by If you are engaging in any business, you must be familiar with the ISO standards required of all businesses across the globe. They regulate all kinds of business operations and specify what should or should not be practised in a business enterprise. ISO stands for International Organization for Standardisation. It has several sets of standards that are applicable in different circumstances.
ISO 14001 is one of the ISO standards. It is concerned with specifying all the requirements of the system surroundings needed by an organisation to improve its environmental performance(s). In other words, ISO 14001 helps a company to meet its environmental responsibilities by ensuring that the environmental system conforms to the stipulated regulations.
Key benefits of ISO 14001 standard
Atlas Certification ISO 14001 has plenty of benefits to the business at large. Some of these benefits are as follows:
· It helps an organisation increase its participation in the environmental management system, including both the management and the employees of that organisation. This, therefore, increases the rate of success in environmental management and conservation.
· It also serves as a pillar that helps an organisation achieve its long term plans by ensuring that the environment is favourable for the business and the outside world.
· The use of the ISO 14001 standard in any organisation helps increase the efficiency of that particular organisation and lowers the cost of operations to a favourable level.
· ISO 14001 aims at the business itself and other outside stakeholders that engage with that business, for example, suppliers. Suppliers of that particular business are also required to comply with this standard in every aspect.
· As we all know, a company that uses ISO standards is more visible to the market than those who are yet to receive the ISO certification. It gives the company a more positive reputation and makes them stand out. It speaks to the quality and efficiency of a company and attracts customers because of it.
Requirements in ISO 14001 certification
ISO 14001 standards require a business to provide details on several issues, some of which are listed below:
· Scope for your EMS – It outlines the operations and services that your business will be engaging in. It also outlines clear boundaries your business must operate within, beyond which can be subjected to an offence.
· Environmental goals – The business should clearly outline goals for the business environment and how those goals will be met. It can also show the exact figures that are being dealt with, like say a 15% reduction in fuel consumption.
· Environmental policies – It is also mandatory to have an environmental policy in your organisation that shows how you intend to create some environment-friendly systems that will conserve the environment and minimise pollution.
· Compliance records – Moreover, it is a good practice to keep records of compliance after evaluating how your business is adhering to ISO 14001 standard regulations.
· A list of all stakeholders – You are also required to provide a list of stakeholders involved with your business. All the stakeholders must be put into consideration when designing the EMS in your organisation
· Management regular review of the EMS – The management should frequently assess the EMS state and determine whether it is meeting the obligations outlined under the environmental policy.
