Assignment 3
Unique No: 390430
Due 3 October 2025
, HES4808
Assignment 3
Unique No. 390430
Due Date: 03 October 2025
Question 1
1.1 What is the significance of implementing an Environmental Management System
(EMS) in an organization?
An Environmental Management System (EMS) is essentially a structured framework
that helps organizations identify, manage, and reduce their environmental impacts in a
systematic way. The most recognized standard, ISO 14001, lays out requirements that
make an EMS both measurable and auditable (ISO, 2015).
Contribution to environmental protection. An EMS drives environmental protection
by forcing organizations to go beyond ad hoc initiatives. It requires a careful review of all
activities, products, and services to identify environmental aspects and their impacts.
This process turns vague intentions into specific controls—such as reducing emissions,
minimizing waste, or improving resource efficiency (ISO, 2015; Boiral & Henri, 2012).
Importantly, the system emphasizes prevention rather than cleanup. For example, a
manufacturing facility might adopt closed-loop handling systems to cut solvent
emissions, producing long-term reductions instead of relying on after-the-fact fixes
(Boiral & Henri, 2012).
Regulatory compliance. Compliance is another major gain. An EMS makes
organizations map all legal and regulatory requirements directly onto operational
practices. By integrating monitoring, documentation, and audits, the risk of slipping into
non-compliance is reduced (ISO, 2015). Emergency preparedness and response