What is an Environmental Management System (ISO 14001 standard)
An Environmental management system abbreviated as EMS, provides organisations with a means to identify, assess, manage, monitor and control their environmental impacts in a “holistic manner”.
Environmental sustainability is an enormous challenge for organisations of today. The legal structures have become complex and onerous. Organisations can operate efficiently only when they proactively manage the environmental impacts with their business processes.
ISO 14001 standard provides an excellent framework for assisting organisations to manage environmental risks and to become environmentally friendly by developing and implementing an Environmental Management Systems.
This ISO standard is suitable for organisations of all types and sizes. With this EMS in place, your business grows without hurting the environment in any way.
How we lightly or not we tread on the environment is of particular relevance in this modern age. Environmental concerns are a high priority for governments, activists groups, businesses and humanity as a whole.
International Standards Organisation (ISO) has established an international standard that specifies requirements for an effective environmental management system (EMS). It provides a framework that an organisation can follow, rather than establishing environmental performance requirements.
This standard is referred to as ISO 14001. It’s purpose is to provide a systematic framework to –
- manage the immediate and long term environmental impacts of an organisation’s products services and processes;
- to minimise their environmental footprint;
- to diminish the risk of pollution incidents; and
- to provide operational improvements.
The current revision of ISO 1400, now called ISO 1400:2015, was published in September 2015. ISO 14001:2015 helps an organisation achieve the intended outcomes of its environmental management system, which provide value for the environment, the organisation itself and interested parties.
Consistent with the organisation’s environmental policy, the intended outcomes of an ISO 14001:2015 environmental management system include:
- enhancement of environmental performance;
- fulfilment of compliance obligations;
- achievement of environmental objectives
Interest in an effective and productive environmental policy is not restricted to any one sector of the business community. Therefore, ISO 14001 is applicable and appropriate for the use of any business in any sector regardless of size, type and nature.
ISO 14001:2015 can be used in whole or in part to systematically improve environmental management. Claims of conformity to ISO 14001:2015, however, are not acceptable to the International Standards Organisation unless all its requirements are incorporated into an organisation’s environmental management system and fulfilled without exclusion.
Using ISO 14001:2015 can provide assurance to company management and employees as well as external stakeholders that environmental impact is being measured and improved. Truly a business of the modern era.
The Process
STEP 1
Pre-Assesment
We review your existing management systems in relation to requirements of the relevant standards for certification.
STEP 2
Stage 1 Audit
A review of your management system(s) documentation is undertaken as the first step in the certification process.
STEP 3
Certification Audit
The Certification Audit is conducted on site to verify that you have implemented the management system across your organisation.
STEP 4
Years 2 & 3: Certification Maintenance
We will conduct an annual Surveillance Audit to check the ongoing implementation of management systems across your organisation.
The Benefits
With the ISO 14001 standard, you can
Decrease the environmental impact of business activities
Utilise resources in an effective manner
Reduce waste, thereby improving productivity
Increase profits through an improvement in efficiency
Save money by decreasing waste, increasing recycling, and efficiently consuming resources
Achieve compliance, which will help you expand your business
