How do you identify gaps in your facility's environmental practices?

1 Review your environmental policy

The first step to identify gaps in your environmental practices is to review your environmental policy. This is a document that outlines your facility's commitment, goals, and strategies for environmental management. It should also include your legal obligations, stakeholder expectations, and best practices. Your environmental policy should be aligned with your facility's vision, mission, and values, and reflect your environmental priorities and risks. If you don't have an environmental policy, or if it is outdated, incomplete, or vague, you need to create or revise it to ensure it covers all the relevant aspects of your environmental practices.

2 Conduct an environmental audit

The next step to identify gaps in your environmental practices is to conduct an environmental audit. This is a systematic and objective evaluation of your facility's environmental performance, compliance, and risks. It should cover all the areas of your environmental policy, such as energy, water, waste, emissions, biodiversity, procurement, and social responsibility. An environmental audit can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, measure your progress, and find opportunities for improvement. You can use various tools and methods for environmental auditing, such as checklists, questionnaires, interviews, observations, measurements, and records. You should also involve your staff, management, and stakeholders in the process, and document your findings and recommendations.

3 Compare with industry standards

The third step to identify gaps in your environmental practices is to compare your results with industry standards. These are benchmarks or guidelines that represent the best practices or minimum requirements for your sector or activity. They can be set by professional associations, regulatory bodies, certification schemes, or international organizations. Comparing your environmental performance with industry standards can help you identify your gaps and set realistic and achievable goals. You can also learn from the experiences and best practices of other facilities in your industry and seek their feedback or collaboration.

4 Implement an action plan

The fourth step to identify gaps in your environmental practices is to implement an action plan. This is a document that outlines the specific actions, responsibilities, timelines, and resources needed to address your gaps and improve your environmental performance. It should also include the indicators, methods, and frequency of monitoring and evaluation. Your action plan should be based on your environmental policy, audit results, and industry standards, and reflect your facility's priorities, capacities, and opportunities. You should also communicate your action plan to your staff, management, and stakeholders, and involve them in the implementation and review.

5 Seek external validation

The final step to identify gaps in your environmental practices is to seek external validation. This is a process of verifying and recognizing your environmental performance, compliance, and improvement by a third party. It can be done through various means, such as audits, inspections, certifications, awards, or ratings. Seeking external validation can help you confirm your gaps and achievements, enhance your credibility and reputation, and motivate you to continue improving. You should also share your external validation results with your staff, management, and stakeholders, and celebrate your successes.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?