• Partners|
• Contact|
• Sitemap

• Home
• LEAP Introduction
• Toolkit
• Implementation Tools
• Strategic Tools
• Tool A
• Tool B
• Tool C
• Tool D
• Tool E
• Tool F
• Tool G
• Tool H
• Case studies
• Download Toolkit

Objective of this Tool

• To help manage procurement processes in a way that has the biggest possible beneficial environmental impact

Benefits of Tool

• This tool provides detailed procedures to help public authorities manage the environmental impact of public procurement.
• It highlights those procedures that have the potentially biggest impact on the environment. If you start putting these procedures in place for your major purchasing you will soon see the benefits. To start with we suggest you apply the procedures to say contracts above the currently applicable EC threshold values. (From 31/1//06 €137,000 for goods and services in those countries that have adopted the new consolidate directive)

What does this tool do?

The tool helps you focus on those parts of the procurement process that have a fundamental impact on the environmental outcomes of your purchasing. It also provides a number of templates which you can use directly or adapt to suit your own purposes. These include:

• Environmental Risk Assessment Procedure;
• Supplier environmental questionnaires;
• Sample environmental clauses for contracts;
• Examples of Environmental Contract Award Criteria;
• Environmental Site inspection report;
• Monitoring processes and proformas;

The tool sets out a number of procedures which can be integrated into an Environmental or other Management System or be used stand alone. In the table below Green indicates highest environmental impact and Red the lowest.

 

Stage of Procurement process	Potential Environmental Impact	Detailed EMS Procedure Reference
1.0 Pre-procurement
1.1 list of existing contracts incl. dates for renewal		Procedure 1.1. Pre-procurement
2. Planning phase
2.1 Defining needs, developing business case/Subject matter specification		Procedure 2.1. Planning phase- defining needs
2.2 Market Research and Analysis		Procedure 2.2. Research
2.3 Development of specifications		Procedure 2.3. Specification
2.4 Financial and Technical Selection criteria		Procedure 2.4. Selection criteria
2.5 Conditions for the performance of the contract		Procedure 2.5. Contract performance condition
2.6 Supplier questionnaire		Procedure 2.6. Supplier questionnaire
2.7 Choice of tender procedure		No EMS procedure
2.8 Production of tender documentation		Procedure 2.8. Production of tender documentation
2.9 Setting of contract award criteria		Procedure 2.9. Setting of contract award criteria
3. Procurement stage
3.1 Advert – contract notice		No EMS procedure
3.2 Open procedure		No EMS procedure
3.3 Restricted procedure		No EMS procedure
3.4 Negotiated procedure		No EMS procedure
4. Evaluation
4.1 Supplementary questions and answers		No EMS procedure
4.2 Receive tenders		No EMS procedure
4.3 Check supplier qualifications		Procedure 4.3 Check supplier qualifications
4.4 Check supplier capability		Procedure 4.4 Check supplier capability
4.5 Evaluation of Tender		No EMS procedure
5. Decision
5.1 Informing tenderers		No EMS procedure
5.2 Draft Contract		Procedure 5.2  Draft Contract
6. Implementation and Monitoring
6.1 Monitoring of Contract		Procedure 6.1 Monitoring of Contract
6.2 Continuous evaluation of supplier performance and potential revisions		Procedure 6.2 Evaluation of supplier performance
7. Supplier and supply chain development
7.1 Develop service and suppliers		Procedure 7.1 Develop service and suppliers
7.2 Develop supply chain capacity		Procedure 7.2  Develop supply chain capacity

 

Quick Actions

If you have limited resources try focussing on these:

Get your planning stage right – know your needs, think creatively, drive down the amount you need to purchase and try to define products or services that have a lower environmental foot print than what you have at the moment. This is the stage when you can have a real influence on innovation and service improvements. 80% of your procurement energies should go in here. (Procedure 2.1.)

When you are looking for innovation, make sure you know your markets and work with the markets to get what you want; (Procedures 2.2 and 7.2.)

Before going out to tender make sure that your tender documentation hangs together and actually reflects what you want to achieve. Far too often the high environmental aspirations expressed in policy or questionnaires are not translated either into specifications or given appropriate weight in the tender evaluation and therefore become meaningless. Make sure you make the most of using contract conditions to lay down some ground rules for environmental responsibilities of your contractors (procedure 2.5.)

