Environmental Aspects and Impacts

Environmental Aspects and Impacts

An organisation’s activities, products and services that interact with the environment are referred to as “aspects”, which may have a negative or positive impact on the environment. Typically, aspects might include emissions to air, discharges to water and waste arisings, which in turn may generate environmental and health impacts such as global warming, water pollution or contaminated land.

Some activities, such as those of an office-based service, will have relatively minor environmental impacts, such as energy used and emissions linked to air conditioning. Whereas some heavy industrial aspects such as processes that cause emissions to air and discharges to water may have significant environmental impacts.

Managing environmental aspects and impacts is arguably the most important component of an environment management system. This topic explains how to identify environmental aspects and related impacts and provides useful methods for determining relative significance in terms of risks to the environment. It also explains how to compile a register of significant aspects and impacts.

An environmental aspect is an element of an organisation’s activities, products, and services that can interact with the environment. These can include discharges to water, emissions to air, waste and use of natural resources and materials. What is an Environmental Aspect?

Aspects of an organisation’s activities, products or services that change the environment (either adversely or beneficially), are referred to as “environmental impacts”. What is an Environmental Impact?

The relationship between aspect and impact is simply “cause and effect”. For example, emissions to air and water (aspects) can generate adverse impacts such as pollution and global warming. Beneficial impacts might include improvements in energy efficiency that may reduce CO2 emissions.

An organisation must assess the aspects and impacts which it can influence or control, either directly or substantially. Direct and Indirect Environmental Aspects

An aspects and impacts analysis is a form of environmental risk assessment, whereby an organisation determines the severity of the actual and potential threats its activities and processes etc. can have on the environment. This should also take into account past, present and future aspects. Suggested Approach — Aspects and Impacts Analysis

Analysis and assessment allows the organisation to determine significance of its aspects and impacts and set priorities for reducing environmental risks accordingly. Defining Significance

Aspects and impacts analysis is a key requirement in:

ISO 14001 Requirements of ISO 14001

EU Eco-management and Audit Scheme Requirements of EMAS

BS 8555: Guide to the Phased Implementation of an EMS

ISO 14005 EMS — Guidelines for Phased Implementation Based on a Project Approach.

The procedures used to manage environmental aspects and impacts should also consider the legal or other requirements that control them. The environment agency has published guidance on risk assessment for environmental permits.