What is an environmental management system?

ISO 14001 is an internationally agreed standard that sets out the requirements for an environmental management system. It helps organizations improve their environmental performance through more efficient use of resources and reduction of waste, gaining a competitive advantage and the trust of stakeholders.

What benefits will it bring to my business or organization?

There are many reasons why an organization 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 organization’s business systems

Why was ISO 14001 revised?

All ISO standards are reviewed and revised regularly to make sure they remain relevant to the marketplace. ISO 14001:2015 will respond to the latest trends, including the increasing recognition by companies of the need to factor in both external and internal elements that influence their environmental impact, such as climate volatility and the competitive context in which they work. The changes also ensure that the standard is compatible with other management system standards.

What are the key improvements?

ISO 14001:2015 now requires:

• Environmental management to be more prominent within the organization’s strategic direction
• A greater commitment from leadership
• The implementation of proactive initiatives to protect the environment from harm and degradation, such as sustainable resource use and climate change mitigation
• A focus on life-cycle thinking to ensure consideration of environmental aspects from development to end-of-life
• The addition of a stakeholder-focused communication strategy

It also allows for easier integration into other management systems thanks to the same structure, terms and definitions.

I am certified to ISO 14001:2004. What does this mean for my structure or orgaization?

Organizations are granted a three years transition period once the revision has been published to migrate to the new edition of the standard. After this period, if third-party certification is desired, you will have to seek certification to the new version.

Should I be certified to ISO 14001 ?

Accredited certification to ISO 14001 is not a requirement, and organizations 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 he standard properly. What’s more, for some organizations, it helps to show how they meet regulatory or contractual requirements.

How do I get started with ISO 14001:2015?

A number of resources, including The ISO 14001 checklist for small business, provide detailed guidance on how to use the standard, but here are a few tips to get you started:

• Tip 1 – Define your objectives. What do you want to achieve with this standard?
• Tip 2 – Get the buy-in from senior management. It is essential that the leaders of your organization support the objectives of an effective environmental management system and are committed to the process.
• Tip 3 – Get a good overview of existing processes and systems that are relevant to your environmental impact. This will form the basis of your environmental management system and allow you to more easily identify any issues



For more information, kindly visit the dedicated Web page on ISO management system standards (www.iso.org/management-systemstandards) or contact our national ISO member from NAORAS Organization