Once you have selected contractors, remember this is only the beginning of the contract and working with the contractor developing the service during the contract period can bring huge benefits. (Procedure 7.1)

Also don’t forget to work with you other suppliers, with which you already have contractual arrangements, and encourage then to improve their environmental performance. (Procedure 7.2)

If you have even less time: 

Try the procedures highlighted in the table above as having the highest environmental impact for one major contract a year – once the procedures are set up you can then use them for other tenders as well.

Working smart

You may feel that your organisation is too small to set up elaborate procedures, that your procurement levels are below the EC threshold and that you can’t seem to be able to get your head around all the steps that can lead to greener procurement. Why not join other public authorities that are already doing such procurement and procure jointly with them.

How do I start using the tool?
We suggest you go to section 3 first 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

1.0	INTRODUCTION - ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM  MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES TO ORGANISE PROCUREMENT IN THE  MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE WAY
2.0	WHAT IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM?
3.0	STEP-BY-STEP GUIDANCE
4.0	METHODOLOGY
5.0	EMS PROCUREMENT PROCEDURE SUMMARY
6.0	PROCEDURE 1.1 PRE-PROCUREMENT
7.0	PROCEDURE 2.1/2.2 DEFINING NEEDS/MARKET RESEARCH AND   ANALYSIS
8.0	PROCEDURE 2.3 DEVELOPMENT OF SPECIFICATION
9.0	PROCEDURE 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL SELECTION  CRITERIA, CONTRACT PERFORMANCE CLAUSES, SUPPLIER  QUESTIONNAIRE
10.0	PROCEDURE 2.8, 2.9. PRODUCTION OF TENDER DOCUMENTATION AND  SETTING OF TENDER EVALUATION CRITERIA
11.0	PROCEDURE 4.3, 4.4 CHECK SUPPLIER QUALIFICATION AND  CAPABILITY
12.0	PROCEDURE 5.2, DRAFT   CONTRACT
13.0	PROCEDURE 6.1, 6.2, MONITORING OF CONTRACT AND EVALUATION  OF SUPPLIER PERFORMANCE
14.0	PROCEDURE 7.1, 7.2, DEVELOP SERVICE AND SUPPLIERS AND  DEVELOP SUPPLY CHAIN CAPACITY
15.0	REFERENCE SECTION

The LEAP project intends to assist public procurers in finding an easy way into the complex maze of sustainable procurement. The 8 tools deal with most aspects of green procurement and support both procurers and environmental specialists in introducing key management steps needed to make green procurement the rule rather than the exception. There are close procedural links between this tool and the policy development Tool A and the advice given in Tool F on procurement processes in particular in sections 2.1 – 2.4 in Tool F which give the legal framework and advice on using eco-labels etc.

Throughout the tools we stress the importance of a management systems approach to ensure that green procurement goes mainstream. 

The different steps of the procurement process will have a variety of potential environmental impacts. These EMS procedures are designed to deal with the steps of the procurement process that have the most potential environmental impacts.

This document contains a series of Environmental Management System Procedures that seek to control and improve the environmental impacts related to each step of the public sector procurement process.

The summary at the beginning of the document describes the standard steps involved in public sector procurement and identifies the steps which could have significant environmental impacts.

The summary is followed by the procedures related to each of these ‘environmentally significant steps’.

There are 2 main verifiable Environmental Management System standards in the EU. The first is The Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS). EMAS was developed as an EU regulation in 1995. Initially only a limited number of industrial activities could be verified under EMAS. However, the regulations allowed for each Member state to adapt the regulations for specific sectors. The UK government adapted the regulations to enable local authorities to register under the scheme.

In 2001 the EMAS regulations were amended (EC. Regulation No. 761/2001) to allow all sectors (including local authorities) to register under the scheme. The stated objective of EMAS is to promote continual improvement in the environmental performance of organisations (including local authorities) by a number of key steps:

• The establishment and implementation of an Environmental Management System
• The objective and periodic evaluation of the EMS
• The active involvement of employees and the provision of appropriate training
• Provision of information on environmental performance with the public and other interested parties.

The amendment also recognised that the management component of EMAS is identical to International Standard ISO14001 the second main verifiable Environmental Management System standard in the EU. EN ISO14001 was launched by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) as the international standard for environmental management in 1996 and amended in 2004.

2.1 GLOSSARY OF TERMS

EMS Environmental Management System. 

