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Environmental management

Environmental problems are part of our everyday life: each person has heard about climate changes and their adverse consequences to our environment. Unfortunately, a great deal of this is the result of human activity.

The general attitude to environmental protection, i.e. increasing environmental friendliness, is changing the way business is conducted in the whole world. There is a growth in demand for goods and services produced and marketed in an environmentally friendly way. An ever growing number of companies is taking the road of social responsibility. It is becoming increasingly important for them to show that not only their philosophy but also their investment strategies and daily work are sustainable.

Several legal acts have been adopted and different measures have been created in order to alleviate the environmental situation and to prevent future problems, and this work is ongoing. Countries and agencies are constantly looking for possibilities of improving environmental activities. One such possibility is to implement environmental management systems.

An environmental management system (EMS) is part of the management system of an organisation. It means controlling, decreasing and preventing environmental impact resulting from the activities of the organisation and, thus, improving its competitiveness. Organisations in Estonia can choose between two EMS-s: the international environmental standard ISO 14001 and EMAS or the European Union Eco-Management and Audit Scheme.

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is part of the decision process guiding development. The aim of the EIA is to give decision makers information on the environmental impact of all real courses of action and to propose the most suitable option of solution.

Environmental impact shall be assessed:

·  Upon application for a development consent if the proposed activity, which is the basis for application for or amendment of the development consent, potentially results in significant environmental impact;

·  Upon application for amendment of a development consent if the proposed activity, which is the basis for application for or amendment of the development consent, potentially results in significant environmental impact;

·  If activities are proposed, which alone or in conjunction with other activities may potentially significantly affect a Natura 2000 site.

The aim of strategic environmental impact assessment (SEIA) is to take environmental considerations into account when preparing and adopting strategic planning documents (development plans, spatial planning). SEIA facilitates high level environmental protection and promotion of sustainable development.

When assessing the impact, both EIA as well as SEIA take a broader view on the environment than just the natural environment, i.e. impact is assessed from the aspects of natural, social, economic and cultural environment.

In the Ministry of the Environment, environmental management is the working field of the Environmental Management Bureau under the Environmental Management and Technology Department who:

·  Develops and makes efficient legal regulations and implementing measures of the environmental impact assessment (EIA), strategic environmental impact assessment (SEIA) and integrated pollution prevention and control;

·  Participates as the person exercising supervision in the EIA/SEIA procedure in the cases provided by law;

·  Organises quality control and ex post evaluation of EIA/SEIA;

·  Participates or participates as the person exercising supervision in the cross-border process of the EIA/SEIA in the cases provided by law;

·  Organises and participates in the work of the Environmental Impact Assessment Licence Committee;

·  Organises and coordinates the activities related to the EU eco-label in Estonia;

·  Organises and coordinates the implementation and application of the European environmental management system EMAS;

·  Develops and organises the conclusion of voluntary agreements and monitors the performance of contractual obligations;

·  Promotes the environmental management system of the public sector;

·  Organises the competition for the environmental award Keskkonnategija in order to find out the most environmentally friendly businesses. It also presents candidates to the relevant European competition;

·  Develops innovation in environmental technology;

·  Directs large-scale production to resource sustainability.