Environmental management system for Cuban tourist facilities

In recent decades there have been many voices that have been raised in defense of the environment, a concern focused not only on environmental problems, but also on their causes and origin.

Summary:

The following work is motivated by the importance that the development of tourism activity worldwide and in our country has taken in recent years, as well as by the need for care and protection of the environment, through Systems, and programs of environmental management. For the development of this research, a bibliographic review is carried out where everything related to the relationships between man and / or tourist activity with the environment is addressed. The Planned Management System (SGMA) is consistent with the provisions of the ISO 14001 Standards. For this planning, the Hotel Melia Cayo Guillermo was taken as a model, being easily adaptable to other facilities. It was structured in defined stages and actions, which will generally promote adequate environmental performance.

In general, the work can be considered as a methodology for planning Environmental Management Systems, in hotel facilities located in fragile ecosystems.

Introduction:

In recent decades there have been many voices that have been raised in defense of the environment, a concern focused not only on environmental problems, but also in the causes and origin of them. The consequences of environmental degradation are not only internationalized, but are also affecting the natural functioning of the planet. Concern for the environment is becoming more and more general every day. There are really many attacks that, in its broadest sense, the environment suffers. However, humanity has become aware of an obvious reality that until today has been masked: the Earth is limited. Indeed, well into the twentieth century it had been considered that both the natural resources and the capacity of our planet to withstand the impact caused by man were unlimited. Suddenly, factors like the spectacular development of technology,world population growth and overexploitation of natural resources have made us discover the limits of the earth.

Tourism has become one of the most important economic activities in the world, considering the income generated, the number of jobs created, the movement of people, etc., but this means that the impacts of the activity, from consumption resources and waste production are also increasing. “Tourism is a very lucrative activity. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) estimates that by 2010 there will be 1 billion international tourists who will generate 1.55 billion dollars, which is quite a notable pinch (Iglesias, 2004).

The development of this activity, in a certain way excessive, especially on the coastlines, without a coherent, adequate and monitored planning policy, has resulted in a sequel of environmental impacts, as a result of the discharge of wastewater into the sea, lakes, lagoons., rivers and the water table; deforestation of mangroves and drying of lagoons and coastal wetlands to expand or create beaches, build hotels, restaurants, marinas and other tourist plants and infrastructure; construction of septic tanks on calcareous littorals, the black waters that contribute fungi and bacteria that affect bathers, in addition to the consequences generated to marine biodiversity; construction of breakwaters and / or retaining walls on the beaches to increase the volume of sand or reduce erosion, without prior bathymetry studies,marine currents, sand granulometry, condition of corals, fluctuations in sea level, among other variables; breaking of the coral barriers to allow the access of the boats to the beach area; construction of hotels and other tourist plants on the dunes and beaches, generally less than 60 meters from high tide; oversaturation of the beach with tourists, exceeding its carrying capacity; construction of hotel towers on the coast, varying the direction of the winds; construction of marinas without previous studies to determine their effects on beaches; poor handling of solid waste, especially organic and plastic; use of non-biodegradable insecticides for the extermination of mosquitoes and other insects that affect tourists;use of non-biodegradable detergents for cleaning; intensive use of boats for marine activities, contributing to the sea large quantities of carbon monoxide and dioxide; depletion of the water table due to intensive and unplanned use of the existing flow; They are, among many other reasons, the causes that are degrading the natural resources of the Caribbean and especially of our country, due to an inappropriate use of them by tourism.due to improper use of them by tourism.due to improper use of them by tourism.

From this brief analysis the idea of ​​the design of an Environmental Management System starts that will favor the performance of the installation, through the reduction of costs for electricity, water, gas, exterior gardening work, maintenance, water reduction waste, as well as its reuse in gardening, reduction of solid and liquid waste, among others.

At the same time, the working environment of the facility will improve, as well as the image it projects towards its internal and external customers. This Environmental Management System will allow, through its subsequent implementation, to obtain the environmental certification or recognition of the facility. Logically, this would cause an increase in the market mainly due to the fact that tourists prefer a destination that is environmentally and socially healthy. Quite the opposite will happen if the environment of the facility is environmentally inappropriate, which will influence the opinion that this visitor believes of the destination and the facility, which of course will damage their reputation.

