Environmental monitoring and measurement.

This video will explain why we carry out environmental monitoring and measuring.

what we measure and what the results are used for.

It will also summarise environmental KPI’s.

Why do we carry out environmental monitoring and measuring?

It is essential that environmental monitoring and measuring are carried out, to determine the environmental

impacts associated with organisational aspects.

Many organisations that operate industrial processes, have limits set by the regulator for certain emissions

and discharges, which must be monitored and measured, to ensure that limits have not been exceeded.

For example, limits can be set for particulate matter or greenhouse gases, or for watercourse discharges, pH,

or suspended solids content of the discharge.

Monitoring and measurement form an essential part of any environmental management system.

Without it, an organisation does not know if its performance is improving, deteriorating or complying with its

The terms are often used interchangeably.

Measuring an environmental parameter means giving it a numerical value.

Monitoring often involves the interpretation of several values over a period.

Measurement can be either “continuous” or “discontinuous.”

Continuous measurement involves the use of an automatic instrument.

Continuous Emissions Monitoring Products, or CEMS, can monitor the concentrations of various pollutants.

carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrogen chloride, particulate matter,

Continuous monitoring systems are also available for monitoring wastewater systems.

They can measure parameters such as dissolved oxygen, suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand and flow.

Discontinuous measurement involves the collection of a sample followed by subsequent analysis.

This analysis can provide either a snapshot or a time-weighted average of the environmental parameter being

The advantage of continuous monitoring is that it provides a constant measurement of the desired parameter.

Key environmental performance indicators, or KPIs

KPIs are quantitative measures, actual numbers, that put values on the environmental performance of a

Whilst some indicators may be set down by law, such as environmental consent or in an environmental licence or

KPIs are often expressed in terms of associated metrics.

Examples of metrics are energy consumption, water use, and material use.

Energy consumption can, for example, be measured with power meters.

Ideally, organisations should choose KPIs for which they are directly responsible.

For example, an organisation should report the greenhouse gas emissions resulting from its electricity use and

the amount actually emitted directly from its own premises.

An organisation could even report on its supply chain's KPIs.

The UK government has produced a list of environmental KPIs that are relevant to businesses.

The four main environmental KPI areas are:

Environmental KPIs can be developed, using facts and figures which an organisation already collects, such as:

•Vehicle fuel use or vehicle mileage figures.

Environmental data should be reported in a comparable format, to be assessed over time and against other

Organisations should also use measurements that are standard across their business sector.

For example, an office-based business might report on tonnes of carbon emitted per million pounds of turnover,

whereas a manufacturing business, might report on carbon emitted per product, or per tonne of product.

Learners will now understand the reasons for, and types of environmental measuring and monitoring.

It will also be clear what the results can be used for and how environmental KPI’s can be measured.

We hope you enjoyed this shields video, explaining environmental monitoring and measuring.

And remember, our tutor team are always on hand, to answer any questions you may have.

Just log into your shields eLearning course to contact your tutor team.