Environmental Training

An organisation that operates or aims to operate a formalised environmental management system requires specific environmental management skills and knowledge. The level of these environmental management skills and knowledge depends on the size and complexity of the organisation and its environmental impacts. Some of the environmental management competencies can be hired by employing a suitable environmental consultant. There are a number of elements to consider when identifying the skills that are required and how these will be acquired by the organisation:

• The environmental management standard, e.g. ISO 14001
• The specific environmental management roles within the organisation

Environmental management standards

There are a number of environmental management standards in existence. ISO 14001 is the international standard that is most widely known and there are many training courses available that develop the various skills that are required to enable an organisation to fulfil their environmental management duties.

The European Union also operates an environmental management scheme that is largely complementary to ISO 14001. This scheme, EMAS, is used by many large indistrial organisations witin the European Union.

Within the UK an additionl environmental management standard was introduced recently. This scheme, BS 8555, is designed to assits small and medium companies to develop a partial or full environemntal management system.

Environmental management roles

In principal there are three core environmental management roles within an organisation. These roles can be combined by one person, but often these roles are designated to different members of staff.

Firstly there is the management representative. This is a senior person with enough authority to effectively implement a management scheme. In many organisation one of the board directors is appointed as the management representative.

The second role is an advisory and co-ordinating role. This role often supports the management representative in fulfilling their duties.

The third specific environmental management role is the internal environmental auditor. The environmental advisor or co-ordinator could perform the auditing duties as well. Alternatively, many organisations have appointed auditors that carry out a range of internal management system audits, such as health and safety management and quality management audits.