Improved environmental credentials• Potential for new business• Compliance with environmental legislation

What is STEM?

• FREE self-certifying certification scheme for SMEs

• Tailored to SMEs• Linked to SEBCH so as to avoid paper-

work• Supported by Carbon Trust and IEMA• 3 levels: Blue, Silver and Gold• Can lead onto ISO 14001 and BS 8555

Certification process

• Complete Assessment Form (this workshop)

• Check documents against criteria (this workshop)

• If successful, issue certificate (this workshop)

• HOMEWORK: Finalise documents, log onto hub and type up documents to keep on record

Certification

• Certificate• STEM logo with your business name and

unique reference number• Listing on www.kent.gov.uk/stemregistry

What is the SEBCH?

Online network of businesses receiving sustainable business advice in order to:

–Cut costs, cut carbon, win business!

Funded by KCC and ERDF Competiveness Programme 2007-2013: FREE services to SMEs

What do you get from the SEBCH?

Carbon management website access

Sustainable business advice

Events

STEM certification scheme

Sustainable Travel Service

Onsite Environmental Review

Ask a question here and Post answer here

Ice-breaker

• 4 Groups of 5/6• One mentor per group

• Introduce yourself and say what your business does?

• Mentor: fill in mentor checklist

Workshop: STEM Blue Level

• Management Commitment• Baseline Assessment• Significant Impacts• Environmental Policy• Data Collection

1. Management commitment

The business needs top level support to ensure correct resources and changes are made within organisation

a) Key business drivers

Cost savings Reduce wasteImprove

environmental credentials

Improve reputation

Want to be green

Legal compliance

Reduced risk – legal and financial

Climate change

Improve efficiencies/

change processes

b) Registration FormComplete and sign form.

c) Commit to time and resourcesData collection, implementation of environmental initiatives, training, communication, target setting, meetings…

d) Environmental championWho will this be?

2. Baseline assessment

Establish your starting point

• What is your current performance?• What do you do?• What do you want to improve?• What documents do you have on file?

a) Logon to SEBCH

b) What does your business do?• Update profile in SEBCH• Include a logo

• Have you got your login details?

https://southeastbusiness.carbon-hub.com

d) What are you main activities/products and services?

Determines scope of environmental work

What do you control or have an influence over?

e) Confirm your scope

Activities that your environmental programme will not cover.

Example:

The scope of my environmental programme will cover the transport I use to conduct my projects, the waste I produce on site, the energy I use onsite and at the office.

It will not include the materials specified by the client.

f) Documentation

• What documents do you already have onsite?• What legislation do you know that you are already

adhering to?• ENVIORNMENTAL PERMITS:

– Trade effluent into surface/ground water– Transport waste (or arrange it)– Produce or move hazardous waste– Produce GHG emissions

• Visit NetRegs or for more information

Use the list provided

http://www.netregs.gov.uk/

g) Walk-round checklist

Helps:• Identify environmental

impacts• Evaluate legal

compliance• identify any

management systems already in place.

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Completing the Walk-round checklist • Answer the questions on the checklist• Any questions:

– Unanswered– Unknown – Not doing/ think you should be doing

Add to the Checklist report at the END of the form.

Once completed: discuss any issues with your mentor that need action.

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h) Site-drainage plans

• Do you produce/use chemicals, oils or food waste on site?

If yes, complete Site-drainage Plan.

Example Drainage Plan

3. Significant Environmental Impacts

Aspect: The cause

Use of fuel onsite – potential to enter groundwater

Impact: The effect

Water pollution – harmful to wildlife

Source:

Fuel used to fill trucks onsite.

Significance = Severity x Likelihood

• Severity and likelihood are given a score between 1 (low) and 5 (high)• A total absence of control measures is

assumed

• Severity is the seriousness of the impact e.g. potential damage, legal ramifications, PR, positive opportunities (cost savings if managed)

• Likelihood is frequency of impact occurring

Assessing significance

Severity = 5 (HIGH) (Legal ramifications, bad PR, cost of potential fine)

Liklihood = 4 (Trucks are filled weekly)

Significance = 5 x 4 = 20

b) Choosing significant impacts

• 80/20 rule– 20% of your high scoring impacts will cause

80% of your environmental damage• Select top 5 impacts from Aspects

Register– Use COMMON SENSE!

4. Environmental Policy

An Environmental Policy is a mission statement for your organisation and is integral to your company’s management system and environmental principles.

It’s aim is to set out and communicate key environmental commitments to all stakeholders.

The policy should be a clear statement of the organisation's overall aims and approach.

Environmental Policy Guidelines

Senior management sign-off Commitment to comply with legislation Commitment to continuous improvement Commitment to pollution prevention Covers significant environmental impacts Makes clear commitments implemented

through practical actions

5. Data collection

Sources of data

Emission-releasing activity Source of information

Electricity Total kilowatt hours from electricity bills OR meter readings

Natural gas Total kilowatt hours from gas bills OR meter readings

Water Total water in cubic meters (m3) from water bill

Business travel Litres of fuel purchased from invoices and receipts OR vehicle mileage from vehicle log books/odometers

Commuter travel Staff travel survey

Waste/recycling Amount of bags/skips/tonnes of waste or recycling collected from waste collection provider

5. Data collection

a) Completed on registration form

b) Any other data you want to collect? How will you monitor it? Who will be responsible?

– Products– Packaging– Paper – Staff transport– Site/unit specific utility use

• Finalise action plan with group mentor• Mentor to check criteria against checklist• Any questions?

Before you leave…

• Please give us:– SEBCH registration form– Action Plan (we will scan and send you a copy)– Confirmation of support

• We will issue you with:– Certificate for STEM Blue level (now)– Logo– Listing on STEM registry on KCC website

CONGRATULATIONS

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Contacts

8 Carbon.hub@kent.gov.uk

(01622 696950

: https://southeastbusiness.carbon-hub.com/

THANK YOU!

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Upcoming events

Webinar:

Business Resilience to Climate Change

17 November

Speak to Viv

Carbon.hub@kent.gov.uk

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