ISO 14001 is an internationally agreed standard that sets out the requirements for an environmental management system. It helps organisations improve their environmental performance through more efficient use of resources and reduction of waste, gaining a competitive advantage and the trust of stakeholders.
What is an environmental management system?
ISO 14001, an environmental management system helps organisations identify, manage, monitor and control their environmental issues in a “holistic” manner. Other ISO standards that look at different types of management systems, such as ISO 9001 for quality management and ISO 45001 for occupational health and safety, all use a high level structure. This means that ISO 14001 can be integrated easily into any existing ISO management system.
ISO 14001 is suitable for organisations of all types and sizes, be they private, not-for-profit or governmental. It requires that an organisation considers all environmental issues relevant to its operations, such as air pollution, water and sewage issues, waste management, soil contamination, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and resource use and efficiency. Like all ISO management system standards, ISO 14001 includes the need for continual improvement of an organisation’s systems and approach to environmental concerns. The standard has recently been revised, with key improvements such as the increased prominence of environmental management within the organisation’s strategic planning processes, greater input from leadership and a stronger commitment to proactive initiatives that boost environmental performance.
What benefits will it bring to my business or organisation?
There are many reasons why an organisation should take a strategic approach to improving its environmental performance. Users of the standard have reported that ISO 14001 helps:
- Demonstrate compliance with current and future statutory and regulatory requirements
- Increase leadership involvement and engagement of employees
- Improve company reputation and the confidence of stakeholders through strategic communication
- Achieve strategic business aims by incorporating environmental issues into business management
- Provide a competitive and financial advantage through improved efficiencies and reduced costs
- Encourage better environmental performance of suppliers by integrating them into the organisation’s business systems.
Should I be certified to ISO 14001?
Accredited certification to ISO 14001 is not a requirement, and organisations can reap many of the benefits from using the standard without going through the accredited certification process. However, third-party certification – where an independent certification body audits your practices against the requirements of the standard – is a way of signalling to your buyers, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders that you have implemented the standard properly. What’s more, for some organisations, it helps to show how they meet regulatory or contractual requirements. Although they develop and publish standards, ISO does not perform certification. For more information about the certification process and how to find a certification body, please visit the certification section on www.iso.org
Examples of success with ISO 14001
Organisations using ISO 14001 have found success across a range of areas, including reduced energy and water consumption, a more systematic approach to legal compliance and an improved overall environmental performance.
Premier Foods – Enhancing relationships with stakeholders and staff
“Since 2001, we have used ISO 14001 to make big improvements such as increasing our organisation’s recycling rate. We have now been at “zero landfill” since March 2013 and are recycling and reusing 100 % of our site wastes. We have continued to improve our relationship with neighbours because we have the processes in place to respond quickly to any concerns. Among other benefits, our processes and the appointment of Green Matters Champions ensure that staff are environmentally engaged and aware of the site’s potential impact on the environment’
Richard Giles. Premier Foods, UK
UPCON Corporation – Boosting confidence and competitively
“UPCON provides services to lift up sunken concrete floors using its unique UPCON method. Achieving certification to ISO 14001 in 2008 allowed us to document effectively the details of our method for all staff to share and standardize the quality of work at every site. In addition to boosting our competitiveness through more accurate quality control, ISO 14001 also strengthens our confidence in our method by demonstrating that it produces 90 % less CO2 emissions when compared to concrete replacement. What’s more, since our certification, staff engagement and motivation have increased, safe in the knowledge that they are contributing positively to the environment through our products and services’
Nobukazu Matsudo. Upcon, Japan
This article was shared from the website of the International Organisation for Standardisation. They have a wealth of information on their website no this and many more ISO standards.
For more information on how ISO 14001 may be relevant to your business please contact us. If you are an Enterprise Ireland client you may be able to avail of a grant to help towards the cost of implementing this standard.
[schema type=”organization” orgtype=”Corporation” url=”cgbusinessconsulting.com” name=”CG Business Consulting ” description=”Ireland’s Leading ISO Consultant” city=”Dublin ” email=”caroline@cgbc.ie” phone=”01 6204121″ ]
