This environmental manual sets out how your ISO 14001:2026 system runs, from aspects and compliance obligations to incident response, suppliers and environmental monitoring, all in one Word file.
The IMS1 manual is supplied in fully editable MS Word format and can be easily customised and edited. The document uses pre-defined style formatting throughout, with all text in Calibri font for improved readability.
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ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Manual (IMS1)
IMS1 - EMS Manual is the environmental version of the IMS1 manual, written for an organisation working to ISO 14001:2026 on its own. It keeps the IMS1 framework for scope, context, leadership, resources and review, and gives environmental management its own Section 4, so the operational part of the manual deals with aspects and impacts, compliance obligations, incident prevention and the control of suppliers and contractors.
Environmental monitoring and the evaluation of compliance sit in 5.1, and a table in 1.4 shows which section covers each ISO clause. Registers such as F-IMS60 Environmental Aspects and Impacts Register, F-IMS22 Interested Parties Register and F-IMS23 Opportunities and Risks Register hold the detail that changes, so the manual stays a concise overview.
What the Manual Covers
- Section 1 Environmental Management System - update log, company profile and an EMS scope that takes account of physical boundaries, compliance obligations and the life cycle of activities, products and services; context including environmental conditions and climate change; interaction of processes; documented information; and legal compliance with a table for environmental legislation
- Section 2 Leadership, Commitment and Planning - P-2 Environmental Policy and environmental objectives, the responsibilities of top management, the Environmental Representative and the Data Protection Lead, the organisational chart, management review, and risks and opportunities
- Section 3 Resource Management and Support - staff and competence, equipment and premises including checks on spill kits and drainage, and management system communication
- 4.1 Commitment to Environmental Protection - environmental commitment, compliance obligations, life cycle perspective, environmental awareness and training, and environmental communication
- 4.2 Environmental Assessment - determining environmental aspects and their significance, controls, recording significant aspects on F-IMS60, and environmental risks, opportunities and objectives
- 4.3 Environmental Incident Prevention & Management - emergency preparedness, oil and chemical storage, dealing with an environmental incident, and testing and reviewing the emergency response
- 4.4 Management of Change - planning, reviewing and approving changes, with aspects and compliance obligations reviewed where a change could affect them
- 4.5 Purchasing and External Providers - key suppliers such as waste carriers and contractors on site, selection on environmental credentials, environmental requirements for contractors, labour-only sub-contractors and supplier monitoring
- 4.6 Environmental Procedures and Arrangements - operational control and a table of the environmental registers and procedures in use, such as the waste matrix and COSHH register
- Section 5 Monitoring, Evaluation and Improvement - environmental performance monitoring and evaluation of compliance, nonconformities, problems and complaints, internal audits and continual improvement
The Appendices
- Appendix i - External File References - folders, including an Environmental Records folder, and a registers key naming the environmental performance register, legal register, key suppliers list and others
- Appendix ii - IMS Folder Filing System - the suggested IMS folder, with a folder for waste records, emergency plans and the environmental performance register
- Appendix iii - Terms and Definitions - general management system terms followed by environmental terms such as compliance obligations, environmental aspect, life cycle and prevention of pollution
Who Needs an ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Manual?
Organisations seeking ISO 14001:2026 certification without ISO 9001 use IMS1-EMS as the framework document for their environmental management system. It suits small and medium-sized businesses with practical environmental aspects such as energy use, waste, emissions and chemicals, who want one manual that ties the aspects register, the legal register and supplier controls together.
Included in the ISO 14001 Toolkit
This manual is part of the ISO 14001 Toolkit, where it is supplied with the IMS1 Manual Guidance and the registers, forms, policies and procedures it refers to.
Using the Manual
Complete the company details and scope in 1.2, name the Environmental Representative in 2.2, and record your aspects, significance criteria and controls on F-IMS60, which Section 4 refers to throughout. Amend the table in 4.6 to show the environmental procedures and records you actually use, and change the registers key in Appendix i if the environmental performance register or legal register is kept somewhere else. Yellow text marks the placeholders and instructions to complete.
Related Documents
IMS1 Guidance covers the environmental requirements in detail and notes where the IMS1-EMS layout differs from the integrated manual. F-IMS22 Interested Parties Register and F-IMS23 Opportunities and Risks Register hold the context, interested parties and environmental risks and opportunities, P-125 Supplier Policy sets out what is expected of suppliers in 4.5, and ISO 14001:2026 Correlation maps the standard to the manual clause by clause.
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