EMS planning:

Detailed planning of the actions and stages of the proposed Environmental Management System was carried out, in fact contributing to the description of the research process followed to achieve adequate environmental management. For this planning, the particulars of the ISO: 14000 standards were taken into account, in particular the 14001 and 14004 as well as the review of the environmental management model proposed by the management of the Grupo Hotelero Gran Caribe, and models proposed by various authors, consulted for this work; on the other hand, the manageable nature of the environmental activity was assumed, so it should start from considering the organizational structure on which it sustains itself. From these functional elements the fundamental stages of the System were elaborated,Environmental Policy, Initial Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation and Operation, Review and Corrective Action and Management Review. In turn, each of these can be treated as a lower level System or a Subsystem that contributes to the achievement of the declared generating objective.

This proposed system, (Figure # 1), is presented in the form of a Cycle and its continuity and development allows the System to be executed in both directions, that is, to correct any situation that arises without having to finish executing all of them. the stages. This system, as a business or management tool, is based on the principles of general administration, Planning, Organization, Command and Control, which indicates that mismanagement of any of these stages would only lead to total failure in the future. system execution. It is necessary to carry out planning throughout the EMS, this will cover all its stages, in other words it is about specifying the actions that will be undertaken in each of its stages.

In a general sense, the System intends to involve all representatives of the entity, in its development, based on the awareness and training of the entity's workers and managers and clients. Next, a detailed explanation of the planning carried out for the System in question is given.

Environmental Policy: The definition of Environmental Policy must ensure commitment to your EMS. The General Administration will be the one who defines the Environmental Policy of the company, it must consider the mission, values ​​and central principles of the organization, establish a policy of continuous improvement, ensure the prevention of pollution, ensure compliance with regulations, laws and other relevant environmental criteria that the organization has endorsed, must be a public document. It must ensure that:

• It is defined at the highest level. It is documented, implemented and updated. Serve as a basis for establishing and reviewing environmental objectives and goals. Establish a commitment to continuous improvement and prevention in environmental situations. Assume compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

Initial diagnostic.

• Initial Self-Assessment of Environmental Management Initial Environmental Diagnosis.

Politics

• It is available to all those involved in the activities of the institution, both internal and external.

The main stages of the Environmental Policy will be:

• Develop the Policy Publicize the Policy Implement the Policy Review and improve the Policy

Initial Diagnosis: It is an important aspect when starting up the proposed System, it is without a doubt to determine the current state of the installation in relation to the environment. For the development of this phase or stage, it is important to critically carry out an in-depth analysis of both the environmental management of the facility and the impacts that the activity carried out may have on the environment. The following diagram shows the importance of a correct initial diagnosis for the subsequent development of EMS.

Initial Self-Assessment of Environmental Management: This is to establish an assessment of the Facility Management capabilities, the Strengths, Opportunities, as well as the Weaknesses and Threats that pose risks to the facility's environmental performance. This will allow knowing the position of the entity to develop or execute an EMS.

Initial Environmental Diagnosis: To define the environmental strategy of a company, it is necessary to know what the initial situation of the company is, performing what is called an environmental diagnosis, also called initial review or environmental evaluation, and even improperly environmental audit (Harrison, 1996).

This phase has an advisory character in the elaboration of an Environmental Management System. To carry out this initial evaluation, the following will be used: The Methodology for the execution of the Environmental Diagnoses and the Verification of Compliance with the Indicators Established in resolution CITMA 135/2004, to obtain the National Environmental Recognition (RAN). Composed of the following variables and indicators.

• Construction conditions of the facility.Basic performance of the entity.Water management.Energy management.Air quality.Noise and vibrations.Liquid waste.Solid waste.Chemicals.Hazardous waste.Cooling and climate equipmentGreen areas, gardening or Outdoor areas Purchasing policy Hygienic - sanitary conditions in general Vector control Storm drain. Work protection and hygiene, fire prevention and contingency plans. Fire prevention. Promotion of national and local cultural, natural and historical values ​​and links with the community.

Environmental education, information and training.

• Attention to man. Perception of the surrounding community and local government authorities on the environmental performance of the entity. Beach-coastal area.

Planning: It is about establishing the organizational structure that allows the achievement of the set objectives. The establishment of the legal and other aspects, the environmental management programs supposes the definition of the functions, responsibilities and authority of each one of the agents that are going to intervene in the activities developed in the center in which a environmental management system. The Management System that is applied must be simple and flexible for the organization; it must allow it to be quickly adapted to changes in the environment and, furthermore, be understandable to the employees who must carry them out. The EMS will also be compatible with the organizational culture of the company. This leaves two options: Make the SGMA tolerant of culture,or change the culture in such a way that it is compatible with EMS.

