ISO 14001 reaches the 250,000 mark

“A quarter of a million companies, in over 150 countries, are now certified to ISO 14001, the Environmental Management System, representing a four fold increase in certification since 2008[1].” ISO 14001 provides companies with a proven and reliable framework for managing their interaction with the environment, that is independently verifiable, and instantly recognisable as the world’s leading environmental management system standard.

With many companies portraying a ‘green image’ or claiming to be ‘environmentally aware’, how do you tell one from the other? Simple, the serious are certified to ISO 14001. They have adopted its requirements as their baseline at all functions and levels within their company. It is ‘culture’.

The benefits of ISO 14001 are many, but can be summarised as follows:

• Identification and control of your environmental interactions
• Identification and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and potential reduction in environmental liability
• Capturing and documenting corporate knowledge that is regularly reviewed and updated
• Visible demonstration of your commitment to environment responsibility
• Increasing competitiveness
• Streamlining processes and the identification of potential process improvements and energy savings

ISO 14001:2004 is currently being revised by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), with the new version expected to come into effect in 2015. One of the many proposed improvements under review  includes a requirement to integrate environmental considerations into strategic decision making.

Should you wish to obtain any further information on ISO 14001, the Environmental Management System Standard, please contact Brian Lyons at bl@almir.biz or 086 8218869.