ISO 14001 is an internationally recognised standard that specifies requirements for an effective environmental management system. It helps organisations improve their environmental performance through more efficient use of resources and waste reduction, gaining a competitive advantage and the trust of stakeholders.
What is ISO 14001?
ISO 14001 is one of the world's most widely recognised management systems designed to provide a framework that enables organisations to meet their environmental obligations.
An Environmental Management System helps organisations to identify, manage, monitor and control their environmental aspects and impacts in a “holistic” manner, fulfil compliance obligations and address risks and opportunities. The framework in the ISO 14001 standard can be used within a plan-do-check-act (PDCA) approach to continuous improvement.
ISO 14001 is suitable for organisations of all types and sizes. Taking into consideration the context of the organisation and interested parties’ expectations, it sets up criteria and requires that an organisation considers all environmental concerns relevant to its operations, such as air pollution, waste management, water and sewage issues, soil contamination, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and resource use and efficiency. Like all ISO management system standards, ISO 14001 includes the need for continual improvement of an organisation’s systems and approaches to environmental concerns.
The benefits of ISO 14001?
Businesses face challenges from customers, regulators, society and governments to reduce their environmental impact. There are many reasons why an organisation should take a strategic approach to improving its environmental performance.
Organisations and companies find that using the standard helps:
- Demonstrate compliance with current and future statutory and regulatory requirements;
- Improve company reputation and the confidence of interested parties through strategic communication;
- Provide a competitive and financial advantage through improved resource efficiencies and reduced costs;
- Provide assurance that environmental impact is being measured and controlled;
Using a robust environmental management system to streamline processes will help your company stand out from among its competitors, which can lead to increased profit. What is more, these processes will help your company save money by reducing waste, energy and water consumption.
Implementing this global standard will also help your organisation comply with increasingly stringent environmental laws and regulations, as well as building trust with customers and other stakeholders.
Why choose SMART QMS for your ISO 14001 certification?
“Your customer doesn’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
At Smart QMS, our industry specialised consultants work closely with our clients to develop their required Management System in line with the requirements of selected ISO Standard. We will help you to implement adequate control measures including policies and procedures to enable you to continually review and improve the effectiveness of your management system and the perception of customer satisfaction.
“The first step in exceeding your customer’s expectations is to know those expectations.”
