ISO 14001 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

What Is ISO 14001?

ISO 14001 is the international standard for business environmental management systems designed to set guidelines to help a business become more environmentally friendly.

Any business from any sector, at any size, can implement an ISO 14001 framework within their business and apply for certification for their environmental management plans.

ISO 14001 is the most widely used management system in the world with over 11500 certificates issued in the United Kingdom alone only beaten by ISO 9001.

With the sectors present ranging from agriculture, fishing & forestry to engineering, transport & construction.

Why ISO 14001?

Many companies are now trying to become more environmentally conscious with many trying to reduce & offset their carbon footprint.

Implementing an ISO 14001 certification within your business shows clients, customers & stakeholders that your business is environmentally conscious and is looking to reduce its carbon footprint.

An EMS can not only help your business become more cost-efficient but can also allow a business to become more productive, providing more than just environmental benefits to a business.

Benefits of ISO 14001

As discussed above a key benefit to many businesses is the ability to become more cost-efficient & more productive.

This could be reducing the amount of electricity used in office buildings by using solar power, lowering the amount of fuel used in your vehicles by using electric cars or vehicles with better miles per gallon ratio or reducing the amount of external travel required by streamlining your processes within a business.

As of the 2020 ISO Survey, there were over 11,500 organisations within the United Kingdom that had been ISO 14001 Accredited. In the next survey, we expect this number to have risen considerably due to increased demand by large corporations & governments to be more environmentally friendly.

In addition to benefiting the environment, achieving an ISO 14001 certification can also:
• Help save money through more efficient energy & water use
• Helping you work with more environmentally conscious clients
• Improve your business’s reputation with clients, stakeholders, and associates.
• Helps the business achieve legal compliance within certain sectors.

The Requirements of ISO 14001

There are requirements required to become accredited and successfully implement an ISO 14001 within your business.

These include that management within the businesses should demonstrate leadership, commitment and hold accountability for the effectiveness of the environmental management system.

The management within a business must also offer support to ensure the successful integration of ISO 14001, this can include financial resources, inventory, human skills & training, information & technology contributions.

A key part of the requirements is ensuring efficient and correct communication is carried out throughout the business to ensure the EMS can run smoothly and correctly.

There are many other requirements to ensure the successful implementation of an ISO 14001 strategy, if you want to find out more information about ISO 14001 and the requirements then please contact us.

Cost of ISO 14001

There are several different factors that affect the cost of and ISO 14001 certification.

Firstly, the cost is dependant on the size of your business & turnover. This is down to that the bigger a business is the more organisation & auditing is required.

Along with the above a major contributor to cost is the complexity of your business processes & without an initial consultation, it is extremely difficult to provide an exact cost for the successful implementation of ISO 14001.

If you would like to speak to Jeff Ayres & Associates about a quote for your business then please get in touch.

ISO 14001:2015

ISO 14001:2015 provides criteria for an environmental management system, providing a framework that a company can follow to set up an effective environmental management strategy. As with ISO 9001, the Quality Management System Standard, an environmental management system can be independently accredited.

What are the benefits of an environmental management system?

Reducing waste materials
Reducing resources
Reducing and Re-using energy and therefore your costs
Enabling confidence in meeting environmental legislation
Reducing the potential consequences to society from accidents
Improving your reputation amongst customers
the public and employees Providing a market advantage.

hOW CAN WE HELP WITH ISO 14001 Certification

Identify possible environmental impacts
Advise on relevant legislation
Assist in developing good environmental operating practices
Document operating practices and procedures
Conduct training in environmental issues
Perform environmental auditing of sites and processes
Assist with the selection of an external certification body
Act as your representative at environmental system assessments
Coordinate environmental improvement programmes
Keep you up to date with changes
Provide a part-time Environmental Manager (if required)

You may find it daunting implementing an ISO strategy into your business but there are many ways you can make this process easier. There has been a new handbook developed to make it easier for businesses to successfully implement an ISO 14001 strategy.

Landline: 01268 735203
Mobile: 07944 685 902
Email: info@jeffayres.co.uk

Areas we cover

Environmental Management Systems (ISO 14001) in Essex, London, Sussex, Surrey, Middlesex, Hertfordshire, Kent & Cambridgeshire.