7. Support

The EMS only works if it's actually resourced. Leadership identifies what the system needs to run — people, time, budget, monitoring equipment, data infrastructure, expertise — and provisions it. A signed-off scope with no funded execution capacity is a documented intention, not a management system.

Anyone whose work touches environmental performance or compliance — operators, maintenance crews, contractors, procurement — needs the right competence for the role. The organisation defines what competent looks like (qualifications, experience, training), confirms each person meets it, closes any gap with training or supervision, and keeps the evidence. Contractor competence is verified, not assumed.