Environmental Management
Systems (EMS)
 Natural
Capital offers a full implementation service for EMSs.
We have a strong track record in facilitating and developing
ISO 14001, EMAS and other EMSs within a range of sectors.
Working together with you and using our expertise
we will develop an EMS that helps to:
- minimise your impact on the environment
- exceeds compliance with all relevant regulations
- deliver cost savings
- constantly improve efficiency
- satisfy stakeholders
Specifically we can provide the following:
- An environmental review and gap analysis of existing
management systems against the requirements of ISO
14001/ EMAS
- Implementation of ISO 14001/ EMAS including policy
development; aspects register; customised register
of legislation; objectives and targets development;
facilitated workshops/ training sessions for all;
integration with existing management systems; management
programmes and procedures; documentation
- Design and implementation of customised management
systems
- Environmental performance improvement initiatives
Return
to top
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
The Natural Capital team has many years’ experience of EIA and has worked on all aspects of the process on a wide variety of types of projects, of all scales and sensitivity and under a range of delivery mechanisms. This includes pre-application inquiries, screening and scoping, option studies, environmental assessments, contract procurement and delivery of projects on site.
The team has a strong background in ecology and EIA, combined with extensive experience of auditing the delivery of projects on site and monitoring the success of landscaping and other mitigation measures. Recent major projects include the proposed re-location of a fish meal plant from Iceland to Shetland where the proposed site is situated partly within the Sullom Voe SAC, on-going support to Shetland Island Council for procurement of the Bressay Bridge and environmental advice to Scottish and Southern Energy and Scottish Power for the EIA of a 400kV transmission line between Beauly and Denny.
The team also has wide ranging experience of collating and presenting best practice guidance studies on EIA, including recent work for Scottish Natural Heritage.
Return to top
Integrating
Sustainable Development Principles into Business Strategy
It may be no surprise that the more successful companies
are those that have moved beyond environment to embrace
sustainable development principles. They manage their
businesses in a fully integrated way with a total business
strategy that includes finance, quality, human resources,
ethics, health, safety and environment.
Natural Capital is fast establishing a reputation for
new ideas and a creative approach to a total business
strategy that helps business integrate the management
of financial, social and natural capital.
The approach complements similar concepts such as total
quality management, total product management and business
excellence. We work with our clients to support them
with the following:
- policy development
- building a strategy
- setting objectives and targets
- prioritization
- sustainable solutions
and we provide information on:
- what your competitors are doing
- what your customers expect.
Return
to top
Getting
more from ISO 14001
 Are
you getting the most from your IS0 14001 system?
Has the drive to improve faltered as senior management
and other staff motivation takes a dip?
Has progress in environmental improvement started to
flounder?
Are you driving the system or is the system driving
you?
Or have you simply not got started yet?
There may be a need to take a fresh look at the business
in order to get yourself started or regain the momentum.
This is where Natural Capital can help - we can take
that look (together with you) at your business and make
sure that you are getting the most from systems like
ISO 14001. Some of our clients are going further towards
combining environment with quality and health &
safety to create a truly integrated approach to business
management.
Much to gain..........Hidden benefits
There is much to be gained from getting the most out
of ISO 14001 or your own environmental management system:
- a genuine contribution to creating a sustainable
future
- cutting costs in areas like waste management, use
of raw materials, energy usage, water management and
chemical control
- overall better cost control revealing hidden profit
- reducing risks and managing potential liabilities
more effectively
- the potential to increase profit and satisfy a
wider range of stakeholders
- re-energising and motivating staff
Return
to top
Environmental,
Social and Sustainability Audits
Although auditing often gets a bad name in companies
and organisations because of its common connection with
policing and regulating it can, if approached poistively,
be an important management tool in the performance improvement
process. Carrying out inspections, checks, interviews
and reviews can be an effective way of maintaining performance
and benchmarking against industry codes of practice
and international standards.
Natural Capital has considerable experience in undertaking
audits of all kinds including, environmental, social
and sustainability audits and appraisals. We can quickly
identify gaps and suggest realistic actions to improve
performance in all three areas. This can help to pin-point
areas of attention and improvements to current systems
and reporting.
