An environmental management system (EMS) provides organizations with a framework for effectively managing their environmental responsibilities for reporting and improving performance. The implementation of an effective EMS should lead to continuous improvement of management activities based on the monitoring of key performance indicators that are associated with these activities.
Most tourism businesses are not directly regulated by environmental authorities and any decision to adopt an environmental management plan is voluntary. However, there are many potential benefits of implementing an EMS , including:
● improving operational efficiency and reducing costs, for example through reduced energy and water consumption, reduced waste generation, etc .;
● forecasting environmental damage and risk, prevention of appropriate penalties for the enterprise;
● demonstrating environmental commitment to customers and other stakeholders;
● expanded access to information and willingness to work with clients that require environmental management standards;
● Demonstrate an interest in achieving legal and regulatory compliance with government agencies.
In addition, the successful implementation of EMS best practices can inspire customers and encourage them to become more environmentally friendly or even implement EMS in turn.
Environmental management systems can be:
- informal systems developed within the organization;
- internationally recognized systems certified, for example, according to ISO 14001, EU Ecolabel, EMAS (European Union Environmental Management and Audit Scheme);
- systems developed by sector associations, such as Travelife from the UK Travel Association, which has gained recognition in many countries.
| Travelife Ecomanagement Certification Scheme Travelife is a certification scheme aimed at achieving sustainable practices in the travel industry. It aims to provide companies with realistic sustainability goals, tools and solutions to drive positive change in their business and supply chains. The system is operated by ABTA, the UK Tourism Association. Travelife for Hotels and Accommodations is a certification scheme that helps hotels and accommodations manage and track their social and environmental impacts and communicate their achievements to clients. Travelife for Hotels and Accommodation provides a wide range of support to help members move towards their third party audit, including an online sustainability checklist based on European and international standards that allows properties to manage their performance and track progress. After the subscription, the properties undergo a full third-party environmental and social audit. If they meet the criteria of the sustainability system, they can earn a Travelife Gold certification and then publish it in their brochures, websites or other information materials for guests, as well as place a Travelife certification sign in public areas on their territory. Travelife for Hotels and Accommodations is the only certification scheme that works in partnership with both UK and overseas tour operators who use Travelife to manage their suppliers' hotels and accommodations. Source: https://www.travelife.info/ |
In the context of Kyrgyzstan and its HoReCa sector, environmental management certification is only in its infancy. One of the goals of the PERE TO project is to promote environmental management certification in the HoReCa sector and help business owners benefit from environmental management.
Where to start and how to complete
The table below summarizes the EMS implementation in relation to the plan-do-check-act approach and highlights the relevant aspects of this document for each phase. The key is to create an environmental policy in an organization or enterprise, followed by the development of action plans with specific goals. They should be based on an understanding of what is realistically achievable and defined by appropriate quality criteria.
Table: Stages and activities of environmental management.
| Stage | Management activities |
| Building plans | Identification of priority issues and challenges (important environmental aspects for the organization). Development of a common organizational policy in relation to the identified problems and challenges. Identification of standards and opportunities for improvement (based on best practices). Setting goals and objectives. Preparation of an action plan, program and procedure to achieve the objectives. Distribution of duties. |
| Performance | Responsible persons implement plans, programs and procedures. |
| Monitoring | Monitoring results. Evaluation of effectiveness in terms of goals and objectives. If there are deviations and inconsistencies with the plans - determining the causes of deviations and inconsistencies. |
| Subsequent adjustments and adaptations | Taking corrective action. Analysis of the effectiveness and adequacy of the EMS elements in relation to the objectives. Identification of changing circumstances. Changing elements of the system, including policies, goals, objectives, responsibilities, plans, programs, procedures. |
Setting priorities and goals is the first and most important step in starting an EMS implementation. Their wording may depend on the ambitions of the organization. But it is important to take into account all possible areas of activity within the business, including the search for more environmentally friendly products and increasing the environmental awareness of customers.
Train your staff. You cannot do everything on your own, you need the support of your staff. To engage your employees in green practices, you need to educate them about the benefits of each program. They should have a good understanding of the benefits of each program or improvement for the environment, guests and the hotel/cafe/restaurant. Work with your employees to come up with additional ways to promote sustainable practices for making your business greener, as employees on the ground can often bring ideas from a different and very valuable perspective.
No matter what environmental ideas you introduce into your hotel/restaurant, it is important that you believe in the principle behind the process. Otherwise, your guests will easily see greenwashing and your efforts will be counterproductive. Before starting a new program or policy, take the time to understand the environmental reasons behind the program.