What is ISO 14001:2004?

By Karen MacKenzie
SQMC Associate

ISO 14000 is the standard and ISO14001 is the document containing the requirements ( the systems and processes you will be audited against)
It shows, customers, stakeholders, suppliers etc. that you are a good corporate citizen, pro-actively caring for the environment.

ISO 14001 was first published as an internationally recognised standard in 1996 and it specifies the requirements for your Environmental Management System (EMS). It applies to those environmental aspects over which you can exercise control and where you can be expected to have an influence.

It is made up of a series of ISO14000 standards designed to cover:

 environmental management systems environmental auditing environmental performance evaluation environmental labelling life-cycle assessment environmental aspects in product standards

The goal is for organisations to control the impacts of their activities, products and services have on the environment.

ISO 14001 is often seen as the corner-stone standard of the ISO 14000 series. It specifies a framework of control for an Environmental Management. However, it does not in itself state specific environmental performance criteria.

This standard is applicable to any organization that wishes to:  
implement, maintain and improve an environmental management system assure itself of its conformance with its own stated environmental policy demonstrate conformance ensure compliance with environmental laws and regulations seek certification of its environmental management system by an authorised external certification body make a self-determination of conformance

The system follows a straightforward PLAN→ DO→ CHECK→ ACT process:-

PLAN – establish the objectives and processes needed to deliver the results in line with EMS

DO – implement the needed processes of the EMS

CHECK – check the processes against the policy, processes, regulations, targets and report on the results (auditing)

ACT – take actions that will continually improve the EMS

Implementing ISO 14001 and being certificated allows you to:

 Demonstrate a commitment to achieving legal and regulatory compliance to regulators and government Demonstrate your environmental commitment to stakeholders Demonstrate an innovative and forward thinking approach to customers and prospective employees Increase your access to new customers and business partners Better manage your environmental risks, now and in the future Potentially reduce public liability insurance costs Enhance your reputation

SQMC are ideally placed to help you achieve your ISO goals in a no nonsense straightforward way. Ask our customers!