ISO 14001:2015 hleps an organisation achieve the intended outcomes of its environment management system, which provide value for the environment, the organizaton itself and interested parties. Consistent with the organization’s environmental policy, the intended outcomes of an environmental management system include:
- enhancement of environmental performance;
- fulfilment of compliance obligations;
- achievement of environmental objectives.
ISO 14001 Certification
Organizations that have already achieved ISO 14001 certification are encouraged to transition to the 2015 version. Organizations will have a three-year transition period to update their environmental management systems to the new standard.
To get started with ISO 14001:2015:
- Review existing quality management system requirements (ISO 9001:2015)
- Purchase ISO 14001:2015
- Get ISO 14001 training
- Consult with a third-party register/auditor: for more guidance, read When should you bring an ISO registrar on board?
- Certify to ISO 14001
Mandatory steps to finish implementation and get your company certified
After finishing all your documentation and implementing it, your organization also needs to perform these steps to ensure a successful certification:
Internal audit – The internal audit is in place for you to check your EMS processes. The goal is to ensure that records are in place to confirm compliance of the processes and to find problems and weaknesses that would otherwise stay hidden.
Management review – A formal review by your management to evaluate the relevant facts about the management system processes in order to make appropriate decisions and assign resources.
Corrective actions – Following the internal audit and management review, you need to correct the root cause of any identified problems and document how they are resolved.
ISO 14001 – Key elements
- Strategic Environment Management.
- Emphasis on leadership engagement.
- Focus on protecting the environment.
- Organisation’s environmental performance.
- Lifecycle thinking.
- Communication both internally and externally.
- Systems documentation.
ISO 14001:2015 can provide assurance to company management, employees and external stakeholders that potential environmental impacts are being measured and improved.
