The Number of Significant Environmental Aspects and Environmental Goals

F

Falken

Hi

I have some questions regarding significant environmental aspects.

What do you see as a good number of significant environmental aspects?

I have earlier work in a way were you need to put environmental goals on all significant environmental aspects, is that a requirement or not? We have different opinions about this when we read the requirements.

Thankful for feedback
Fredrik
 
Jen Kirley

Jen Kirley

Quality and Auditing Expert
Leader
Admin
Hi Fredrik,

The appropriate number of environmental aspects completely depends on what your organization uses that must be controlled from introduction to air, waste, and water--including in your community. Paper trash could be included if you produce a lot of that, which then goes into landfills or is incinerated and produces carbon emissions.

The environmental goals would be placed on the aspects in which your organization has the greatest interest in controlling. They could be anything in the three phases: gas, liquid or solid. If you have a large number of aspects, declaring objectives and targets for all of them could be overwhelming. Even though greenhouse gases may be a small hazard in your list, your choice in declaring them as an objective/goal might be justified because it is currently in a popular focus.

I hope this helps!
 
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H

Helmut Jilling

Auditor / Consultant
Falken said:
Hi

I have some questions regarding significant environmental aspects.

What do you see as a good number of significant environmental aspects?

I have earlier work in a way were you need to put environmental goals on all significant environmental aspects, is that a requirement or not? We have different opinions about this when we read the requirements.

Thankful for feedback
Fredrik
Click to expand...


It will vary between companies, based on the significance of their processes, of course. But, I commonly see Aspects lists of 50-100+ aspects, of which 10-20 may be identified as significant.

Projects typically deal with 5-10. Too many projects are hard to manage unless you have a lot of resources.

You do not need to have a project for each significant aspect. However, note, compliance with regulations is a given expectation. You can't have an objective to eventually meet the laws. The objectives are to improve on legal performance.
 
D

dhammonds

Why make things difficult on your EMS by overloading with targets? The standard does not state how many you have to have, just that you need to identify objectives, set targets, assign responsibility and measure performance. I have seen peers set a target for every significant aspect they have listed, which to me is insane. My opinion is no more than 3 targets, any more than that and you start having trouble keeping them all in line. Keep your program simple, show continuous improvement.
 
D

Dr. L. Ramakrishnan

Moderator
Hi

The number of significant environmental aspects that your organization has identified is NOT a reflection of the environmental performance of your organization; it is but an indication of opportunities for improvement. As ISO-14001 is your system and you have defined the procedure for identifying significant environmental aspects, the number of significant aspects you have identified depends on your willingness to to progress towards the best in class. NOT all significant environmental aspects have to be addressed through targets and programmes. ISO-14001 allows you to address them not only through objectives, targets and programmes (4.3.3) but also through 4.4.2 (training), 4.4.3 (communication), 4.4.6 (Operational procedures), 4.4.7 (Emergency/Accident procedures/preparedness). If you spend some time on understanding the significant aspects you will realize that quite a few of them can be addressed through 4.4.2, 4.4.3, 4.4.6 and 4.4.7. Those which cannot be addressed through these may be taken up for improvement through 4.3.3.

With best regards,

Ramakrishnan
 
Randy

Randy

Super Moderator
I like ya'll, but every single one of you guys are off the mark up to this point. Either that or I've been telling one of the largest aerospace manufacturers on the planet falsehoods all week.

Significant aspects have no direct relationship to targets or to improvement and objectives don't have to have anything to do with regualtory improvement and the cow didn't jump over the moon.

.....................................................

1. You have to identify the environmental aspects (those things that can have an impact or effect upon the environment) of your activities (what you do and use), products (what you make) or services (what you provide) Note: Products and services are synonymous............

2. You have to develop and consistently apply a method of your choosing, using your criteria, a way to determine which of your aspects have or can have a significant impact (effect) upon the environment (impact can be positive or negative).

3. The significant aspects must be taken into consideration (that means you just have to decide whether you want to use them or not...you don't have to use them at all) when establishing documented environmetal objectives and targets....the objectives don't have to be measurable, but the targets do and they don't have to have diddly to do with significant aspects ............the same is done with legal and other requirements...they only have to be considered, they are not required to be used.

There is more, but I'll stop here...................but I will say this

You only need 1 significant aspect to meet the requirements of 4.3.1 and nobody can say that you are wrong and nobody can say that your way of choosing your significant aspects is wrong. This is all up to you.
 
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