Environmental Standards, Certifications and Voluntary Agreements
Click on the standard, certification or agreement to learn more:ISO 14001
Eco-Management and Audit Scheme
EMS and IPPC licensing
BS 8555:2003
ISO 50001:2011 Energy Management
BES 6001 Responsible Sourcing of Construction Products
CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme
Origin Green- Sustainability Charter for Irish Food and Drink Manufactures
Ecotourism ecolabel
Green Tourism Business Scheme
The Sustainable Restaurant Association’s Sustainability Rating
TIDY Business
Forest Management Scheme Certification and Chain of Custody Certification
PAS 2060 Specification for the demonstration of carbon neutrality
ISO 20121 Event Sustainable Management Systems (ESMS)
MCERTS for environmental data management software
Carbon Trust Standard
WRAP’s The Hospitality and Food Service Agreement
WRAP’s Federation House Commitment – Water use in Food and Drink Industry
WRAP’s Halving Waste to Landfill- Construction Industry
NQA Sustainability Assessed Certification
Green Seafood Business Programme
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ISO 14001
ISO 14001 is the International Standard for Environmental Management Systems. The most widely used
EMS in the world, with over 11,000 organisations certified in the UK and an estimated 223,000
organisations certified in 159 countries world-wide. ISO 14001 is the principal management system
standard which specifies the requirements for the formulation and maintenance of an EMS. There are
three fundamental commitments required in an environmental policy that meets the requirements of ISO
14001. These include:
•
prevention of pollution
•
compliance with legislation
•
continual improvement of the EMS
These commitments help drive the improvements in overall environmental performance.
Organisations must describe what they intend to do, adhere to their procedures and record their efforts to
demonstrate compliance and improvement. You will set objectives, targets and implement a programme to
improve your environmental performance which often leads to financial benefits.
Organisations are required to identify applicable legal, statutory and related requirements. It is particularly
important to identify how the legislation affects you so that compliance measures can be adopted and
periodically evaluated ensuring requirements are understood by employees and implemented effectively.
Eco-Management and Audit Scheme
The Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a management tool for organisations to evaluate,
report and improve their environmental performance. The scheme has been available since 1995 and was
revised in 2001. The current EMAS specification is defined in Regulation (EC) No 761/2001. Unlike many EU
Regulations, there is no legal obligation to use EMAS; it is available for adoption on a voluntary basis.
EMAS is an environmental management scheme, whereby organisations develop an EMS (to ISO 14001 or
in line with the EMS specified in EMAS) and an externally verified Environmental Statement as per the
provisions of the EMAS Regulation. This enables them to register under the EMAS whereby they may use
the EMAS logo and become listed in the Register of EMAS sites.
EMS and IPPC licensing
Any site in possession of an Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) License or a Waste
Management License from the Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to develop an EMS
for the management of all environmental issues. There is currently no requirement within the licensing
systems to achieve certification to the ISO 14001 standard or to EMAS; however, many licensed companies
see certification of the EMS as an added benefit. Condition 2 of the license defines the requirements for
the EMS.
BS 8555:2003
BS 8555 is a British Standard which provides guidance on the phased implementation of an EMS, including
the management of environmental performance evaluation, within a framework of six easily manageable
phases. These phases can be tackled incrementally at a pace that suits your organisation and
implementation of all phases can lead to having an EMS in place that is ready for assessment against the
requirements of ISO 14001 and / or EMAS.
The six phases of BS 8555:
•
Commitment and establishing the baseline
•
Identifying and ensuring compliance with legal and other requirements
•
Developing objectives, targets and programmes
•
Implementation and operation of the EMS
•
Checking, audit and review
•
EMS acknowledgement (getting ISO 14001 and/or EMAS)
Each of the six phases of BS 8555 comprise a number of stages which are defined in a ‘stage profile’. These
stage profiles explain why and how to implement each stage, who should be involved, the outputs of
implementation and achievement criteria.
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ISO 50001:2011
ISO 50001:2011 is the International Standard for Energy Management, released in June 2011 that replaces
the British and European Standard BS EN 16001:2009. It provides the most robust framework for
optimizing energy efficiency in public and private sector organisations. Certification to this standard defines
an organisations commitment to continual improvement in energy management. Implementation will
enable an organisation to lead by example within their respective industries and ensure related legislative
and regulatory requirements are met.
How to gain certification to ISO 50001?
