Which step is NOT part of developing a sufficient Environmental Management System (EMS)?

Developing a sufficient Environmental Management System (EMS) requires a series of crucial steps to ensure that an organization meets its environmental responsibilities effectively. The step that does not fit into the core development of an EMS is conducting regular community surveys. While community feedback can be valuable and can help organizations understand the broader impact of their operations, it is not a foundational component of the EMS framework itself.

An EMS is primarily concerned with internal processes that help an organization manage its environmental responsibilities. This includes creating training materials for staff to understand their roles and responsibilities, establishing clear compliance goals to aim towards, and assessing current compliance status through audits to ensure that the organization meets both legal and self-imposed standards.

In contrast, community surveys are more about external engagement and stakeholder communication rather than the internal management and operational strategies that constitute an EMS. Therefore, while such surveys may enhance relationships with the community and foster transparency, they are not directly involved in the systematic development of an EMS.