EMS Workshops

1. Fitting EMS reporting into a sustainability reporting framework

Most reputable businesses and government agencies are using EMS to monitor environmental impact. And why not? It is after all a reliable business tool for managing environmental aspects and issues. But to use it effectively, your EMS ought be delivering results which need to be reported so they can be used to inform decision  making. In isolation, an EMS report can provide too much information to some stakeholders and not enough information to others stakeholders.

This session will offer the oportunity to consider how well your EMS is delivering on some of its business aims. It will look at how the use of a robust sustainability reporting framework can provide a better way of making the most of the effort put into an EMS. Finally it will show that by combining the two business tools (EMS and Sustainability Reporting) will deliver better outcomes for your organisation.

Presenter: John Collins, Centre for Public Agency Sustainability Reporting™

2. Measuring energy use in a large Australian multi-site agency

While energy consumption varies from stationary to transport energy, it is stationary energy consisting of electricity and gas that creates complexities in large Australian multi-site agencies. This arrangement brings a set of unique challenges, ranging from dealing with large volumes of multi-dimensional data, defining and categorising property sites, differential pricing and consumption structures from various suppliers, systems integration and support, the role of quality assurance, reporting frequencies and governance, and establishing performance benchmarks to assist in the measurement process.
This workshop aims to clarify these complexities, breaks down the issues and provides practical solutions relating to energy use measurement and performance analysis – including energy use and greenhouse gas emission reporting.

Presenter: Mick Dawes, Medicare Australia

3. Aspects and impacts

This interactive workshop explores the options for identifying, prioritising and controlling environmental risks through several team-based activities. Based on the principles of ISO 14001:2004, the workshop uses simple examples to provide participants with an understanding of risk assessment processes applicable to small business through to multi-national corporations.

Presenter: Aaron Westwood, Graham Brown & Associates.

4. My Green Audit - how can a green audit deliver business outcomes.

A how to session outlining the path to ISO 14001 for a service-based business/agency. Featuring the practical NCSI audit approach 'EcoCert', designed for easy implementation and green outcomes.  Delivered by NCSI, Australia's leading environmental and safety certification body.

Presenter: Paul Cheal, NCS International

5. Avoiding greenwash – the true value of labels and how this is achieved.

In organisations seeking to find products and services with a lower environmental impact the Environmental Manager with others in the organisation needs to consider the products or service providers environmental credentials. There has however been an increasing amount of "greenwash" in the market specifically oreintated towards well meaning but ill informed procurers. This greenwashing can mislead and unfairly compete for a share of the green markets and comes in 8 distinct forms. 

This workshop will assess the different types of greenwash on the Australian market and then move into an investigation of the solutions to the green procurement problem by looking at green procurement strategies, the value of independent validation of environmental performance and systems that the leading Environmental Manager can implement in their organisation. The workshop will explore the value and commercial benefits of implementing effective green procurement systems and ensuring they deliver efficient, credible and comprehensive results for the sustainability orientated organisation. "

Presenter: Petar Johnson, Australian Good Environmental Choice Label Program

6. Adding value in the market chain

This workshop will summarize the experience and rational of the UK Acorn project which was conceived by the UK government and large companies as an EMS scheme for supply chains. It focused on phased implementation of EMS and experience of the project resulted in the development and publication of BS 8555. The British Standard BS8555 (full title: Guide to the phased implementation of an environmental management system including the use of environmental performance evaluation) published in April 2003 encompasses the six phase achievement criteria utilized in the IEMA Acorn Scheme.

The standard links Environmental Management Systems (ISO 14001) and Environmental Performance Evaluation (ISO 14031), provides for focused training, auditing and implementation at each level and supports relationships between suppliers and customers.

BS8555 describes how to implement a generic EMS and can be used as a route towards ISO14001 and EMAS. The standard’s inclusion of ISO 14031 allows the development of tasks focusing on indicators that add value and are driven by company needs e.g. Turnover, competitive advantage, views of interested parties.

The environmental performance focus of BS8555 is valuable within the supply chain and concentrates on:

• Delivery of measurable benefits for participants
• Delivery of performance data for internal/external reporting
• Maximum credibility and competitive advantage

The workshop will share practical experiences from the UK and Philippines with an update on current status of implementation. 

Presenter: Matthias Gelber, ACORN Project