Worldwide Quality Assurance

ISO 14001 is the International Standard for Environmental Management Systems.

The most widely used EMS in the world, with over 11,000 organisations certified in the UK and an estimated 223,000 organisations certified in 159 countries world-wide.

ISO 14001 is the principal management system standard which specifies the requirements for the formulation and maintenance of an EMS. There are three fundamental commitments required in an environmental policy that meets the requirements of ISO 14001. These include:

• prevention of pollution
• compliance with legislation
• continual improvement of the EMS

These commitments help drive the improvements in overall environmental performance.

ISO 14001 can be used as a tool; it focuses on controlling your environmental aspects or the way that your activities products and services interact with the environment; for example, emissions to air, land or water. Organisations must describe what they intend to do, adhere to their procedures and record their efforts to demonstrate compliance and improvement. You will set objectives, targets and implement a programme to improve your environmental performance which often leads to financial benefits.

Organisations are required to identify applicable legal, statutory and related requirements. It is particularly important to identify how the legislation affects you so that compliance measures can be adopted and periodically evaluated ensuring requirements are understood by employees and implemented effectively.

ISO 14001 is accompanied by ISO 14004, Environmental Management systems - General Guidelines on principles, systems and support techniques. This standard covers issues such as the establishment, implementation, maintenance and improvement of an MS and discusses the principle issues involved.