EMAS - The Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EU regulation standard for EMS)

ISO14001 – International standard for EMS

Environmental Impact – An impact on the environment caused directly or indirectly by the actions or decisions of an organisation. The impact can be positive or negative or a potential impact arising from accidents or other unforeseen circumstances.

Question	Go to section
I am a specialist in procurement and need to know how to start to use this tool	Section 5.1 gives you an indication of those parts of the procurement process that have the biggest environmental impact – look at some of the procedures drafted for those major impacts and see if you can adapt them to fit your own circumstances;
I am an environmental specialist and need to identify the most environmentally significant aspects of this tool	Section 5.1 helps you do this. Go for the procedures highlighted green in the table.
How can I best streamline management procedures using this tool?	Section 5.1 gives you an indication of the most important procedures needed – go for those first
I have limited resources, how can I make the most effective use of this tool?	Apply the tool to the 5 largest purchases each year or if that is too much use them for your one major contract each year.
I do not have EMS – how can this tool fit within other management structures?	This tool is designed specifically to be used in conjunction with procurement management structures and you don’t necessarily need a complete EMS to apply them.

SEMCO and G2L broke down the standard public sector procurement process into 7 broad steps from pre-procurement through to supplier and supply chain development. The 7 broad stages of the development process were further broken down to identify the individual actions in the procurement process. This is shown in the EMS procurement procedure summary. (Reference: procedure –EMS procurement procedures - summary).

An assessment was then made of each of the procurement steps as to whether they had a potential high, medium or low impact on the environment.  Environmental management procedures were then developed for those procurement steps that were deemed to have a high or medium environmental impact.

5.1 Description

The table below summarises the EMS procedures related to the procurement process in public authorities. It defines the steps of the procurement process, gives an indication of the potential environmental significance of each and provides a reference to the EMS procedures related to each step.

 

 

Stage of Procurement process	Potential Environmental Impact	Detailed EMS Procedure Reference
1.0 Pre-procurement
1.1 list of existing contracts incl. dates for renewal		Procedure 1.1. Pre-procurement
2. Planning phase
2.1 Defining needs, developing business case/Subject matter specification		Procedure 2.1. Planning phase- defining needs
2.2 Market Research and Analysis		Procedure 2.2. Research
2.3 Development of specifications		Procedure 2.3. Specification
2.4 Financial and Technical Selection criteria		Procedure 2.4. Selection criteria
2.5 Conditions for the performance of the contract		Procedure 2.5. Contract performance condition
2.6 Supplier questionnaire		Procedure 2.6. Supplier questionnaire
2.7 Choice of tender procedure		No EMS procedure
2.8 Production of tender documentation		Procedure 2.8. Production of tender documentation
2.9 Setting of contract award criteria		Procedure 2.9. Setting of contract award criteria
3. Procurement stage
3.1 Advert – contract notice		No EMS procedure
3.2 Open procedure		No EMS procedure
3.3 Restricted procedure		No EMS procedure
3.4 Negotiated procedure		No EMS procedure
4. Evaluation
4.1 Supplementary questions and answers		No EMS procedure
4.2 Receive tenders		No EMS procedure
4.3 Check supplier qualifications		Procedure 4.3 Check supplier qualifications
4.4 Check supplier capability		Procedure 4.4 Check supplier capability
4.5 Evaluation of Tender		No EMS procedure
5. Decision
5.1 Informing tenderers		No EMS procedure
5.2 Draft Contract		Procedure 5.2  Draft Contract
6. Implementation and Monitoring
6.1 Monitoring of Contract		Procedure 6.1 Monitoring of Contract
6.2 Continuous evaluation of supplier performance and potential revisions		Procedure 6.2 Evaluation of supplier performance
7. Supplier and supply chain development
7.1 Develop service and suppliers		Procedure 7.1 Develop service and suppliers
7.2 Develop supply chain capacity		Procedure 7.2  Develop supply chain capacity

 

 

5.2 Environmental Impact

The different steps of the procurement process will have a variety of potential environmental impacts. These EMS procedures are designed to deal with the steps of the procurement process that have the most potential environmental impacts. Therefore the procurement process steps have been divided into 3 categories and assessed for their potential environmental impact and influence. We defined the following 3 categories of procurement steps with:

 

High environmental impact

Medium environmental impact

Low or no environmental impact

 

 

The EMS procedures in this tool are designed to deal with those procurement steps identified as having high or medium potential environmental impact.

