Delivering infrastructure, development, or industrial projects in New Zealand requires more than just technical excellence – it requires proactive environmental responsibility. Whether you’re working in civil contracting, construction, or manufacturing, an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) is a vital tool to manage your project’s environmental impacts and compliance obligations.  

EMPs provide a structured approach to environmental management at the site or activity level, and they are especially valuable for organisations that don’t yet have a full Environmental Management System (EMS).

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What is an Environmental Management Plan?

An Environmental Management Plan (EMP) outlines how potential environmental impacts will be identified, minimised, monitored, and managed throughout the lifecycle of a specific project or activity. It ensures everyone on site understands their responsibilities and provides a practical roadmap to meet regulatory requirements, client expectations, and broader sustainability goals.

EMPs are commonly used for:

• Construction and civil works
• Industrial operations or maintenance activities
• Projects requiring resource consents
• Environmental effects assessments and compliance monitoring
• Tender or contract documentation

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Difference Between EMP and EMS

While both EMPs and EMSs aim to improve environmental performance, they serve different, but often complementary, purposes:  

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Many businesses begin with an EMP for an individual site or contracts and later develop EMS as their environmental responsibilities or broader commitments grow.

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Why You Need an EMP

Developing a site-specific EMP can help you:

• Meet regional and national environmental expectations
• Demonstrate due diligence and reduce legal risk
• Improve on-site environmental awareness and compliance
• Clearly define roles, responsibilities, and procedures

For civil contracting and construction project managers, having a robust EMP can be a deciding factor in winning tenders or satisfying contract conditions.

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What Does an EMP Include?

At Morphum, we tailor EMPs to your project’s needs, location, and scale. A comprehensive EMP typically includes:

• Project description and scope
• Identification of key environmental aspects and risks
• Legal and consent requirements
• Environmental objectives and performance indicators
• Site-specific mitigation and control measures
• Roles and responsibilities
• Monitoring and reporting procedures
• Emergency response and incident management procedures

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How to Develop an EMP

If you’ve received a resource consent, contract condition or client request for an EMP, it’s important to ensure the plan is well-prepared, practical, and aligned with current best practice.

Our Approach

1. Understand your project or site and its environment – What are your key activities and their environmental sensitivities?

2. Engage with stakeholders and consent authorities - Clarify expectations early.

3. Develop a tailored EMP – Morphum’s specialists work with you to design a site or project-specific plan that meets your needs.

4. Implement and train – Ensure your team understands the plan and their roles in environmental management.

5. Monitor, update, and review – EMPs are live documents and should evolve as project conditions or risks change.

A well-designed EMP is a practical and proactive tool to deliver better environmental outcomes on your project. Whether required for compliance or adopted as best practice, an EMP can help you stay on track and demonstrate environmental leadership at every stage.

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Looking for more support?

If you're looking for support with producing Environmental Management Plans, our team is here to help.

Find out more about our EMP services here!

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