Environmental Issues: It involves the identification and registration of Environmental aspects and evaluation of Environmental impacts, which may arise through the development of the Environmental Management System. Environmental Aspect is understood to be any element of the activities, products and services of an organization that may interact with the environment. On the other hand, the environmental impact is any change in the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, totally or partially resulting from the activities, products or services of an organization arising from the activities, products, services or physical resources that may have potentially beneficial effects or harmful to the environment.The installation will identify the aspects that they can control or over which they can have some influence. In addition to considering aspects that are not normally regulated such as wastage in energy production and consumption, etc.

Legal and Other Requirements: One of the most important commitments of environmental policy is compliance with environmental laws and regulations. A process must be created through which the legal requirements and rules that the entity must adopt are identified, in addition to determining how they affect it in what it does. This process must be continuous since new requirements can be created or existing ones can be revised, for which it might be necessary to modify the environmental objectives or other elements of the EMS.

Some of the aspects subject to legislation will be:

• Waters.Atmosphere.General Standards.Satisfaction of internal and external customers.Waste.Energy carriers.Natural environment.Noise and Vibrations.Security.Hazardous Substances and Waste.Others.

Among the legal requirements we can cite:

• Laws Environmental regulations National requirements State and local requirements Permits International standards

Compliance with legislation and in all situations of normal, abnormal and accidental operation must be guaranteed. Due to their mandatory nature, the specific environmental provisions must be included in documents such as opening and modification licenses, permits, authorizations, etc. The organization will draw up strategies to make everything related to this aspect known. The future of the facility's environmental health, as well as the permits and licenses for its exploitation, depends largely on these aspects.

Objectives and goals: They are derived from the environmental policy. The environmental goals will be a partial milestone to achieve one or more objectives, in a certain period of time. These are generally drawn after the environmental aspects, their impacts and the legal requirements and other standards associated with the company are identified and pointed out.

They must have as main characteristics.

• They must be established in accordance with the most significant environmental aspects of the activity and will be clearly formulated. They must achieve a real improvement in environmental performance and must be periodically reviewed, corrected and adapted. They must be consistent with environmental policy, realistic and reasonable. Be measurable and achievable.

The objectives and goals will have a clear and real connection with the most significant aspects, such as:

• Reduce waste and consumption of resources Reduce or eliminate polluting emissions to the environment Treatment and selection of waste Redesign of products or services to minimize their environmental impact during their production, use and disposal Development of employee awareness and communication abroad.

Environmental Management Programs: The Environmental Management or Management Program is the action plan to achieve the objectives and goals. This program must answer the following questions: Who does what, when, how, by what means, and by when.

The environmental management program will constitute a documented description of the responsibilities and the means that the company uses to achieve the environmental objectives and goals defined within a pre-established period.

It is developed prioritizing actions in relation to the processes, products, services and projects that are related to significant environmental aspects; established objectives and goals, and the Environmental Policy of the company. The program must be documented in order to be subject to later review. The environmental management program must establish a scheme aimed at all the environmental objectives. In addition, to achieve greater effectiveness, Environmental Management planning should be integrated into the organizational strategic plan, that is, a program that contains:

• An administrative structure Responsibilities Organization and authority Business environmental controls processes Resources (people and their skills, financial resources, tools) Processes to establish objectives and goals to achieve environmental policies Operational procedures and controls Training System of measurement and auditing Administrative review and overview.

It will be a complete work plan that will translate the environmental policy into daily practice. It will be used to integrate environmental protection into daily life and should lead to changes in environmental behavior and performance. This program must be dynamic and must be periodically reviewed to integrate changes in the environmental objectives and goals established by the company.

Implementation and operation: In the System stage, the organization must develop capacities and support the necessary mechanisms to achieve the environmental policy, objectives and goals. Consequently, it is essential to have a training program aimed at all levels of the company. The Assurance of the capacities to:

• Have the human, physical and financial resources that allow the execution Incorporate the elements of the EMS in the elements of the existing management system Assign responsibilities for the overall effectiveness of the EMS to one or more senior people Senior management must motivate and create awareness among employees. Provide permanent environmental education and incorporate environmental criteria in personnel selection. In addition, staff must be aware of the regulatory requirements, internal standards, policies, and objectives of the organization.

