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ISO 14001
What is ISO 14000?
 The ISO 14000 series is a family of environmental management standards developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), one of the world’s principal voluntary standards development bodies. The ISO 14000 standards are designed to provide an internationally recognized framework for environmental management, measurement, evaluation and auditing. They do not prescribe environmental performance targets, but provide organizations with the tools to assess and control the impact of their activities, products or services on the environment. The standards are designed to be flexible enough to be used by any organization of any size and in any field. They address the following subjects:
• environmental management systems;
• environmental auditing;
• environmental labels and declarations;
• environmental performance evaluation; and
• life cycle assessment.
What is an Environmental Management System (EMS)?
An environmental management system is a management structure that allows an organization to assess and control the environmental impact of its activities, products or services. ISO 14001, Environmental management systems — Specification with guidance for use, outlines the requirements for an EMS.
According to ISO 14001, there are six key elements of an EMS:
• an environmental policy, in which the organization states its intentions and commitment to
environmental performance;
• planning, in which the organization analyses the environmental impact of its operations;
• implementation and operation: the development and putting into practice of processes that will bring about environmental goals and objectives;
• checking and corrective action: monitoring and measurement of environmental indicators to ensure that goals and objectives are being met;
• management review: review of the EMS by the organization’s top management to ensure its
continuing suitability, adequacy and effectiveness; and
• continual improvement.
What are the benefits of ISO 14000?
An ISO 14000 EMS gives you the tools to monitor and improve your organization’s impact on the environment. As a result, having one may help you to:
• assure customers of your commitment to demonstrable environmental management;
• maintain good public relations;
• satisfy investor criteria and improve access to capital;
• obtain insurance at reasonable cost;
• enhance your image and market share;
• meet your clients’ registration requirements;
• improve cost control;
• reduce incidents that result in liability;
• demonstrate reasonable care;
• reduce your consumption of materials and energy;
• obtain permits and authorizations;
• reduce the cost of complying with environmental regulations;
• develop and share environmental solutions; and
• improve industry-government relations. |
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