Integrating Carbon Management Into An Organization’s Management System

Counting carbon is a cross-disciplinary activity. Although frequently delegated within organizations to environmental professionals, the task can involve a fairly large cast of players in medium sized and large organizations. Organizational functions that contribute to counting carbon include facilities management, maintenance, production, logistics/transportation, information technology, accounting, finance, and planning/engineering. Organizational functions that are affected by carbon counting activities include marketing/sales, legal, external communications, investor relations, human resources, internal audit, and senior management to name a few. Integrating into your management system the processes necessary to count carbon has many benefits. It distributes the workload. It accesses knowledge and information that is spread throughout the organization. It improves the quality, consistently and reliability of greenhouse gas information. It lays the foundation for implementation of carbon reducing strategies. All organizations have management systems, whether they are ISO 9001/ISO 14001 certified or not. Some are truly integrated, and easily adapt to new needs, such as carbon management. Others have been implemented in a more piecemeal fashion as management recognized the benefit of Plan-Do-Check-Act approaches to various organizational functions. A partial list of some of the more prominent management system standards and guidelines includes:

  • Quality (ISO 9001)
  • Environmental (ISO 14001)
  • Health and safety (OHSAS 18001)
  • Information security (ISO 27001)
  • Risk management (ISO 31000)
  • Energy efficiency (forthcoming ISO 50001).

Regardless of whether your organization’s management system has been consciously integrated or remains “siloed”, integrating the processes needed to count carbon across functional lines can simplify the task. This integration effort can be approached as a management system improvement initiative. Top management should be well aware of the benefits of improving management system performance. Better process efficiency, improved communication internally and externally, higher quality and greater customer satisfaction are just a few examples. Futurepast has extensive experience helping organizations improve and integrate their management systems. We recommend a five-phased approach that brings clarity and direction to the task. In many cases, organizations have already undertaken many of the steps listed below and can draw upon this prior effort. Steps in integrating carbon management into an existing management system can include:

Phase I: Preassessment

  • Conduct a gap analysis
  • Review relevant policies with top management
  • Establish a project working group
  • Develop an action plan

Phase II: Planning

  • Flowchart management system processes (or use existing process maps)
  • Assign process owners for each process
  • Identify greenhouse gas information needs based on an understanding of relevant greenhouse gas reporting requirements
  • Analyze available greenhouse gas information in existing processes and systems
  • Develop plans for supplemental greenhouse gas monitoring and data collection
  • Prepare information management implementation plans
  • Review plans with top management.

Phase III: Implementation and Training

  • Consider process changes in light of greenhouse gas information management needs and revise processes as needed
  • Create or revise management system procedures
  • Procure and install necessary hardware and software
  • Document additional required operating procedures
  • Train employees on revised/improved procedures and technology

Phase IV: Checking and Preventive Action

  • Monitor and measure performance
  • Detect and correct nonconformities
  • Ensure regulatory compliance
  • Conduct internal audits

Phase V: Management Review

  • Conduct management reviews to assure the management system’s continued adequacy and suitability
  • Identify and track needed changes to assure continual improvement.

Futurepast believes that management systems should be only as complex as needed and adapted to the culture of each individual organization. To count carbon accurately, reliably and consistently, your organization’s management system may need a minor tune-up or a more thorough overhaul. Either way, Futurepast consultants have the background and experience to help. Futurepast also offers traditional management systems implementation consulting and auditing in the following specialized areas: