Environmental Management System

In 2006, Richmond Hill became the first municipality in Ontario to have multiple departments registered to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 Environment Management Standard. We were also the first in the province to register Fire and Emergency Services to the ISO 14001 Standard. Our Environmental Management System (EMS) shows that Richmond Hill is a leader in corporate environmental management and sustainability.

We continue to expand our EMS to increase awareness of EMS programs and benefits to staff and the community.

Learn more about our environmental vision through Richmond Hill's Environmental Policy.

Learn about our goals and objectives through our Environment Strategy.

Why have an Environmental Management System?

ISO 14001: Environmental Management Systems is an international standard of best practices for managing impacts on the natural environment. The standard came into effect in 1996. There are now more than 230,000 organizations registered in more than 150 countries.

The ISO 14001 system offers a number of benefits to the organizations registered, including:

• Better environmental performance
• Reduction of environmental impacts
• More efficient use of resources, which leads to reduced operating costs
• Demonstrates commitment to reaching legal and government standards
• Demonstrates commitment to the environment
• Better management of environmental risks, now and in the future

The EMS reviews the environmental impacts of our activities, products and services, and sets goals and targets for managing them. Major impacts are monitored, controlled and reduced through operational procedures, staff training and environmental improvement projects.

Internal communication is another important part of this management system. Staff are trained on environmental policies, projects and controls. Legal updates and audits ensure that we are meeting the requirements of the ISO standard and all other regulations. Our staff meet regularly to review our performance and discuss areas where we can improve.

A qualified third party audits the EMS and renews our ISO 14001 registration every three years.

Contact Richmond Hill's EMS Coordinator in the Environment and Infrastructure Services Department at 905-771-8830 for more information.