Your Business and the Environment

2. Environmental Review

An environmental review establishes which issues affect your business. You can carry out the review yourself, ask your local business support organisation, university or college for help (often available free) or use an external adviser (see 3.3).

The review should cover five areas.

2.1 What environmental impact does your business have and how do you manage it? Can it be managed more effectively?

Key areas to consider include:

• The raw materials you use and the products you make (see 4).
• The waste you produce (see 5).
• The energy you use (see 6).
• Any discharges or emissions from your business (see 7).
• Storage and movement of materials.
• How any previous incidents were handled.
• The environmentally responsible credentials of your business investments and pensions.

2.2 What environmental risks does your business pose?

• What environmental damage could be caused if there was an accident?
• How likely is an accident?
• Are you located in an environmentally sensitive area (eg by a river)?
• Do you offer advice, or manage contracts, that could result in a third party causing environmental damage?

2.3 What environmental standards and regulations apply to your business, now (see 3) and in the future?

• What policies and legislation are being developed by the Government that might affect your products, supplies or operation?

2.4 What do customers, employees, suppliers and others expect of your business?

• Sending out questionnaires can raise expectations, so informal consultations may be more appropriate.

2.5 Does your insurance policy cover environmental risks?