The Environmental Management System: a vector for the Territorial development. The experience of the Town of Giaveno (Italy)

In the context of the environmental tools that can be adopted by local authorities, the Environmental Management Systems (EMSs) can play an important role in the management of the direct and indirect environmental aspects and impacts of the activities necessary to govern a territory. This study presents the application and certification of the Environmental Management Systems in accordance with the ISO 14001:2004 International Standard, issued to the Town of Giaveno. Giaveno, situated in the North-West of Italy (Piedmont Region) with 17,000 inhabitants, has been involved in several actions concerning the correct management of environmental aspects resulting from its activities. The certification of its Environmental Management System – obtained in 2012 - represents an important tool for providing correct information to stakeholders (in primis the citizen) and to give proof of its sensitivity to the environmental issues. Firstly, this work presents the Environmental Management System architecture applied to the Town of Giaveno, the strong points and the critical aspects resulting from its implementation and the objectives planned and achieved by the Administration. Secondly, starting from the assumption that the direct aspects are less important for a local authority than territorial planning, this study contains some reflections on the Environmental Management System of the Town of Giaveno as a “fly-wheel” to spread such an environmental action to a more extensive area.