The ISO 14001:2015 standard is a framework for Environmental Management that the International Organization for Standardization has revised recently on Sep 2015.

The ISO 14001 standard sets out the requirements for an Environmental Management System (EMS) which can be employed by an organization to measure and document their environmental footprints.

ISO 14001 is the internationally recognized standard for the environmental management of businesses, prescribing controls for those activities that have an effect on the environment. These include; the use of natural resources, the handling and treatment of waste, and energy consumption.

The standard is based on the principle of continual improvement of an organizations Environmental Performance. The standard utilizes the concept of Plan, Do, Check, Act thus causing improvement. It consists of a set of requirements that a company has to address and implement in its activities. The basic purpose is to continually improve the environmental performance. ISO 14001:2015 is applicable to any business that wishes to establish, implement, maintain and improve an environmental management system and conform to its stated environmental policy.

Which Organizations should go for it?

ISO 14001 is known as a generic management system standard; it means; it is relevant to any organization seeking to improve and manage resources more effectively. This includes:

  • Single-site to large multi-national companies.
  • High-risk companies to low-risk service organizations.
  • Manufacturing, process, and the service industries, including local governments.
  • All industry sectors including public and private sectors.
  • Original equipment manufacturers and their suppliers.

Benefits of ISO 14001:2015:

  • Cost savings: through improving efficiency, productivity and reducing waste. Assists legislative compliance, reducing risk, which can reduce insurance cost.
  • Control reputational risk: by demonstrating that you are committed to protecting the environment and have the appropriate control measures in place.
  • Enables to manage environmental performance: by identifying and controlling environmental impact, this can be measured on an ongoing basis for further improvements.
  • Improves corporate image.
  • Improves compliance.
  • Meets concerns of interested parties.
  • Gains international recognition.
  • Improves marketing potential.