Structure and Responsibilities: It refers to the assignment of responsibilities and the structuring of personnel. A representative at the highest level will be assigned, as the person in charge of the EMS, a "Mr. or Mrs. Environment" who will be responsible for piloting the entire EMS. Individual roles, responsibilities and authorities must be defined, documented and communicated to facilitate the effectiveness of the EMS. It is important to recognize that companies and institutions have different organizational structures, which must be understood, in order to define environmental responsibilities based on their work process. This is achieved if the resources are adequate and the people involved are clearly assigned their roles and responsibilities. Responsibility will be assigned at least for:

• Drafting of the environmental management plan Ensure compliance with legislation and also continuous improvement in environmental performance Coordinate the environmental management program Increase environmental awareness of employees and organize training Relations with customers Organize and update Documentation Communication to employees Internal inspections and / or audits of Environmental Management Declaration of non-conformities Prescription of preventive and / or corrective actions Review of the environmental management plan with the facility management and related organizations environmental matters, Hotel Group or chain, CITMA, etc.

To achieve this, an organization chart will be created and responsible persons with authority to:

1. Ensure that EMS requirements are established, implemented and kept up to date Report the operation of the EMS to senior management.

The heads or managers of each area involved in the SGMA such as HR, Outdoor Areas, Technical Services, Security and Protection, Economic Area, Chef, Maitre D, Animation, Reception, Quality Specialists, Housekeeper, etc, will take care of the controls corresponding to the activities related to their function, with the frequency, methods and acceptance and rejection criteria indicated, the results of the same will be reported to the general manager of the EMS.

The control and organization of the Management System will depend on the correct completion of this stage.

Training Awareness and Competencies: Constant training is of great importance. Training, awareness and professional competence form the second component of this stage of the Environmental Management System. The organization must identify the training needs, as each employee can have potential impacts on the environment, it can be very useful to generate ideas about the establishment of operational controls to the process, defining environmental aspects, or defining structural responsibilities.

It should be planned in the training of employees that they understand why the organization needs an effective Environmental Management System, what is their role in it and how the system will help environmental control from the point of view of effective costs. Directly or indirectly, with more or less importance, each one can positively contribute to innovation with new ideas, change behavior, involving them.

The table shows the means that will be used in the training of personnel as well as some of the topics to which it may be directed. Likewise, this table will allow to control the actions that are carried out.

Table. Control of Training Actions.

Communication: This must be efficient, both internally and externally. It should include information about the Environmental Policy and the Corporate Profile, established Objectives and Goals, Evaluation of the measurement of environmental performance as an indicator of waste reduction, recycling efforts, energy savings, etc.

Internal communication will be established that flows in all directions between levels and functions of the organization, and external, receiving, documenting and responding to interested parties, such as clients, travel agencies, regulatory agencies, public institutions, suppliers, etc. The communication will serve to demonstrate the management's commitment to the environment and its quality, to make other participants in the organization's Environmental Policy and its commitment to environmental responsibility. Direct the attention of the interested parties on the environmental activities of the organization, announce the environmental strategy of the organization and establish a line of communication in which responsibilities are clearly defined in case of emergency.

It is necessary to create causes and ways to achieve communication to all directions, through brochures, information on murals, located in the different areas of the facility, in the same way they can be available to customers in rooms, lobby.

Another means of communication will be through the information that workers can provide about the activity they carry out. Communication will be essential to advance in a process of continuous improvement and can be achieved from:

• Outreach programs Recognition for achieving environmental goals and objectives Suggestions to improve environmental results

EMS Documentation: The EMS should be documented in such a way as to present a summary of the most important elements and the direction needed to understand the documentation.

The elements that should constitute EMS documents are the environmental policy, organizational structure and key responsibilities, description, summaries of how the organization satisfied the requirements of the EMS, system-level procedures (corrective actions), specific process activities or procedures, work instructions, and other documents related to the EMS, such as response plans, training, projects, audit plans, training, regulations, records of incidents, complaints, etc. This includes the environmental management program, which generates an EMS manual; In addition to this, there must be other documents that present specific activities by areas so that employees know how to carry out operations or activities.The documentation will be the internal memory of the environmental history of the organization. It is the proof of how environmental management is carried out. This will be adequate, well organized and efficient whether in documents, on paper, or in electronic format. It is necessary to bear in mind in this regard that it is not about having mountains of paper, but having a written reference to the EMS documentation.

