ISO 14001

This International Standard specifies requirements for an environmental management system to enable an organization to develop and implement (formulate) a policy and objectives which take into account legal requirements and other requirements to which the organization subscribes, and information about significant environmental aspects. It applies to those environmental aspects that the organization identifies as those which it can control and those which it can influence. It does not itself state specific environmental performance criteria.

All the requirements in this International Standard are intended to be incorporated into any environmental management system. The extent of the application depends on factors such as the environmental policy of the organization, the nature of its activities, products and services and the location where and the conditions in which it functions.

 ISO 14001 was first published in 1996 and specifies the actual requirements for an environmental management system. It prescribes controls for those activities that have an effect on the environment. These include the use of natural resources, handling and treatment of waste and energy consumption.

This International Standard is applicable to any organization that wishes to

1. Establish, implement, maintain and improve an environmental management system,
2. Assure itself of conformity with its stated environmental policy,
3. Demonstrate conformity with this International Standard by
   
   1. making a self-determination and self-declaration, or
   2. seeking confirmation of its conformance by parties having an interest in the organization, such as customers, or
   3. seeking confirmation of its self-declaration by a party external to the organization, or
   4. seeking certification/registration of its environmental management system by an external organization.

   
   

 ISO 14001 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 207, Environmental management, Subcommittee SC 1, Environmental management systems. This second edition 14001:2015 cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 14001:1996), which has been technically revised.

General Requirements

The organization shall establish, document, implement, maintain and continually improve an environmental management system in accordance with the requirements of this International Standard and determine how it will fulfill these requirements.

The organization shall define and document the scope of its environmental management system.

The level of detail and complexity of the environmental management system, the extent of documentation and the resources devoted to it depend on a number of factors, such as the scope of the system, the size of an organization and the nature of its activities, products and services. This may be the case in particular for small and medium-sized enterprises.

ISO 14001 is an internationally accepted standard that sets out how you can go about putting in place an effective Environmental Management System (EMS). The standard is designed to address the delicate balance between maintaining profitability and reducing environmental impact; with the commitment of your entire organization, it can enable you to achieve both objectives.

ISO 14001 consists of:

• General requirements
• Environmental policy
• Planning
• Implementation and operation
• Checking and corrective action
• Management review

Documentation Requirements

The environmental management system documentation shall include

• The environmental policy, objectives and targets,
• Description of the scope of the environmental management system,
• Description of the main elements of the environmental management system and their interaction, and reference to related documents,
• Documents, including records, required by this International Standard, and
• Documents, including records, determined by the organization to be necessary to ensure the effective planning, operation and control of processes that relate to its significant environmental aspects.

Who does ISO 14001 apply to?

ISO 14001:2015 can be applied to any type of business; organization or industry; service or manufacturing sector; for profit or non-profit operations; and irrespective of their size,. A wide range of industries, including; Agriculture, Forestry & Mining; Petrochemicals & Plastics, Food, Tobacco, Textiles & Wood products, Electronics & Instruments, Manufacturing, Metals & Machinery, etc. have taken an active role in implementing this standard.

Can existing environmental management activities be integrated into the EMS?

Yes. An EMS is flexible and does not require organizations to necessarily "retool" their existing activities. An EMS establishes a management framework by which an organization's impacts on the environment can be systematically identified and reduced. For example, many organizations, including counties and municipalities, have active and effective pollution prevention activities underway. These could be incorporated into the overall EMS.

If we decide to implement both ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, do these have to be separate systems?

No. You can implement integrated management systems taking into account the requirements that are common among the standards. This integrated approach improves system efficiency and cuts costs, both internal costs and registration costs.