Applications for certification can be made by completing the EnMS questionnaire
Assessment to ISO 50001 is undertaken. This consists of two mandatory visits which form the Initial
Certification Audit.
BES 6001 Responsible Sourcing of Construction Products
Overview of BES 6001 Responsible Sourcing of Construction Products
With the Government’s increasing focus on sustainable development, many construction companies are
recognising the need to prove that their buildings are built with sustainability in mind. One element of this
is in the responsible sourcing of products used in their construction and the onus of proof is increasingly
being passed down to the manufacturers of those construction products.
The BRE standard BES 6001 has been published to enable construction product manufacturers to ensure
and then prove that their products have been made with constituent materials that have been responsibly
sourced. The standard describes a framework for the organisational governance, supply chain management
and environmental and social aspects that must be addressed in order to ensure the responsible sourcing
of construction products.
http://www.bsigroup.co.uk/en/Assessment-and-Certification-services/Management-systems/Standardsand-Schemes/BES-6001/
CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme
The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme was introduced by government in 2008. Organisations that meet the
qualification criteria, based on how much electricity they consumed in 2008, will be obliged to participate
in the CRC. The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme has been designed so that it only includes organisations that
will save enough on energy bills to offset the administrative costs of participating. Qualification for the
scheme is based on electricity supply across organisations and groups of undertakings, rather than at an
individual site basis. Organisations that are a single entity, that is, they are not part of a group, will need to
establish qualification for CRC across the sites that are part of that organisation. Organisations qualify as
participants if, during the 2008 calendar year, they had at least one half-hourly electricity meter (HHM),
settled on the half hourly market and if they consumed at least 6,000 MWh (megawatt hours) through all
half-hourly meters. If an organisation consumes less than 6,000 MWh of electricity, they will not need to
register. The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme is mandatory.
The qualification year for phase 2 will be 2012-2013 and registration will be from April 2013.
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/topics/pollution/126698.aspx
What is Origin Green? Irish Food and Drink Manufactures
The Origin Green Sustainability Charter developed by Bord Bia is an ongoing voluntary programme that
seeks to demonstrate the commitment of Irish food and drink manufacturers, both large and small, to
operate in the most sustainable manner possible. At the heart of Origin Green is a sustainability charter
that will commit participants to engage directly with the challenges of sustainability: reducing energy
inputs, minimising their overall carbon footprint and lessening their impact on the environment. It offers a
structure that allows individual companies to communicate key sustainability issues, set targets and
regularly report progress in achieving short, medium and long term goals.
How does it work?
Companies sign up to developing and implementing a multi-annual action plan. This will set out clear
targets in the key action areas identified by the company, which will then be required to commit to deliver
a progress report on an annual basis. Bord Bia will communicate cumulative improvements under key
headings, while individual companies will be able to highlight their improvements as part of an
independently verified programme. http://www.bordbia.ie/origingreen/Pages/OriginGreenHome.aspx
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Ecotourism ecolabel
Providing high quality dedicated training for the ecotourism sector in Ireland. A dynamic initiative designed
to provide training and networking support to enterprises within the eco-tourism sector and any
organisation interested in developing their business in a more environmentally friendly way.
Ecotourism Ireland Gold Level
These Ecotourism approved experiences are at the forefront of the industry. They are provided by
businesses dedicated to educating tourists about the natural world and local culture. They are striving to be
environmentally innovative and socially responsible. Their ecotourism products have a positive impact on
the environment, local communities, and their clients. They will invest both time and money to maintain
positive ecotourism practices. These Ecotourism approved experiences have had an on-site assessment,
which verified that they have received 85-100% of the available points.
Ecotourism Ireland Silver Silver Level
These Ecotourism approved experiences are highly environmentally and socio-culturally responsible. They
are continuously working to better their operations, enhance their sustainable travel practices and provide
more in depth interpretation of the natural world. The management of these products are knowledgeable
about environmental/social issues related to their business, and they are working to become industry
leaders. These Ecotourism approved experiences have had an on-site assessment which verified that they
have received 65-84% of the available points.
