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 It was later repealed and re-enacted in 2000 by the Environmental Management Act, Chap. 35:05.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 decision making;
• 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.