ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT (JSIF)
Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) has always demonstrated a commitment to managing environmental impacts associated with its projects. The JSIF implements a variety of community projects, including small roads, buildings, water supply, sewage systems, community green spaces among others. Given JSIF’s recognition that these projects have the potential to impact the environment, JSIF has created and built on different levels of environmental management.
This started with the development of the Environmental Management Framework (EMF), which was created to ensure compliance with the requirements of Jamaican environmental laws and regulations, and the relevant policies of its funding agencies. The EMF is applicable to all projects financed by the JSIF.
Main Objectives of this EMF
- establish procedures for screening all proposed projects for their potential adverse environmental impacts and land requirements/acquisition
- specify measures for managing, mitigating and monitoring environmental impacts during project implementation and operation
- outline the training and capacity-building arrangements needed to successfully implement the provisions of the EMF.
In order to ensure the effectiveness and relevance of the EMF, JSIF has developed and implemented an Environmental Management System (EMS). The EMS is an approach, which enables the organization to identify, monitor and control its environmental aspects, and incorporates the organizational structure, planning activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures, monitoring and tracking of set objectives.
Environmental Management Systems (EMS)
The implementation of an EMS is reflective of JSIF’s committment to Environmental Sustainability, as part of JSIF’s EMS, the following among other things will be managed:
Loss of soil and slope instability
Removal and damage to trees
Pollution to surface and groundwaters
Disruption to natural and existing drainage patterns
Release of excess dust to the environment
Non-hazardous waste (paper, glass, plastic, newspaper)
Provision of potable water
- Loss of soil and slope instability
- Removal and damage to trees
- Pollution to surface and groundwaters
- Disruption to natural and existing drainage patterns
- Release of excess dust to the environment
- Non-hazardous waste (paper, glass, plastic, newspaper)
- Provision of potable water
The first programme launched as part of the EMS was the Waste Management Programme, this programme will manage non-hazardous waste generated within JSIF’s office. The EMS consists of an overall policy and associated procedures geared at acheiving set objectives and targets. Conformance to set objectives and targets and continual improvement will ensure that we succeed in our committment to protect the environment.
ISO Overview
Implementation of ISO 14001 Within the JSIFISO 14001 is an environmental management system (EMS) developed by the International Organization for Standardization in Geneva, Switzerland. It is an EMS for organizations committed to taking care of the environment. The system allows organizations to manage, assess, monitor and reduce the impact of their operations on the environment. At JSIF, implementing ISO 14001 will result in the streamlining of its operations. The main objectives of ISO 14001 implementation in JSIF are:
- To strengthen overall environmental management procedures
- To achieve improved environmental performance
- To demonstrate JSIF’s commitment to continuous management and process improvement
The JSIF was recommended for ISO 14001 Registration on December 18,2008 and received ISO 14001:2004 certification from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), on January 14, 2009. In November, 2017 the JSIF was certified to a new ISO standard; ISO 14001:2015 certification from the international Environmental certification body, DQS Inc.