5.3 Financial Threshold Value for Applying Procedures and Environmental Risk Analysis.

The financial threshold value at which a public authority decides to apply these procedures is obviously a key issue. If the threshold is very low (say, €10,000) this can create an excessive amount of work for environmental managers and procurement officers, but will result in a very detailed environmental assessment of most contracts. If however the threshold is set at a high value (say over €1 million) then many smaller contracts with significant environmental impacts will be missed, and many smaller local authorities will not meet the threshold value for very many contracts at all. So for the purposes of this tool the threshold has been set at a standard €137, 000 to reflect at the time of drafting the most recent EU procurement thresholds for supplies and services. However each municipality using this tool should state a specified threshold value in keeping with their existing procedures. A smaller authority may have a smaller threshold value for example. Also, an environmental risk analysis process undertaken at an early stage in the procurement process may identify significant potential environmental risk associated with the contract regardless of the financial threshold value. The important issue is that the threshold is stated and justified and applied in a consistent fashion and that environmental risk analysis forms an integral part of the decision making process. A practical approach may be to adjust the threshold in line with any changes in the EU thresholds.

Environmental Risk Assessment Procedure Example

A. ENVIRONMENTAL PURCHASING1 

These questions should be referred to if the official order is for the purchase of goods or carrying out work. Only fill in if answer to relevant question is NO. See Guidance Note. Examples and further information are in the Guide to Environment-Friendly Purchasing.

 

Complies with Guidance note?

 

 

Tick answers to relevant questions	NO -No alternative	NO -Not value for money /quality
PAPER
Are you ordering from the Reprographics Section? If not, complete procedure x
Have you specified no chlorine bleaching?
Have you specified 100% (post consumer waste) recycled paper?
Have you specified that all public printed documents declare the recycled content of the paper used?
OFFICE EQUIPMENT
Are you ordering products made from recycled materials?
Are you ordering products which are re-fillable or re-usable?
If ordering aerosol products are they ‘pump action’?
If ordering electrical office equipment is it energy efficient? (i.e. meets US Energy Star criteria or equivalent?)
Have you specified re-manufactured or re-filled printer toner cartridges?
TIMBER and PESTICIDES
Have you specified tropical hardwood only where it is essential to obtain a match and have you specified a Forest Stewardship Public authority (FSC) certificate?
Is the timber or pesticide free from PCP, lindane and TBTO?
Is the pesticide free from UK “Red list” or EC “Black list” chemicals?
For pesticides are COSHH and Control of Pesticides Regulations being followed?
PROTECTING AIR QUALITY AND THE  OZONE LAYER
Is the product (including packaging) free from ozone depleting chemicals?
Is the product water based or have a low VOC content
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Have you specified the most energy efficient appliance available?
If ordering battery powered equipment; are mains powered alternatives available?
Are any batteries rechargeable or long life with low mercury content?
If ordering lighting or bulbs/tubes, are they energy efficient?
Does any new PC equipment meet the US Energy Star Standard?
PEAT
Is peat banned for soil amelioration purposes?
CLEANING MATERIALS
Is the product at least 90% biodegradable?
Is the product non-petroleum based?
Has the product NOT been tested on animals?
Does the product meet the following criteria?Phosphates: <0.5% by weight for general cleaning products EDTA (ethylene-diamine-tetra-acetate):: < 1% by weightNTA (nitrolotriacetic acid):: < 5% by weightVolatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s): < 10% by weight at recommended use dilution
If the product is an aerosol does it use ‘pump action’?
Are you minimising packaging by buying in bulk and de-canting into smaller containers?
VEHICLES
Is the vehicle the lowest polluting vehicle that will meet our emission targets and service requirements?
If the vehicle has a diesel engine will it use ultra-low sulphur diesel fuel?
Does the vehicle meet Euro III standards?

_____________________________________________

1 Leicester City Council  (UK) – EMAS procedure

B. ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS 2

These questions should also be referred to if the official order involves carrying out work. Only fill in if the work involves a risk.  See Guidance Note G9-1.  Examples and further information are given in the Guide to Environment-Friendly Purchasing.