Services include:
- management system audits (for ISO 14001, EMAS)
- internal audits
- supplier audits
- social audits (ASA 1000)
Benchmarking against:
- FTSE4Good
- Dow Jones Sustainability Index
- GRI Standards
Return
to top
Environmental
and Sustainability Reporting
 Many
organisations are already doing a great deal in terms
of improving their economic, environmental and sustainability
performance but are failing to report this to stakeholders.
Our experience has shown that providing clear information
about how an organisation is performing in these areas
improves stakeholder perceptions and market value of
the organisation. Natural Capital can prepare full reports
or provide support to any in-house efforts.
Companies with a genuine interest and concern for their
future success are moving beyond a focus on environmental
matters alone, they see that in order to sustain their
future they need to perform well in the three key areas
that underpin sustainable development:
- economic performance - sustaining economic and manufactured
capital
- social and ethical performance - sustaining social
and human capital
- environmental performance - sustaining natural
capital
So why narrow your vision? Why not gain more benefits
from your efforts?
Sustainability reporting delivers:
- a true framework for improving your progress towards
a more sustainable business
- satisfaction to ever more demanding stakeholders
- respect and admiration from legislators and regulators
- a competitive edge when dealing with demanding
customers
- a more effective coverage of business risks
- all leading to greater business success.
We can help:
- design and structure your report
- develop meaningful indicator
- independently verify the report
- ensure that the relevant sustainability issues
are being addressed
Return
to top
Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR)
 CSR
is fast becoming a prerequisite for all organisations
large or small. Many organisations don't fully understand
the concept and feel intimidated by it. Natural Capital
can provide a full support service to help your organisation
by providing the following:
|
- Identify what your organisation is already
doing
- Provide opportunities to become more socially
responsible (Natural
Capital is involved in a number of community
projects which can
provide opportunities for improving CSR efforts).
- Engage your stakeholders
- Provide CSR training
- Draft CSR reports for your organisation
|
Return
to top
Training
and Communications
 Training
and communications feature highly in all the new and
emerging management systems such as ISO 14001 and the
updated ISO 9000 series. This is simply due to the recognition
that any successful business or organisation that wishes
to continuously improve relies not only on the calibre
of its workforce - employees that are competent and
motivated - but also on their ability to communicate
effectively.
Training staff and raising awareness about environmental
issues is an essential part of delivering the targets
within and EMS such as ISO 14001 and reducing an organisation's
impact on the environment. Increasing a workforce's
understanding and appreciation of the natural world
and the use of resources helps them to recognise where
they and their employer impact on the environment.
Natural Capital can facilitate awareness raising sessions
and provide training to increase understanding and motivate
staff. Past experience has delivered direct improvements
in performance bolstering and complementing in house
efforts. Our aim is to provide a refreshing approach
to training and enhancing communications on environmental
and sustainable development matters. We will tailor
programmes or sessions to your needs taking them from
our catalogue of successful courses. Your choice may
be a two hour management briefing, a one day training
session, a five day focused training programme, a half
day's operator training session, or a facilitated workshop.
Return
to top
Stakeholder
Engagement and Workshops
Engaging stakeholders requires more than just providing
annual performance reports. Natural Capital is one of
very consultancies who offer an additional service which
gives genuine results and is an improvement to the traditional
method of communicating with stakeholders. By holding
workshops with different stakeholders of an organisation
we can communicate directly with those that matter.
Helping you to understand what stakeholders think allowing
you to determine a sustainable future for your organisation.
Return
to top
Enhancing
Biodiversity
 One
of Natural Capital's core values is to promote wherever
possible the enhancement and sustainable management
of the earth's plant and animal communities (its biodiversity)
at both the global and local levels.
This does not run necessarily at odds with economic
growth and business success, indeed the more successful
and sustainable businesses are already taking action
to promote and enhance where possible biodiversity at
both the local and global levels.
Natural Capital is already supporing companies through
the provision of the following services:
- strategic advice
- development and implementation of local biodiversity
action plans
- support for local biodiversity as a community outreach
tool
- training and communications
- promoting and reporting achievements
Return
to top
|
