The organization shall determine external and internal issues that are relevant to its purpose and that affect its ability to achieve the intended outcomes of its environmental management system.

• Understanding the organization and its context - 4.1

  The organization shall determine external and internal issues that are relevant to its purpose and that affect its ability to achieve the intended outcomes of its environmental management system. Such issues shall include environmental conditions being affected by or capable of affecting the organization.

• Understanding the needs and expectations of interested parties - 4.2

  The organization shall determine: a) the interested parties that are relevant to the environmental management system; b) the relevant needs and expectations (i.e. requirements) of these interested parties; c) which of these needs and expectations become its compliance obligations.

• Determining the scope of the environmental management system - 4.3

  The organization shall determine the boundaries and applicability of the environmental management system to establish its scope. The scope shall be maintained as documented information.

• Environmental management system - 4.4

  To achieve the intended outcomes; including enhancing its environmental performance; the organization shall establish; implement; maintain and continually improve an environmental management system; including the processes needed and their interactions; in accordance with the requirements of this International Standard.

Top management shall demonstrate leadership and commitment with respect to the environmental management system.

• Leadership and commitment - 5.1

  Top management shall demonstrate leadership and commitment with respect to the environmental management system by: a) taking accountability for the effectiveness of the EMS; b) ensuring the environmental policy and objectives are established and compatible with the context and strategic direction; c) ensuring EMS requirements are integrated into business processes; d) ensuring resources are available; e) communicating importance of effective EMS and conforming to EMS requirements; f) ensuring the EMS achieves intended outcomes; g) directing and supporting persons to contribute to EMS effectiveness; h) promoting continual improvement; i) supporting other relevant management roles.

• Environmental policy - 5.2

  Top management shall establish; implement and maintain an environmental policy that is appropriate to the purpose and context; provides a framework for setting environmental objectives; includes a commitment to the protection of the environment (including prevention of pollution); commitment to fulfil its compliance obligations; and commitment to continual improvement.

• Organizational roles; responsibilities and authorities - 5.3

  Top management shall ensure that responsibilities and authorities for relevant roles are assigned and communicated within the organization; including responsibility for ensuring the EMS conforms to the standard and reporting on EMS performance to top management.

When planning for the environmental management system; the organization shall consider the issues in 4.1; requirements in 4.2; and its scope; and determine the risks and opportunities; related to its environmental aspects; compliance obligations and other issues and requirements; that need to be addressed.

• Actions to address risks and opportunities - 6.1

  This includes general planning (6.1.1); identifying environmental aspects (6.1.2); determining compliance obligations (6.1.3); and planning action to address these (6.1.4).

• Environmental objectives and planning to achieve them - 6.2

  The organization shall establish environmental objectives at relevant functions and levels. Objectives shall be: consistent with policy; measurable; monitored; communicated; updated; and take into account significant environmental aspects; compliance obligations; risks and opportunities. The organization shall plan how to achieve its environmental objectives.

The organization shall determine and provide the resources needed for the establishment; implementation; maintenance and continual improvement of the environmental management system.

• Resources - 7.1

  The organization shall determine and provide the resources needed for the establishment; implementation; maintenance and continual improvement of the EMS.

• Competence - 7.2

  The organization shall: a) determine necessary competence of persons doing work under its control that affects its environmental performance and its ability to fulfil its compliance obligations; b) ensure these persons are competent; c) take actions to acquire competence; d) retain documented information as evidence.

• Awareness - 7.3

  The organization shall ensure that persons doing work under its control are aware of: a) the environmental policy; b) significant environmental aspects and related actual or potential environmental impacts associated with their work; c) their contribution to the effectiveness of the EMS; d) implications of not conforming with EMS requirements; including not fulfilling compliance obligations.

• Communication - 7.4

  The organization shall establish; implement and maintain the processes needed for internal and external communications relevant to the EMS.

• Documented information - 7.5

  The EMS shall include: a) documented information required by this Standard; b) documented information determined by the organization as necessary for EMS effectiveness. This clause also covers creating; updating and control.

The organization shall plan; implement and control the processes needed to meet environmental management system requirements and to implement the actions identified in 6.1 and 6.2.

• Operational planning and control - 8.1

  The organization shall establish; implement; control and maintain the processes needed to meet EMS requirements and to implement actions identified in 6.1 and 6.2 by establishing operating criteria and implementing control of processes. This includes outsourced processes and considering a life cycle perspective.

• Emergency preparedness and response - 8.2

  The organization shall establish; implement and maintain the processes needed to prepare for and to respond to potential emergency situations identified in 6.1.1.

The organization shall monitor; measure; analyse and evaluate its environmental performance.

• Monitoring; measurement; analysis and evaluation - 9.1

  The organization shall determine what needs to be monitored and measured; methods; when it will be performed; and when results will be analysed and evaluated. The organization shall evaluate its environmental performance and the effectiveness of the EMS. This includes evaluation of compliance with its compliance obligations.

• Internal audit - 9.2

  The organization shall conduct internal audits at planned intervals to provide information on whether the EMS: a) conforms to the organization’s own requirements and the standard's requirements; b) is effectively implemented and maintained.

• Management review - 9.3

  Top management shall review the organization's EMS at planned intervals to ensure its continuing suitability; adequacy and effectiveness.

The organization shall determine opportunities for improvement (see 9.1; 9.2 and 9.3) and implement necessary actions to achieve the intended outcomes of its environmental management system.

• General - 10.1

  The organization shall determine opportunities for improvement and implement necessary actions to achieve the intended outcomes of its EMS.

• Nonconformity and corrective action - 10.2

  When a nonconformity occurs; the organization shall: a) react to it; b) evaluate need for action to eliminate causes; c) implement action; d) review effectiveness; e) make changes to EMS if necessary.

• Continual improvement - 10.3

  The organization shall continually improve the suitability; adequacy and effectiveness of the EMS to enhance environmental performance.