Risk identified

 

 

 

Will the work involve the risk of:-	YES there is a  risk
spillage of toxic substances to a watercourse or surface water drain
ground contamination by toxic substances
release of noxious/ harmful fumes/particles to the atmosphere
fire or explosion
damage to existing vegetation
waste of energy or water
generation of excessive waste
excessive paper consumption

_________________________________

2 Leicester City Council  (UK) – EMAS procedure

Check list 1: (From Sustainability and Local Government Procurement, IDeA 2003 )

Specification principles:

• Fitness for purpose and value for money;
• Resource, energy and water efficiency;
• Minimum use of virgin and non-renewable materials;
• Maximum use of post consumer materials;
• Non (or reduced) polluting with minimum use of toxic chemicals, CFCs, Ozone and other pollutants;
• Maximum durability, reparability, reusability, recyclability and upgradeability;
• Minimum packaging;
• Design for disassembly;
• Fault controls to prevent unnecessary waste;
• Health and Safety Standards;
• Biodegradability;
   

Whatever specification principle is chosen must be specifically linked to evaluation criteria. Also please see tool F for evaluation criteria and the requirements of the consolidated procurement directive to be explicit setting out weighting of individual criteria.

________________________________________

3 From Sustainability and Local Government Procurement – UK Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) - 2003

Example of: Corporate environmental clauses to be inserted in all public authority conditions of contract.

The following corporate environmental clauses should be inserted in all public authority “Conditions of Contracts”:

1. The Contractor shall comply with its statutory obligations under Environmental Legislation and for the purposes of this Contract "Environmental Legislation" means the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Water Resources Act 1991 and any other UK Legislation, EC Legislation, international convention of a binding nature and other binding material issues pursuant to the same which make provision for the control of pollution, the control of hazardous substances, land use control and wildlife and countryside protection.

2. In the event of any finding by any court or tribunal or other judicial or quasi judicial body being made against the Contractor in respect of any breach of Environmental Legislation, the Contractor shall take appropriate steps to abate such breach and prevent its repetition.

3. The Contractor shall upon request provide the Authorised Officer with details of any steps taken under condition 2.

4. The Contractor shall within three months of the date of this Contract adopt a policy to the satisfaction of the Director for the time being of the  public authority to comply with the public authority ‘s environmental purchasing policy and shall thereafter maintain such a policy taking account as far as is reasonably practicable of any amendment to that policy from time to time made by the public authority and any revisions or amendments to any national guidelines or any nationally recognised procedures or lists which relate to the minimising of environmental emergency.

5. The Contractor shall observe as far as possible the policy from time to time in force by virtue of clause 4.

6. The Contractor shall provide such information as the public authority may reasonably request for the purposes of assessing the Contractor's compliance with conditions 4 and 5 as far as relevant, including examples of documents, advertisements or other literature.

7. The Contractor shall institute and maintain an environmental management system in accordance with the procedures, targets and other specifications and shall provide and perform the Service in all respects in accordance with the Environmental Statements (where the words 'Environmental Statements' mean the environmental method statement and any other information or representations supplied with, incorporated into or presented within the Contractor’s tender or submission to the public authority in response to any invitation by the Public authority in respect of this Contract) and shall furnish such detailed information as the Authorised Officer may reasonably require in regard thereto and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing shall accurately complete and submit to the Authorised Officer at such times as the Authorised Officer shall reasonably direct (but so that the Contractor shall not be required to submit more than one return in any one period of twelve months) performance returns in the form to be directed by the Authorised Officer (acting reasonably).

8. [The following clause is for use only in connection with contracts where the service is substantially provided through the use of a fleet of vehicles]

The Contractor will provide the Service so that all vehicles used in the provision of the Service will meet Euro III Standards (Euro IV in 2005), and if the vehicles have a diesel engine they will use low sulphur diesel by the [date].
 ___________________________

 6 Leicester City Council (UK) – EMAS Procedure

Case Study Example of procedure for Monitoring Contracts against a public authority’s environmental policy and Guide to Environmentally Friendly Purchasing.

