2. SCOPE
This SRD addresses the environmental performance of the activities of the public administration sector. In this document, the public administration sector includes organisations belonging mainly to the following NACE code division (according to the statistical classification of economic activities established by Regulation (EC) No 1893/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council(1)):
NACE code 84: Public administration and defence; compulsory social security.
Organisations registered under this NACE code are the target group of this document.
In addition, the best environmental management practices identified in this SRD can be of inspiration also for other organisations, such as public owned companies or private companies delivering services on behalf of public administrations. These may belong, among others, to the following NACE code divisions:
NACE code 2: Forestry, logging,
NACE code 36: Water collection, treatment and supply,
NACE code 37: Sewerage,
NACE code 38: Waste collection, treatment and disposal activities; materials recovery,
NACE code 39: Remediation activities and other waste management services,
NACE code 41.2: Construction of residential and non-residential buildings,
NACE code 49.3.1: Urban and suburban passenger land transport.
This SRD targets a number of aspects which are relevant for all types of public administrations, such as the environmental performance of offices, the energy efficiency of public buildings and green public procurement (i.e. Sections 3.1, 3.2.5, 3.2.7, 3.2.8, 3.2.10 and 3.11). All public administrations at local, regional, national and international level are invited to consult these sections of the document.
However, effective environmental management for a public administration needs also to address its core business, where the largest environmental benefits can be achieved. This document aims at easing this task for local authorities and municipalities(2) focusing on best practices that are relevant for their role and the services they provide directly or indirectly to their inhabitants (e.g. waste water treatment, local public transport). Local authorities are specifically targeted because they make up the highest share of public administrations in the EU and it is at the local level that there is the highest potential for replicability and learning from best practices.
The main environmental aspects, the associated environmental pressures and the corresponding relevant sections of the document are presented in the table below. The environmental aspects listed were selected as the most relevant in the sector. However, the environmental aspects to be managed by each specific public administration should be assessed on a case-by-case basis. No distinction is made in the table below between direct and indirect environmental aspects, because the operations that are carried out in-house and those that are outsourced vary from case to case. Moreover, many environmental aspects can be considered both direct and indirect, since they refer directly to the activities of the public administration but also to all the activities of residents, companies and organisations in the territory administered or served by the public administration.
The most relevant environmental aspects and pressures for public administrations and how these are addressed in this document
| Environmental aspect | Related main environmental pressure | Relevant sections of the SRD |
|---|---|---|
| Operate offices | Solid waste generation Water consumption Energy consumption, GHG emissions (CO2) Emissions to air (CO, SO2, NOx, particulate matter, etc.) Resource depletion | Section 3.1 |
| Steer energy use in the territory administered and manage own energy use | Energy consumption, GHG emissions (CO2) | Section 3.2 |
| Manage mobility and/or public transport | Emissions to air (CO, SO2, NOx, particulate matter, etc.) Energy consumption, GHG emissions (CO2) | Section 3.3 |
| Plan land use and manage green urban areas | Land use Biodiversity loss | Sections 3.4 and 3.5 |
| Manage ambient air quality and noise | Emissions to air (CO, SO2, NOx, particulate matter, etc.) Noise generation | Sections 3.6 and 3.7 |
| Waste management | Solid waste generation | Section 3.8 |
| Supply of potable water | Water consumption | Section 3.9 |
| Manage waste water treatment | Emissions to water (BOD, COD, micropollutants, etc.) Energy consumption, GHG emissions (CO2) | Section 3.10 |
| Procure goods and services | Solid waste generation Water consumption Energy consumption, GHG emissions (CO2) Emissions to air (CO, SO2, NOx, particulate matter, etc.) Resource depletion | Section 3.11 |
| Promote environmental behaviour of residents and businesses | Solid waste generation Water consumption Energy consumption, GHG emissions (CO2) Emissions to air (CO, SO2, NOx, particulate matter, etc.) Emissions to water (COD, BOD, micropollutants, etc.) Resource depletion | Section 3.12 |
The best environmental management practices (BEMPs) described in chapter 3 were identified as the most relevant techniques, actions and measures that public administrations can implement to improve their environmental performance for each of the environmental aspects listed in the table above. In their identification, the specific challenges and opportunities of public bodies, compared to private companies were taken into account. These include, among others:
more rigid procurement procedures,
strict funding rules,
need of longer time periods to implement decisions,
legacy infrastructure,
limited budget,
but also:
the possibility to accept longer term paybacks,
the possibility to give priority to choices that result in societal benefits rather than financial paybacks,
stability of staff,
the opportunities for economies of scale in case of cooperation among different public administration at local, regional or national level.
When considering the implementation of any of the BEMPs presented in this document, local authorities need to consider their specific challenges and how to take advantage of the specific opportunities available(3).
Regulation (EC) No 1893/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 establishing the statistical classification of economic activities NACE Revision 2 and amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 3037/90 as well as certain EC regulations on specific statistical domains (OJ L 393, 30.12.2006, p. 1).
In this EMAS SRD, the terms ‘local authorities’ and ‘municipalities’ are considered synonyms and refer to the public bodies governing and providing services to citizens at local level.
The specific challenges and opportunities related to the different BEMPs are addressed either directly in this document or within the practical guidance on how to implement the BEMPs available in the ‘Best Practice Report’ published by the JRC and available on-line at: http://susproc.jrc.ec.europa.eu/activities/emas/documents/PublicAdminBEMP.pdf Organisations are invited to consult it for a better understanding of the best practices described in this SRD.