Improving environmental performance extends beyond the direct activities of an organisation. The activities of suppliers and sub-contractors also have an impact on the environmental profile, particularly for the procurer of a large number of goods and services. Project Acorn provides a six-level staged approach to implementation of the international environmental management systems (EMS) standard ISO 14001 and the European Union's Eco-management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), with recognition at each Level of the Acorn model. The Acorn approach helps organisations of all sizes in all business sectors to engage in environmental improvement, by identifying, managing and measuring their key environmental impacts. The independent audit at each Level provides suppliers with evidence of their achievement and progress towards ISO 14001 and/or EMAS. This benefits the customer who can avoid the need for second party audits of their supply chain. Suppliers are then protected from the scenario of multiple audits from their customers. Organisations can integrate the Project Acorn model into their supply chain strategy to engage suppliers in environmental management and performance improvement. The Acorn model has already achieved success, as demonstrated through pilot scheme case studies, and is supported by the United Kingdom Government, trade associations, environmental organisations, large "blue chip" companies and service providers. There is considerable interest in the model both inside and outside the UK, as the benefits of a staged approach to environmental management together with performance measurement become clear. Project Acorn's staged approach is a very powerful way to make an EMS really work.
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