All you need to know about ISO 14001

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When you’re interested in the environment, and more specifically in how to integrate it into your business, you need to look at environmental management and the standards that govern it. These standards are grouped together in a family of standards known as ISO 14000. This category of rules provides practical tools for organizations and companies of all kinds that aspire to control their environmental responsibilities.

ISO 14001 or the environmental management standard

The ISO 14001 standard, revised in 2015, and adjacent standards such as ISO 14006:11 are essential supports for companies wishing to achieve recognized environmental responsibility. These rules, and in particular ISO 14001, have the particularity of dealing with environmental management systems. ISO 14001 is based on the factor of continuous improvement of environmental performance; in other words, it promotes efficiency by controlling the impact of an organization’s activities.

This standard is often represented by the Deming wheel, which sets out the four phases to be alternated in order to set up a continuous improvement process. These phases include planning, execution, control and improvement. Consequently, working to ISO 14001 means accepting to take this approach into account and to continuously improve.

In a nutshell, this standard is a frame of reference for any organization wishing to implement an effective environmental management system to ensure that employees, customers and partners take serious account of the company’s environmental challenges.

The relevance and benefits of adopting ISO 14001

Why choose ISO 14001 over ISO 9001? This internationally recognized standard is aimed at all organizations wishing to implement, maintain and improve their environmental management system.

Adopting such a standard therefore offers significant advantages for a company. In this way, the company’s environmental performance can be greatly improved, boosting the confidence of existing customers and partners and attracting new ones. What’s more, it creates a sense of cohesion among employees around a common project, which is often well received, given the scope of the environmental cause today. Involvement in this approach also enables the company concerned to adopt a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) approach, a notion that demonstrates a company’s voluntary consideration of environmental, social and ethical issues in the conduct of its business.

The benefits of ISO 14001

Choosing to work to ISO 14001 means first and foremost choosing a management tool. In this way, continuous improvement enables the company to reap environmental, financial and economic benefits, if the procedures are carried out properly. It should be remembered that this standard does not impose environmental objectives on organizations, but rather a system of procedures to be applied to manage their impact on the environment. This system of procedures is based on risk assessment, impact measurement and the definition of progress guidelines. An ISO 14001-certified company is therefore not necessarily considered environmentally friendly, but rather a company with an internal system for continuous improvement in this area.

Adopting this standard enables the organization to benefit from economic and financial advantages such as increased competitiveness. In fact, by improving their brand image and complying with international standards, certified companies increase their competitiveness. According to a survey carried out by the British Assessment Bureau (a British certification body), ISO 14001 has a positive effect on business competitiveness. In this study, 66% of the organizations surveyed stated that they had won contracts after certification, and were able to participate in a greater number of calls for tender. In short, more than just a guide for companies, ISO 14001 has become a necessary standard for reaching new markets.

The road to ISO 14001 certification

Organizations wishing to upgrade their environmental management practices or have their internal environmental management system recognized must contact a certification body. These are BNQ for Quebec and BSI for Canada. Interested companies must first take the time to organize and plan their project, such as by carrying out an environmental analysis of their activities (frequency, severity, impact control, etc.). Internal activities likely to present a significant environmental aspect (SEA) must also be selected, and the various avenues for improvement indicated. In addition, we need to promote internal awareness among employees and collaborators through training and communication tools.

Companies wishing to obtain ISO 14001 certification will therefore have to spend a great deal of time and effort in preparation. These preparations culminate in the selection of a certification body to carry out the audit and grant or refuse certification. Certification is renewed every three years by the chosen certification body. In short, it’s a certification that takes time, but whose benefits are felt far and wide afterwards (employee involvement, reduced energy costs, greater awareness of sustainable development within the business, etc.).

In conclusion, investing time in the ISO 14001 certification project means investing in a beneficial and credible long-term choice for companies. ISO 14001 certification is a dual-impact solution for the organizations concerned. The standard forces them to move away from certain disadvantages and ways of operating that are not relevant to sustainable development, and helps them to conquer new international markets that are fastidious about corporate environmental management. A winning effect for any entity!

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Sylvain FRANCOIS-HAUGRIN

Management Consultant/Trainer

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