Environmental Management Plan (EMP)

Environmental Management Plan (EMP) can be defined as “an environmental management tool used to ensure that undue or reasonably avoidable adverse impacts of the construction, operation and decommissioning of a project are prevented; and that the positive benefits of the projects are enhanced”. EMPs are therefore important tools for ensuring that the management actions arising from Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes are clearly defined and implemented through all phases of the project life-cycle.

The overall purpose of the guideline is twofold: to inform and guide the preparation and implementation of EMPs in a manner that promotes the effectiveness of EMPs; and to assist authorities and other reviewers in objectively evaluating the quality of EMPs. This guideline for EMPs describes the key components that should be included in an EMP, drawing from relevant existing guidelines as well as South African EMP experience.

Key features of this guideline are that it:

• Is applicable to a range of types and scales of projects or developments, from projects with a low level of environmental risk to those with high environmental risk;
• Assumes a broad understanding of the term “environment”, that includes the biophysical, social and economic components;
• Includes the enhancement of positive impacts (benefits) as well as the mitigation of negative impacts; and
• Should not be viewed as a prescriptive and inflexible document.

The guideline for EMPs describes the envisaged scope and content of an EMP, covering both the preparation and implementation stages of an EMP process, as well as the roles of key stakeholders associated with EMPs. To assist in the review of EMPs by the authorities, as well as other reviewers, a set of review criteria has been identified. It must emphasized that these criteria are not intended to provide a prescriptive list of requirements for each and every EMP, but to provide prompts for reviewers regarding the scope and level of detailed appropriate for an EMP.

Looking ahead, EMPs provide an essential tool for ensuring that the mitigation of negative impacts and enhancement of positive impacts is carried out effectively during the project life-cycle. It is therefore intended that this guideline be used in the spirit of continual improvement, to assist in promoting best practice in environmental management, in a manner that is pragmatic, efficient and cost-effective.