Ecotourism Ireland Bronze Level
These Ecotourism approved experiences are somewhat low-impact, and may incorporate a number of
environmental and social issues in their operation. The product will provide at least basic interpretation of
nature for guests and make some business choices based on environmental and social responsibility. These
businesses have taken considerable training in all practices and implemented environmental sustainable
practices and ecotourism policies.
http://www.ecotourismireland.ie/
Green Tourism Business Scheme
The GTBS is the national sustainable tourism certification scheme for the UK. Originally developed in
partnership with VisitScotland, it is now the only national scheme to be independently validated by the
International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT) on behalf of VisitEngland, VisitWales and the Northern
Ireland Tourist Board and endorsed by VisitScotland and Failte Ireland.
Businesses opting to join Green Tourism are assessed by a qualified grading advisor against a rigorous set
of criteria, covering a range of areas, like energy and water efficiency, waste management, biodiversity and
more. Those businesses that meet the required standard, receive a Bronze, Silver, or Gold award based on
their level of achievement. The current network of members is comprised of a wide range of business
types, including accommodation providers, visitor attractions, corporate offices and others.
http://www.green-business.co.uk/
Irish Green Hospitality Award
The Award offers three levels - Silver Award, Gold and Platinum.
 Silver Award– a good standard
 Gold – Best Practice
 Platinum – World Class Best Practice – this property represents excellence across all aspects of
environmental management – This is available for the Hotel Sector only
All of these categories are judged with a series of Mandatory Requirements coupled with a scoring system
based on a variety of Optional Requirements. All businesses also receive an on-site audit of their operation
to ensure that the criteria are being achieved before the Award is issued.
Award winners can stay at each level for an indefinite period – an audit will be carried out every 3 years to
ensure that the standards are being maintained. If a business wishes to move from one standard to the
next an audit must be passed. An annual membership fee must be paid and each year the business must
complete a self audit form and provide consumption data. The on-site audit carried out to achieve the
award initially, maintain the award every 3rd year, or move to a higher award level, will be charged
separately to the annual membership fee.
http://www.ghaward.ie/
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The Sustainable Restaurant Association’s Sustainability Rating
The SRA encourages all restaurants to get Sustainability Rated and show that they’re walking the walk, as
well as talking the talk. It’s a great way for restaurants to show their ongoing commitment to sustainability,
identify areas for change and promote to their customers all the great things they’re doing. Diners can use
the ratings to identify restaurants that are going the extra mile to be more sustainable — and are ready to
be transparent about their results.
To get rated, restaurants are examined in 14 key focus areas and provide detailed evidence to support
their answers across three main sustainability categories – Sourcing, Environment and Society. Carried out
by expert SRA assessors, there are three potential Ratings: One Star, Two Star and Three Star Sustainability
Champion. Restaurants that achieve Champion status will be flagged up in our online Restaurant Directory
and the good news will be shared with the press, restaurant guides and critics.
Get rated in 2012 and be in the running for next year’s Sustainable Restaurant Awards. Call Ed on 020 7479
4221 or email ed@thesra.org for more information.
http://www.thesra.org/what-we-offer/sustainability-rating/
TIDY Business
TIDY Business is a service aimed at councils, town centre managers and private companies to make areas
more aesthetically pleasing to residents, visitors, workers, businesses and investors alike.
TIDY Business is an annual award scheme with three levels. Its main aim is to raise awareness of all
businesses to the ways in which they contain, store, collect and dispose of their waste, as required by the
Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland)Order 1997. The scheme also gives public recognition to
the efforts that businesses make to better their waste management practices and to improve the visual
appearance of their local environment. The incentive is provided by the desire to be an environmentally
responsible business.
The bronze standard is awarded to businesses meeting all of the statutory Duty of Care requirements for
commercial waste. The Silver Standard requires compliance with all the Bronze criteria, and also rewards
initiatives for recycling and waste minimisation. To achieve the Gold Standard, businesses must play a part
in actively improving their local environment, for example through taking part in community activities such
as clean ups.
Premises that meet the required standards are awarded a certificate and window sticker to display to their
customers. If standards are not met, the certificate and sticker will be revoked until any problems have
been resolved.
http://www.tidynorthernireland.org/about-us/programmes/tidy-business/index.php
Forest Management Scheme Certification
Being FSC certified shows that you comply with the highest social and environmental standards on the
market. As public concerns about the state of the world’s forests and timber resources increases, FSC
provides you with a credible solution to complex environmental and social issues.