Control of Documentation: “The spoken word disappears, the written one remains”. It is essential to achieve the efficiency of the System. Since there is not only the EMS manual, but many other documents, a documentation map must be created, which functions as a control that must be had over the documents used in the different processes of the entity.

This system must be available to all individuals in the company; it must be ensured that each area operates according to the correct documents. For this, the EMS documents must be traceable, they must be periodically reviewed.

It is necessary that all company personnel use the same documents. Current versions should be available where they are needed, and outdated documents should be discarded.

The entity will set up a document control system, its main objective will be to have any important information located and available at any time and to remove or properly identify obsolete information so as not to make inappropriate use of it. Even more necessary is the fact of having an identification code, a date and a record of its reviews, signed by one or more people, for the documentation generated. Hence the importance of appointing a person responsible for the control of the documentation.

Operational control: Operational control is derived from company processes. Operations and activities associated with significant environmental aspects must be identified. Establish operational controls to identify deviations from environmental policy, objectives and goals, legal and other requirements, and significant environmental aspects. For this purpose, written procedures will be developed to control the activities and associated key operations; ensure that employees are trained in these procedures and cover all normal and abnormal operating conditions, including emergencies. In a company, the environmental impacts of the process can be identified, controlling operations. For example,if the consumption of water and / or energy increased according to the parameters established in the Hotel's criteria, or if the amount of untreated waste in a plant increased; This means that corrective measures can be applied to the problem identified through operational control, which makes the company able to act efficiently. This is achieved with exhaustive control by the employees and those responsible for each area of ​​the activities under their responsibility and with the simple comparison of the results or levels at the moment with historical records of their activity, in this way it will be very simple identify any abnormalities.This means that corrective measures can be applied to the problem identified through operational control, which makes the company able to act efficiently. This is achieved with exhaustive control by the employees and those responsible for each area of ​​the activities under their responsibility and with the simple comparison of the results or levels at the moment with historical records of their activity, in this way it will be very simple identify any abnormalities.This means that corrective measures can be applied to the problem identified through operational control, which makes the company able to act efficiently. This is achieved with exhaustive control by the employees and those responsible for each area of ​​the activities under their responsibility and with the simple comparison of the results or levels at the moment with historical records of their activity, in this way it will be very simple identify any abnormalities.this way it will be very easy to identify any anomaly.this way it will be very easy to identify any anomaly.

The Emergency Plan and response capacity: It is essential for environmental conservation, since no company is exempt from having environmental accidents. On the other hand, most accidents and incidents can harm the environment and the health and safety of the employees and customers of the facility. All members of the organization will be responsible for complying with emergency measures.

The goal is to minimize the impact of uncontrollable events, that is, to be able to respond to unplanned events. Emergencies must be defined in the EMS, and the procedures must define control mechanisms, operational requirements and other controls for this type of event. The risk prevention program will be directed towards:

• Identification and evaluation of potential accidents and emergency situations such as climatic phenomena, fires, dangerous breaks Prevention of accidents (segregation of hazardous materials, spills, discharges of wastewater, chemical products, etc.) into lagoons, rivers, underground waters, soil, air; to prevent the resulting environmental impact. Emergency plans and / or "just in case" procedures. Drills to ensure that the plans and / or procedures work properly. Creation of fire walls, shelter areas; for the prevention of catastrophes or environmental accidents. Training plans for the entity's personnel on emergency situations. Learning based on inexperience from previous accidents.

Effective emergency preparedness and response can reduce injuries, prevent or minimize environmental impacts, protect employees and customers, reduce the likelihood of loss, and minimize wasted time.

Review and Corrective Action: This stage of the Management System will carry out its review and correction actions. It will evaluate the results obtained and they will be compared with the objectives and goals that the entity had set, in order to analyze the possible deviations that could be detected, establishing a mechanism for diagnosing problems and initiating corrective actions, which could affect both the development of the actions established as in the planning itself.

Based on the analysis of results, a feedback process must be established that allows the correction of the deviations that are being obtained, so that this analysis of the deviations has an impact and is relevant to establish new processes of adaptation to environmental requirements. For the concession of this purpose, it is necessary to maintain a series of records on the environmental activities carried out, which allow analyzing both the goodness of the actions carried out, as well as their compliance with the established environmental program, as well as the effectiveness and efficiency of the monitoring system. management with regard to compliance with the company's environmental policy.

