Environmental policy

As a modern, forward-looking business, Gnomon Informatics SA recognizes at senior levels the need to ensure that its business works to achieve a balance between the environment, the economy and society. These are known as the Three Pillars of Sustainability.

In order to provide such assurance, Gnomon Informatics SA has implemented an Environmental Management System (EMS) in line with the international standard ISO14001.

The operation of this EMS has many benefits for the environment and for the business, including:

  • Protecting the environment in the course of normal business activities.
  • Preventing or effectively dealing with incidents affecting the environment.
  • Meeting legal and regulatory compliance requirements.
  • Contributing to a better understanding of the environment and the organization’s role within it.
  • Demonstrating a responsible attitude to the protection of the environment.
  • Maintaining and enhancing shareholder value.

1.Framework for Setting Objectives

The overall objectives are used as guidance in the setting of lower-level, more short-term objectives for environmental planning within an annual cycle timed to coincide with organizational budget planning. This ensures that adequate funding is obtained for the improvement activities identified. These objectives are based upon a clear understanding of the overall environmental requirements and how they may change during the year.

2.Commitment to the Protection of the Environment

Commitment to the protection of the environment extends to senior levels of the organization and is demonstrated through this Environmental Policy and the provision of appropriate resources to establish and develop the Environmental Management System. Top management also ensures that a systematic review of performance of the program is conducted on a regular basis to ensure that environmental objectives are being met and relevant issues are identified through the audit program and management processes.

Gnomon Informatics SA ensures that all employees involved in environmental management are competent in terms of appropriate education, training, skills, and experience. The skills required to enable environmental management are determined and reviewed on a regular basis together with an assessment of existing skill levels within Gnomon Informatics SA. Training needs are identified, and a plan is maintained to ensure the necessary competencies are in place. Training, education, and other relevant records are kept by the Compliance Manager to document individual skill levels attained.

Gnomon Informatics SA makes use of various third parties, both internal and external, in the delivery of products and services to its customers. Where this involves the operation of a business process, or a part of the process on behalf of Gnomon Informatics SA, that falls within the defined scope of the EMS, this is identified in the Environmental Management Plan. In all cases, Gnomon Informatics SA retains governance of the relevant environmental management processes by demonstrating:

  • Accountability for the process.
  • Control of the definition of and interface to the process.
  • Performance and compliance monitoring.
  • Control over process improvements.

This is evidenced by documents and records such as contracts, meeting minutes and performance reports.

3.Continual Improvement of the EMS

Gnomon Informatics’ policy with regard to continual improvement of the EMS is to:

  • Continually improve the effectiveness of the Environmental Management System across all areas within scope.
  • Enhance current processes to bring them into line with good practice as defined within ISO 14001.
  • Achieve ISO14001 certification and maintain it on an ongoing basis.
  • Increase the level of proactivity (and the business perception of proactivity) with regard to ongoing environmental management.
  • Achieve an enhanced understanding of, and relationship with, the business units to which the EMS applies.
  • Review relevant metrics annually to assess whether it is appropriate to change them, based on collected historical data and feedback from relevant sources.
  • Obtain ideas for improvement via regular review meetings with interested parties and document them.
  • Review ideas for continual improvement at regular management meetings in order to prioritize them and assess timescales and benefits.

Ideas for improvements may be obtained from any source including customers, suppliers, employees, risk assessments and audits. Once identified, they are documented and evaluated by the staff member responsible for continual improvement. If accepted, the improvement proposal is prioritized in order to allow more effective planning.

4.Environmental Aspects and Impacts

Gnomon Informatics SA determines the environmental aspects of its business activities, products and services by understanding the life cycle of each, and their corresponding potential and actual environmental impacts. A documented process is used to identify those aspects that have a real or possible significant impact on the environment, so that they can be effectively managed on an ongoing basis.

5.Approach to Managing Risks and Opportunities

Risk and opportunity management takes place at several levels within the Environmental Management System, including:

  • Those associated with significant environmental aspects and impacts.
  • Environmental planning – risks to the achievement of environmental objectives.
  • Organization-wide risk and opportunity management.
  • As part of the business change management process.
  • As part of individual business projects e.g., new products and services.

High-level risk and opportunity assessments are reviewed on an annual basis, or upon significant changes to the business environment. in place, it is vital that regular reviews take place of how well environmental management processes and procedures are being adhered to. This happens at three levels:

  • Structured regular management review of conformity to policies and procedures within Gnomon Informatics SA.
  • Internal audit reviews against the ISO 14001 standard by the Gnomon Informatics SA audit team.
  • External audit against the standard in order to gain and maintain certification to ISO 14001.

6.Control of Documents and Records

All environmental management policies and plans that form part of the EMS are documented and managed throughout their lifecycle. All documents in the EMS are uniquely numbered and the current versions are tracked. The keeping of records is a fundamental part of the Environmental Management System. Records are key information resources and represent evidence that processes are being carried out effectively. The controls in place to manage records are also defined in a documented Procedure for the Control of Documented Information.