FSC certification is an effective way to get public and consumer recognition of your responsible practices. It
gives you credibility with customers and business partners as well as financial institutions and watchdog
organizations. FSC certification helps to protect your brand and reputation and it allows you to access
highly environmentally sensitive markets. Increasingly, governments and others specify FSC certified
products in their procurement programs. FSC Forest Management certification is the certification of the
forest or plantation area. FSC Chain of Custody certification tracks the FSC certified material through the
production processes all the way to the store.
Chain of Custody Certification
Who needs chain of custody?
Manufacturers - timber traders - wholesalers - importers - builders - contractors - publishers - printers - in
fact, all those whose customers want to advertise products as FSC certified or say that they have brought
or used certified products (for example in an annual environment report).
Any company making, changing, re-labelling or repackaging products needs to be certified to do so and any
company wishing to apply any of the FSC trademarks (our name, our acronym or our logo) to products or
their packaging needs to be certified.
http://www.fsc-uk.org/?page_id=51
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PAS 2060 Specification for the demonstration of carbon neutrality
A new standard - PAS 2060 Specification for the demonstration of carbon neutrality - has been published
by BSI which allows organizations to ensure their carbon neutrality claims are correct and gain customers'
confidence. PAS 2060 has been developed in co-operation with the Department of Energy and Climate
Change (DECC) and household names, including Marks & Spencer, Eurostar and the Cooperative. PAS 2060
helps to restore consumers’ confidence in the credibility of carbon neutrality claims and encourages action
on climate change. PAS 2060 gives guidance on how to quantify, reduce and offset GHG emissions from a
specific subject including activities, products, services, buildings, projects and major developments, towns
and cities, and events. PAS 2060 can be used by anyone wanting to cut GHG emissions including regional
or local government, communities, organizations/companies or parts of organizations (including brands),
clubs or social groups, families and individuals.
How does it work?
With PAS 2060 your business can decrease its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and demonstrate better
pollution control – so you’ll meet your environment and sustainability objectives.
By meeting these requirements, your customers and staff members have physical proof that your carbon
neutrality statements are true and reliable. The specifications of PAS 2060 help you to use the same criteria
as your competitors and improve your general energy performance, saving you money on your energy bills.
ISO 20121 Event Sustainable Management Systems (ESMS)
The ISO 20121 Event Sustainability Management Systems (ESMS) provides specific requirements for the
organisation of events with lower impact on environment and community, and improved relationship with
a broad range of stakeholders: local authorities, suppliers, residents, workers, and of course participants
and attendees of the event. We can certify your company, your event, or your venue to ISO 2012 no matter
what type or size the organisation is, what the design and delivery of the event you planned, or what
geographical, social and cultural contest you operate in.
This standard is not a checklist or a reporting framework; it challenges your organisation to improve
process and calls for continual performance improvement in delivering event-related activities without
detracting from the aim of the event.
ISO 20121 standards is applicable to any organisation that aims to:
•establish, implement, maintain and improve an event sustainability management system;
•ensure that it is in conformity with its stated sustainable development policy;
•demonstrate voluntary conformity with this International Standard by the organisers, and any second
party having an interest in the organisation.
MCERTS for environmental data management software
Performance standards and test procedures for environmental data management software
Computers are now an integral part of how environmental data is generated, stored, manipulated and
reported. MCERTS for environmental data management software provides a formal scheme for the product
certification of data management applications. Please contact mike.healy@environment-agency.gov.uk for
further information. http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/regulation/89259.aspx
Carbon Trust Standard
Achieving the Carbon Trust Standard publicly recognises your efforts in reducing carbon emissions and
provides tangible proof to your employees, shareholders as well as customers and suppliers that you are
committed to making future reductions. Carbon Trust Standard bearers have achieved over 3.6Mt CO2e
certified reductions – equivalent to £165m in cost savings a year.
Our Standard Bearers range from large multinational organisations to smaller one man organisations, all
proud to bear the Carbon Trust Standard logo.
Assessment Criteria
To achieve the Carbon Trust Standard you will need to meet three criteria:
1. Provide an accurate footprint measurement including all required emission sources.
2. Demonstrate an absolute reduction of your footprint or equivalent relative efficiency improvement.
3. Demonstrate good carbon management to our standard including carbon governance, accounting,
reduction methods and targets.
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You will need to submit your application for review by an independent assessor using the following tools:
 Carbon Footprint Calculator to record your organisation’s carbon footprint and the reduction in
this footprint over time. The methodology has been developed for the Carbon Trust Standard and
follows the principles outlined in the GHG protocol, with all carbon emissions calculated using
government-produced emissions factors (in the UK factors published by Defra are used).