 

Responsibilities		Interfaces
Any officer involved in one of the defined stages of managing an external contract	General Principles Provide evidence of monitoring the contract against  the public authority’s Environmental Policy and Guide to Environmentally Friendly Purchasing at the following contract stages: environmental vetting of the company when selected environmental check of the contract specification environmental monitoring during the contract (see xfor guidance on specific types of contract)	Env. Policy Guide to Env. Friendly Purchasing   File records
Any officer involved in selecting an external company (at select list stage, or when companies are invited to tender without a select list having been drawn up)officers who manage select listsofficers who manage select lists	1. Environmental vetting of the company at selection 1.1 All potential contractors should be questioned to check that they will comply with the public authority’s Environmental Policy and Guide to Environmentally Friendly Purchasing. (x and y can be used for this purpose) 1.2 Mark each contractor pass/fail for their environmental performance. (w can be used to assess this) 1.3 Contractors failing their environmental assessment, should be given reasons and recommended to obtain further help (the clauses contained in x can be used for this purpose) 1.4 Any contractor who fails their environmental assessment, but for exceptional reasons is awarded the contract, must be given a date for rectifying the situation. (clauses contained in x are for this purpose). This should be followed by x (or the clauses contained within this) if no action has taken place. 1.5 Retain all evidence of environmental assessment on file. If you are responsible for managing select lists you must copy to the Environment Team the results of the companies which passed/failed the environmental assessment. 1.6 When renewing a select list, feedback on the contractor’s previous environmental performance (item 3.3) should be incorporated into the assessment. (The questions listed in F7-1d may be used for this purpose. For construction type contracts it is recommended to use F7-1e)	file records     Env Team
Any officer involved in specifying work for an external organisation	2. Environmental check against the contract specification When specifying work for an external company to carry out, check that this specification complies with the public authority’s Environmental Policy and Guide to Environmentally Friendly Purchasing. Consider how to minimise environmental risks (e.g. the likelihood of pollution) by changes in the design. Retain evidence on file and attach a copy to the specification. (EMAS form x can be used for this purpose)	File records
Any officer who monitors the work of  an external organisation     officers monitoring the work of an external organisation which was  appointed from a public authority select list“““	3. Environmental monitoring during the contract Provide evidence of monitoring the contract in progress, against the public authority’s Environmental Policy and Guide to Environmentally Friendly Purchasing. For contractors who have been appointed from a The Public authority’s select list, (i.e. who have already been vetted for their environmental performance under item 1.):- 3.1 The process of monitoring should start by ensuring that the environmental conditions on EMAS form F7-2b are inserted into “Conditions of Contract” and an environmental method statement is requested using EMAS form F7-2c. (F7-2d may be given to contractors as a proforma for a method statement on construction contracts) Method statements must be deemed to be “adequate” before authorisation to start the contract is given. (Assessment of environmental method statements will be supported by training from the Environment Team.) 3.2 Include environmental inspections within normal monitoring procedures.  EMAS form F7-3a can be used for this purpose. (Environmental monitoring will be supported by training from the Environment Team.) 3.3 Ensure feedback on contractor’s environmental performance is given to the officer responsible for reviewing select lists (under item 1.6). For construction-type contracts it is recommended to use F7-1e	File records   training records     File records: meeting minutes etc.     training records   appraisal forms

____________________________________

9 Leicester City Council (UK) – EMAS procedure

• EU Environment – EMAS Website has guidance and advice regarding the specifics of the EMAS regulations including:
• Guidance on the identification of environmental aspects and assessment of their significance
• Guidance on the EMAS environmental statement

(http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/emas/documents/guidance_en.htm)

• EU Environment – EMAS Website has a ‘public authority corner’ which has a number of useful guides and toolkits. These include
• EU - EMAS Toolkit for Local Authorities (produced by Global to Local)

The LA-EMAS Toolkit demonstrates the step-by-step implementation of an Environmental Management System according to the EMAS Regulation in a public authority. The guide explains the benefits of EMAS in a public authority, starting from the environmental review to the environmental statement.
(http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/emas/local/pdf/la_toolkit_commission_020204_en.pdf)

 

• EU LA-EMAS Factsheets

For a brief introduction on how municipalities can take action in the framework of EMAS, there is a factsheet on "The Implementation of EMAS in Public Sector Authorities"
(http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/emas/documents/brochure_en.htm)

 

• EU EMAS Helpdesk
  

www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/emas/tools/contacts/helpdesk_en.htm

 

• EU LIFE Funded EMS projects

There are 8 LIFE funded projects relating to EMAS or environmental management systems in general and many of them involve public authorities.
The EU has produced a reference document explaining about the projects and providing contact information for the project leads.
http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/emas/pdf/life_emas_en.pdf