Supervision and monitoring: Documented procedures must be established and maintained to monitor and measure on a regular basis in accordance with regulations and legislation, where it can be determined if there is an environmental impact. This system is established to observe if the objectives and goals of the SGMA are being met. The critical elements of this evaluation should be used as indicators of the reality and success of the system, as well as to identify the areas that need corrective actions. Permanent monitoring and monitoring will be useful, among other things:

• When it comes to providing relevant information at the request of the administration When it comes to informing company employees about environmental performance When it comes to monitoring the continuous improvement of environmental management with simple management indicators. When it comes to comparing the quality of the entity's environmental management over the years, and when it comes to stimulating the different actions to replace products or processes.

The monitoring and measurement activities are specified in:

• Control and measurement of the key characteristics of operations and activities with significant impact on the environment Calibration and maintenance of inspection equipment Evaluation of compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations Establishments and updates of relevant procedures and records.

For the adequate measurement and monitoring of the activity, checklists and documents will be prepared by which the plans expressed in the statement of objectives and goals can be compared with the results obtained by the entity for a given period. Variations and causes will be identified and the corrective actions necessary to achieve adequate performance will be specified.

Adequate documentation must be available to create historical records, which will allow adequate supervision. This process of checking and measurement will be supervised by those responsible for the areas, and in turn by the person in charge of the EMS and the management of the installation, the periodicity of the same can be daily, weekly, monthly, annually or as established by the responsible for the activity.

Nonconformity, Preventive and Corrective Action: After measuring and monitoring the environmental variables, it must be evaluated if it is in accordance with the standard and, depending on the result, apply preventive and corrective actions. Non-conformity refers to not complying with the provisions of the standard in one way or another. For this, preventive and corrective actions are presented.

It is important to differentiate between corrective actions and preventive actions in the organization. Preventive actions must include an analysis of the performance of the previously discussed environmental indicators, to determine the probability of non-compliance. Corrective actions are the processes of change or activities coming, which are initiated whenever the preventive actions detect a problem. It is important to note that no one is perfect and a Management System will not work like clockwork from day one. It is important to identify in case of malfunction, the causes of this malfunction may have its origin.

• Deficiencies in the design or EMS. Deficiencies in the implementation of said system. Deficiencies and / or failures in the installation itself. Deficiencies and / or failures in the main and auxiliary equipment. Human Errors.

You can learn from every mistake and benefit from experience. Therefore, a log book should be kept of all incidents that occur, the problems they cause, and the solutions found.

The Registries: From the data resulting from all the processes of the company, it must establish and maintain procedures for the identification, maintenance and disposition of environmental records; These are essential, with them the organization can demonstrate that it is effectively implementing the EMS designed.

The records must be legible and identify the activity, product or service involved. They must include details on discrepancies and corrective actions, record of incidents and their follow-ups, non-conformities and responses, information from contractors and suppliers, inspections and maintenance of records and monitored data.

Records will be created that cover:

• Legal requirements Permits Environmental aspects and impacts Training activities Inspection activities Calibration and maintenance Monitoring data Relevant communications Analysis of wastewater, emissions, air quality, etc. Consumption of energy, water, etc. Details of non-conformities (incidents, complaints) and follow-up. Product identification: composition and ownership data, information on suppliers and contractors. Audits and reviews of management and external.

These records will be managed in the same way as the rest of the System documentation. The coordinator of the Environmental Management System is responsible for keeping the "Registry of Legal Requirements" updated and said registry will be kept on file for a minimum of 3 years.

EMS Audits: They are essential for the actual control of the EMS. Programs and procedures must be established and maintained to carry out periodic audits of the Environmental Management System. The objectives of these audits are:

• Determine if the EMS is in accordance with what was planned, including the requirements of local, regional, national and international regulations; and, in addition, that it has been properly implemented. Provide information on the results of the audit to management. “The organization's audit program, including any schedule, should be based on the environmental significance of the activity concerned and the results of previous audits.

To be comprehensive, the audit procedures will establish the range, frequency, and methodologies, as well as the responsibilities and requirements for conducting them and reporting results.

