How to write an environmental policy

Introduction

An environmental policy is a written statement, which outlines a business' aims and principles in relation to managing the environmental effects and aspects of its operations. Top management must be involved in producing the policy and must understand the principles and commitments in it. Although putting a policy in place is voluntary, an increasing number of businesses are choosing to do so.

Having an environmental policy is essential if you want to implement an environmental management standard, such as the European Union Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), BS 8555 or ISO 14001. It's also vital if you currently work or intend to work with large organisations, or if you need to demonstrate to customers and other stakeholders that you are committed to managing your environmental impacts in a responsible way.

This guide sets out the benefits of having an environmental policy. It makes suggestions for selecting the right format and content. It also gives useful tips on how to keep the policy up to date, how to extend its scope to include corporate social responsibility and sustainable development, and how to integrate the policy into your business.

Subjects covered in this guide

• Introduction
• The benefits of an environmental policy
• Selecting the right format for your environmental policy
• Creating content for your environmental policy
• Checklist: good practice for drafting an environmental policy
• Keep your environmental policy up to date
• Extend the scope of your policy
• Integrate the environmental policy into your business

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