ISO 14001:2015
Environmental management systems
ISO 14001:2015 details the requirements for an environmental management system. Having this kind of system in place enables an organization to manage its environmental responsibilities in a systematic manner that contributes to the improvement of its global footprint.
ISO 14001:2015 helps an organization achieve its intended outcomes. Its environmental management system (EMS) provides value for the environment, the organization itself and interested parties like required regulatory authorities. The EMS must be consistent with the company’s own environmental policy, which delivers certain intended outcomes like:
- Enhancement of environmental performance.
- Fulfilment of compliance obligations
- Achievement of environmental objectives.
ISO 14001:2015 is a quality standard that can be adopted by any type of business regardless of size, nature, and industry to standardize the way they handle their environmental practices.
ISO 14001:2015 improves upon its previous version, ISO14001:2004 by introducing some salient changes that present it as a more accommodating global standard for businesses to adopt that not only addresses present environmental issues, but future ones as well while working in close conjunction with other pertinent standards out there. While this may seem like an overly-complex approach to some companies who are less inclined towards standardized management approaches, it’s important these days for companies large or small to unify around one common standard so as not to appear inconsistent or unreliable when it comes down to having effective business relationships with investors and people seeking employment opportunities with your company.
In accordance with ISO 14001:2015, environmental management can be improved by implementing it in whole or in part. Claims of conformity to ISO 14001:2015 are not acceptable unless all of its requirements have been integrated into a company’s environmental management system and they have been met without exception.
ISO 14001:2015 Key clauses
Clause 4: Context of the organization
Clause 5: Leadership
Clause 6: Planning
Clause 7: Support
Clause 8: Operation
Clause 9: Performance evaluation
Clause 10: Improvement
Integration with other management systems
Management requirements are commonly expressed within any management system and relate to determining objectives, applying them according to the organization’s characteristics and its needs, maintaining these relationships alive through management commitment, monitoring and reviewing, supporting the system by good documentation, regular “health checks” (audits), and by getting benefits through continual improvement as achieved by management review.
Benefits of ISO 14001:2015
- Cost Saving with optimum utilization of resources emphasis on resource, waste and energy management.
- To quantify impact of operations on the environment as well as on the human in present and in the future.
- Improves the environmental performance of supply chain.
- Decreases public liability cost for any organization.
- Ensures legislative compliance and awareness about this.
- Confidence to your customers.
- Protect the company, assets and directors.
- Provides operational improvements.
- Minimize the risk of pollution incidents.
- Increase new business opportunities.