Internal and external audits will be established. The internal ones will consist of a periodic review of how the SGMA works, also checking the degree of compliance with the legislation. This systematic and documented process will be carried out by someone from the entity, who audits, who has a critical attitude and can review how the EMS works, it is appointed by the entity's management. The internal audits will be able to determine by itself and without outside help, if the System is working well. In the case of external audits, they are carried out by independent auditors belonging to ministries, groups, general managers, etc; and, they will be carried out with a view to the certification of the EMS.

Management Review: The management review is the last stage of the EMS, it ensures the good performance of the management system. The organization's management must periodically review the EMS at specified intervals. The management review process must guarantee that the necessary information is collected in such a way that allows management an adequate evaluation. Like the other elements of the system, the review must be documented.

The managerial review will be directed to the possible needs of changes in the policy, objectives and other elements of the EMS, in light of the results of the audits on the EMS. This is the key to continuous improvement, together with preventive and corrective actions, it forms the basis for the execution of the system. Financial impacts and real business and market opportunities for the organization should be included. The management will define the periodicity with which the results of the audits, measurements and other points will be reviewed to plan the future environmental strategy of the EMS. It is the function of management to determine.

• Are the objectives and targets being met? Is the environmental policy up-to-date? Are designated positions and responsibilities still relevant? Have resources been managed correctly and intelligently? Was the involvement of employees successful? is the communication?

Environmental management indicators are vital for conducting, managing and communicating your environmental performance. These indicators are compressed information and management tools for continuous improvement and will allow.

• The monitoring of the different significant environmental impacts The elimination of non-conformities and follow-up of corrective and preventive actions The generation and analysis of useful data for the records The internal audit and external audit processes The support for the review of the system. Increasing the value of internal and external communication Allows the organization to compare itself with companies in the same sector Offering clear environmental action actions to employees.

For the review, the management would use the EMS documentation, document control and operational control.

The EMS certification: It is the essential objective of the establishment of the EMS and is the way to demonstrate its conformity to third parties, this process must be carried out by an accredited certification body to be credible. The steps to achieve EMS certification will be established.

• Implementation of an environmental management system Submit to the chosen accredited certification body the request for certification of the environmental management system The prior visit of the accredited certification body to the company and examination of the documentation Audit process in charge from the relevant accredited certification body.

Continuous improvement: It is that process that will continuously evaluate environmental behavior, through its environmental policies, objectives and goals. Therefore you must:

• Identify areas of opportunities for improvement of the EMS leading to improving environmental performance Determine the cause or causes that originate nonconformities or deficiencies Develop and implement corrective action plans to address causes that originate problems Verify the effectiveness of the actions corrective and preventive, document any changes in procedures as a result of process improvement, make comparisons with objectives and goals.

Conclusions:

1. The interaction of key result areas and determining variables in the maintenance and conservation of the environment contained in the planning of an Environmental Management System facilitates progress in its environmental performance by showing the guidelines to follow, determining weaknesses, threats, strengths, and opportunities, the main environmental problems, as well as the establishment of objectives, goals and actions to mitigate them.The implementation of an EMS makes it possible to mitigate the negative effects of tourism and the manifestations that it acquires in the context of the tourism business based on the commitment and environmental policy, and the planning process of the system The key results areas and determining variables of the Hotel Meliá Cayo Guillermo were: accommodation, kitchens, restaurants and bars, outdoor areas,technical services, swimming pool and human resources are globally determined as the main environmental problems: water consumption, energy management, solid and liquid waste, chemical products.The Environmental Management Program of the Hotel Meliá Cayo Guillermo is structured from the Environmental diagnosis based on the determination of the key result areas, the determining variables and the establishment of eighteen objectives, twenty-one goal, as well as more than one hundred and twenty actions to be developed in order to comply with the environmental policy outlinedThe Environmental Management Program of the Hotel Meliá Cayo Guillermo is structured based on the environmental diagnosis based on the determination of the key result areas, the determining variables and the establishment of eighteen objectives, twenty-one goals, as well as more than one hundred and twenty actions to be developed in order to comply with the environmental policy outlinedThe Environmental Management Program of the Hotel Meliá Cayo Guillermo is structured based on the environmental diagnosis based on the determination of the key result areas, the determining variables and the establishment of eighteen objectives, twenty-one goal, as well as more than one hundred and twenty actions to be developed in order to comply with the environmental policy outlined

recommendations

1. Use the results obtained as a benchmark for comparison with other similar tourism entities to stimulate the development of SGMA in hotel companies. Extend the methodology used to other hotels interested in obtaining advances in their environmental performance.

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