The EMA was established by Parliament in 1995 through the enactment of the Environmental Management Act, 1995. It was later repealed and re-enacted in 2000 by the Environmental Management Act, Chap. 35:05.

Major functions of the EMA include:

• Promoting a better understanding and appreciation of the environment;
• Encouraging the integration of environmental concerns into private and public decisionmaking;
• Coordinating efforts among the various institutions with responsibility for the environment to establish an integrated environmental management system designed to protect, enhance and conserve the environment;
• Developing and implementing laws, policies and programmes to promote sustainable development, achieve economic growth and meet international obligations;
• Enhancing the legal, regulatory and institutional framework for environmental management.

The EMA prepares an annual report containing an assessment of the state of the environment, which is intended to:

• Provide a foundation for improved decision-making at all levels;
• Increase awareness and understanding of environmental trends and conditions;
• Facilitate the measurement of key indicators that monitor progress of the pace and direction towards enhancing positive, or mitigating negative, observed conditions and trends and show progress made in achieving targets of the Sustainable Development Goals.