ISO 14001:2015

Introduction:

An environmental management system helps?organizations identify, manage, monitor,?and control their environmental issues in a?“holistic” manner.?

Other ISO standards that look at different types of?management systems, such as ISO 9001 for quality?management and ISO 45001 for occupational?health and safety, all use a High-Level Structure. This means that ISO 14001 can be integrated easily?into any existing ISO management system.

ISO 14001 is suitable for organizations of all types?and sizes, be they private, not-for-profit, or governmental.?It requires that an organization considers?all environmental issues relevant to its operations,?such as air pollution, water and sewage?issues, waste management, 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 organization’s systems?and approach to environmental concerns. The?standard has recently been revised, with key?improvements such as the increased prominence?of environmental management within?the organization’s strategic planning processes,?greater input from leadership, and a stronger?commitment to proactive initiatives that boost?environmental performance.

Benefits:

There are many reasons why an organization should take a strategic approach to?improve its environmental performance. Users of the standard have reported that?ISO 14001 helps :

• Demonstrate compliance with?current and future?statutory and?regulatory requirements
• Increase leadership involvement and?engagement of employees
• Improve company reputation and?the?confidence of stakeholders?through strategic communication
• Achieve?strategic business aims?by?incorporating environmental issues?into business management
• Provide a?competitive and financial?advantage?through improved?efficiencies and reduced costs
• Encourage better?environmental?performance of suppliers?by integrating them into the?organization’s business systems

Why was ISO 14001?revised?

All ISO standards are reviewed and?revised regularly to make sure they?remain relevant to the marketplace.?ISO 14001:2015 will respond to the?latest trends, including the increasing?recognition by companies of the need to?factor in both external and internal elements?that influence their environmental?impacts, such as climate volatility?and the competitive context in which?they work. The changes also ensure?that the standard is compatible with?other management system standards.

Key?improvements?

ISO 14001:2015 now requires :

• Environmental management to?be more prominent within the?organization’s strategic direction
• A greater commitment from leadership
• The implementation of proactive?initiatives to protect the environment?from harm and degradation, such as?sustainable resource use and climate?change mitigation
• A focus on life-cycle thinking to ensure?consideration of environmental?aspects from development to?end-of-life
• The addition of a stakeholder-focused?communication strategy

It also allows for easier integration into?other management systems thanks to the?same structure, terms, and definitions.

How do I get started?with ISO 14001:2015?

A number of resources, including The?ISO 14001 checklist for small business, provide?detailed guidance on how to use the standard,?but here are a few tips to get you started:

Tip 1?– Define your objectives. What do you?want to achieve with this standard?

Tip 2?– Get the buy-in from senior management.?It is essential that the leaders of your?organization support the objectives of an effective?environmental management system and?are committed to the process.

Tip 3?– Get a good overview of existing processes?and systems that are relevant to your environmental impact. This will form the basis?of your environmental management system?and allow you to more easily identify any gaps.

ISO 14001:2015 is structured around the High-Level Structure?proposed in Annex SL for all ISO management systems. It includes, in?addition to the usual 3 introductory clauses, 7 basic clauses

common to all management system standards. They?are Context of the organization, Leadership, Planning of the EMS,?Support, Operation, Performance Evaluation, and Improvement.?They replace current EMS clauses 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4. 4.5 and?4.6. This structure is intended to provide a coherent presentation of?requirements rather than a model for documenting an organization’s?policies, objectives, and processes.

Conclusion:

ISO 14001:2015 provides organizations with guidance to mitigate environmental risk and reduce impacts?with the ultimate goal being environmental protection, but delivering all of the clauses of the standard?and truly understanding them can benefit your organization, as well as the greater environment, in many?ways. Accreditation and compliance can bring reputational, motivational, and financial benefits to your?organization through improved efficiency and reductions in waste, along with improvements in your?supply chain. All of these elements are closely related to your organization’s ability to deliver satisfaction?to your customer and fulfill the expectations and wishes of your stakeholders while protecting the?environment for future generations. Bearing all this in mind, can your organization afford not to have ISO?14001:2015?

Clause-4?CONTEXT OF THE ORGANIZATION:

Clause-6 PLANNING:

Clause-7 SUPPORT:

Clause-9 Performance evaluation:

Click the below link to know more in detail about ISO 14001:2015 revision all clauses including PowerPoint presentation and list of documents, etc.