EMAS, the “Eco-Management and Audit Scheme,” is a voluntary environmental management system created by the European Union. Its aim is to support organizations in improving environmental management practices and meticulously monitoring the impact of their activities on the natural environment. EMAS encourages organizations to continuously enhance their environmental impact by adhering to existing environmental protection norms and regulations and making changes to production and consumption processes to become more sustainable. A fundamental aspect of EMAS is to recognize and appreciate those organizations that voluntarily exceed minimum legal requirements, continually improving their environmental actions. By joining EMAS, organizations become part of a prestigious group of entities that regard environmental issues as an integral part of their operations and continuously strive to improve and minimize their environmental impact.

Participation in EMAS is voluntary and available to all organizations, including commercial enterprises, non-profits, and institutions, which use this model to achieve better operational outcomes while simultaneously increasing their efficiency.

The main goals and features of EMAS include:

• Environmental Management: EMAS helps organizations develop and implement environmental management systems focused on protecting the natural environment and promoting sustainable development.
• Ecological Audit: Participation in EMAS requires organizations to regularly conduct environmental audits. These are intended to assess the impact of the company’s activities on the environment and identify areas for improvement.
• Transparency and Reporting: A key component of EMAS is the publication of annual environmental reports. These provide both internal and external stakeholders with information about the organization’s environmental actions.
• Employee and Supplier Engagement: EMAS encourages the active participation of employees and suppliers in environmentally friendly actions, contributing to the building of an ecological awareness and culture within the organization.
• Certification: Organizations that meet EMAS standards and are positively evaluated in an environmental audit are entitled to receive an EMAS certificate. This certifies their commitment to environmental protection and sustainable development.

Implementing the EMAS system aims to reduce an organization’s environmental impact and operational costs. Applying this system leads to the optimization of resource usage and, consequently, an improvement in economic indicators. EMAS can also be a way to stand out and increase competitiveness. Through its proactive environmental stance, a company consciously creates a positive image and is seen as modern, demonstrating care for the environment. The increasing trust from the company’s surroundings (both customers and stakeholders) driven by this approach can have numerous benefits from a promotional perspective.

Another promotional tool offered by EMAS is its logo, signifying that a company belongs to a group of entities friendly to nature and humanity. Implementing the EMAS system also increases employee engagement and improves the company’s relations with the media and various environmental organizations.

Technical solutions supporting EMAS include Energy Management Systems (EMS)—Environmental Management System (EMS). This is a structured and procedural set of actions within an organization, developed to manage the impact of its activities on the natural environment. EMS assists companies, institutions, and other organizations in identifying, monitoring, controlling, and minimizing the environmental impact of their operations while complying with existing environmental regulations. One of the most well-known standards of EMS is ISO 14001, which is an international environmental management standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ISO 14001 specifies the requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and improving an environmental management system within an organization.

The process of implementing ISO 14001 includes:

• Understanding the Context of the Organization: Identifying the internal and external environmental context of the organization, along with its objectives and obligations.
• Planning: Defining environmental objectives and action plans, as well as identifying potential environmental risks and opportunities.
• Implementation and Operation: Establishing and implementing processes, procedures, and actions related to environmental management.
• Monitoring and Measurement: Regularly monitoring and measuring environmental performance to assess progress towards achieving environmental objectives.
• Evaluation of Compliance and Audits: Conducting audits and compliance evaluations with environmental laws as well as internal environmental management standards.
• Continual Improvement and Corrective Actions: Continuously improving the environmental management system by identifying areas requiring improvement and implementing corrective actions.

EMS helps organizations reduce their environmental impact, lower costs associated with environmental protection, and meet stakeholder expectations for sustainable development. Through the implementation of EMS, organizations can also gain a competitive edge, enhance their reputation, and become more environmentally friendly.

EMS may also refer to a computerized system designed to automatically control and monitor electromechanical devices that consume significant energy in a building, such as heating, ventilation, and lighting systems. The system ranges from managing a single building to a group of buildings, such as university campuses, office complexes, retail store networks, or factories. Most energy management systems also provide the capability to read electric, gas, and water meters. The data obtained can then be used for numerous self-diagnostic and optimization procedures and to develop analysis of trends and yearly consumption forecasts. Energy management systems are often used by commercial entities to monitor, measure, and control their electrical loads in buildings. They can be used for central control of devices like HVAC units and lighting systems across multiple locations, such as grocery stores and restaurants.