 Assessment Form to document whether your organisation meets the required carbon
management standards. In order to achieve the Carbon Trust Standard an overall score of at least
60% is required in this section.
http://www.carbontruststandard.com/pages/Carbon+Trust+Standard
The Hospitality and Food Service Agreement
The Hospitality and Food Service Agreement is a voluntary agreement to support the sector in reducing
waste and recycling more. Research by WRAP indicates that if avoidable food waste was prevented and
unavoidable food waste diverted to anaerobic digestion (AD), the potential savings to industry would be
more than £720 million a year.
The Agreement is flexible to allow any size of organisation to sign up, from multi-national companies to
smaller businesses, from sector wholesalers/distributors to trade bodies. There are different ways of
signing up depending on the size of business.
WRAP has worked closely with interested and relevant organisations and individuals to determine the
targets for the Agreement. The targets will be owned by WRAP and collectively delivered by signatories.
The targets
 Prevention target: Reduce food and associated packaging waste arising by 5% by the end of 2015.
This will be against a 2012 baseline and be measured by CO2e emissions.
 Waste management target: Increase the overall rate of food and packaging waste being recycled,
sent to anaerobic digestion (AD) or composted to at least 70% by the end of 2015.
http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/hospitality-and-food-service-agreement-3
Federation House Commitment – Water use in Food and Drink Industry
The Federation House Commitment (FHC) is a voluntary agreement which aims to help reduce overall
water usage across the UK Food and Drink industry by 20% by 2020.
Commitment background
Since its launch in 2008, the FHC, managed by WRAP in partnership with the Food and Drink Federation
(FDF), has been helping signatories across the food and drink manufacturing sector turn their commitments
into real water savings. Under the FHC, signatories pledge to review their on-site water use and develop
site-specific action plans within six months of signing up. Signatories then review and update their action
plan based on actions implemented and commit to providing data on water savings made on site on an
annual basis.
FHC technical advisors are available to assist signatories at each stage of the process. WRAP has appointed
Hyder Consulting to administer the FHC and to work with FHC signatories to help them identify and deliver
water reductions.
http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/federation-house-commitment
WRAP’s Halving Waste to Landfill- Construction Industry
The Halving Waste to Landfill Commitment was designed by WRAP to provide a supportive framework to
encourage the construction industry to work together to reduce waste. The Commitment’s clear supply
chain approach to measurement and common metrics helps signatories to achieve year on year
improvement and generate significant cost savings.
A simple statement of intent ...
"We commit to playing our part in halving the amount of construction, demolition and excavation waste
going to landfill by 2012. We will work to adopt and implement standards for good practice in reducing
waste, recycling more, and increasing the use of recycled and recovered materials"
http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/what-halving-waste-landfill
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NQA Sustainability Assessed Certification
NQA Sustainability Assessed Scheme is a certification scheme that enables organisations to gain
independent recognition of their commitment to managing sustainability. Successful assessment entitles
organisations to use the Sustainability Assessed Label to prove their credibility and reinforce brand values.
How does it work?
Certification is achieved through successful assessment against an audit tool based on the British Standard
BS 8900:2006
– Guidance for managing sustainable development. This is to establish that the organisation has:
•
committed to management of sustainable development at strategic level.
•
adopted ‘principles of sustainable development’ defined in BS 8900.
•
embedded sustainability into the organisations culture.
Green Seafood Business Programme
Our processing efficiency services can help your business increase its competitiveness and improve its
revenue through more effective and efficient processes that save time, money and effort.
Our services help seafood processing companies to:
•
Create green business savings
•
Reduce costs by lean manufacturing and streamlining processes
Want to save money and help the environment at the same time?
Through our Green Seafood Business Programme we can help you reduce the operating costs associated
with three major environmental inputs: energy, water, and solid waste and packaging.
Energy savings
We can help your company make significant reductions in energy consumption and cost often the starting
point for best energy management practice. Past participants in the Programme have demonstrated the
ability to save between 10% and 20% in energy costs.
For further information on our training in energy efficiency for seafood processors contact Dr. Carol
Rafferty on 01 2144110 or by email to rafferty@bim.ie.
http://www.bim.ie/our-services/grow-your-business/leanandgreen/
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