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ISO 14001 Environmental Management

Given the noticeable effects of years of overconsumption, and a growing focus in the public and in government on good environmental stewardship, the 14000 series of International Standards will continue to grow in significance.

While ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems is currently still the most widely adopted and understood of the series, international commitments to the reduction of environmental degradation - like the Kyoto Protocol - means that the ISO 14040 Life Cycle Assessment series and ISO 14064 Greenhouse Gases are also receiving greater attention.

Business should not be approaching this changing landscape with pessimism - there are a lot of opportunities to improve the bottom line and to create new ways of doing business.

ISO 14001 is aimed at businesses wishing to improve their environmental performance by controlling the environmental impacts of their activities.

This may be because of legislative or industry requirements, but in the end, the motivation for implementing an ISO 14001 compliant system is always the same - by reducing consumption and waste, you improve your bottom line in the short term and ensure that your business is sustainable in the longer term.

While different in it's focus, ISO 14001 is very similar to ISO 9001 in it's implementation - so much so that the ISO publishes cross-reference tables between the two standards. Redskink recommends anyone thinking of either standard, should consider implementing an Integrated Management System (IMS).

Specifically, ISO 14001 requires that you:

Define the scope of your Environmental Management System (EMS).
Write and implement an environmental policy.
Identify the aspects of your operations that can impact the environment and rate them according to risk.
Set environmental objectives and targets.
Implement programs to meet these objectives and targets.
Identify and meet all of your legal and statutory obligations.
Assign appropriate responsibilities and train your people.
Control non-conformity.
Take corrective and preventive action.
Audit the system periodically.
Commit to improving the system.

So in other words - manage your business in a competent manner.

In terms of documented procedures, ISO 14001 is very flexible in that a documented procedure for any activity is only needed if the absence of one could result in a deviation from your environmental policy and/or objectives and targets. If you have an IMS it is highly likely this requirement will be met with your general operational procedures.

The payoff is the same as for ISO 9001 - a more sustainable, efficient business means more profit, and the bonus of international recognition if you need it.