ISO 14001 Environmental Management System. An ISO 14001 environmental management system is a systematic and process driven approach to controlling those aspects of your business that have a significant impact on the environment. The system is proven to make business owners and managers be more aware of their environmental responsibilities. ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS) is a systematic framework to manage the immediate and long term environmental impacts of an organisation’s products, services and processes. By completing ISO 14001 certification your organisation can assure stakeholders that your environmental management system meets international industry specific environmental. Quality Glossary Definition: ISO 14001. ISO 14001 is the international standard that specifies requirements for an effective environmental management system (EMS). It provides a framework that an organization can follow, rather than establishing environmental performance requirements.

ISO 14000 is a family of standards related to environmental management that exists to help organizations (a) minimize how their operations (processes, etc.) negatively affect the environment (i.e. cause adverse changes to air, water, or land); (b) comply with applicable laws, regulations, and other environmentally oriented requirements; and (c) continually improve in the above.^[1]

ISO 14000 is similar to ISO 9000quality management in that both pertain to the process of how a product is produced, rather than to the product itself. As with ISO 9001, certification is performed by third-party organizations rather than being awarded by ISO directly. The ISO 19011 and ISO 17021 audit standards apply when audits are being performed.

The requirements of ISO 14001 are an integral part of the European Union's Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS). EMAS's structure and material are more demanding, mainly concerning performance improvement, legal compliance, and reporting duties.^[2] The current version of ISO 14001 is ISO 14001:2015, which was published in September 2015.^[3]

ISO 14001 EMS CERTIFICATION PROCESS. Third-party certification is performed by a registered external auditing organisation, normally referred to as a Certification Body (CB). An expert third-party audits the EMS for compliance with all elements of ISO 14001. Third-party certification of an organisation's EMS can help to establish credibility.

3ISO 14001 standard
- 3.2Basic principles and methodology
4ISO 14001 and EMAS

Brief history of environmental management systems[edit]

In March 1992, BSI Group published the world's first environmental management systems standard, BS 7750, as part of a response to growing concerns about protecting the environment.^[4] Prior to this, environmental management had been part of larger systems such as Responsible Care. BS 7750 supplied the template for the development of the ISO 14000 series in 1996, which has representation from ISO committees all over the world.^[5]^[6] As of 2017, more than 300,000 certifications to ISO 14001 can be found in 171 countries.^[7]

Prior to the development of the ISO 14000 series, organizations voluntarily constructed their own EMSs, but this made comparisons of environmental effects between companies difficult; therefore, the universal ISO 14000 series was developed. An EMS is defined by ISO as: 'part of the overall management system, that includes organizational structure, planning activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes, and resources for developing, implementing, achieving, and maintaining the environmental policy.'^[8]

Development of the ISO 14000 series[edit]

The ISO 14000 family includes most notably the ISO 14001 standard, which represents the core set of standards used by organizations for designing and implementing an effective environmental management system (EMS). Other standards in this series include ISO 14004, which gives additional guidelines for a good EMS, and more specialized standards dealing with specific aspects of environmental management. The major objective of the ISO 14000 series of norms is to provide 'practical tools for companies and organizations of all kinds looking to manage their environmental responsibilities.'^[7]

The ISO 14000 series is based on a voluntary approach to environmental regulation.^[9] The series includes the ISO 14001 standard, which provides guidelines for the establishment or improvement of an EMS. The standard shares many common traits with its predecessor, ISO 9000, the international standard of quality management^[10], which served as a model for its internal structure^[8], and both can be implemented side by side. As with ISO 9000, ISO 14000 acts both as an internal management tool and as a way of demonstrating a company’s environmental commitment to its customers and clients.^[11]

ISO 14001 standard[edit]

ISO 14001 defines criteria for an EMS. It does not state requirements for environmental performance but rather maps out a framework that a company or organization can follow to set up an effective EMS. It can be used by any organization that wants to improve resource efficiency, reduce waste, and reduce costs. Using ISO 14001 can provide assurance to company management and employees as well as external stakeholders that environmental impact is being measured and improved.^[7] ISO 14001 can also be integrated with other management functions and assists companies in meeting their environmental and economic goals.

ISO 14001, like other ISO 14000 standards, is voluntary^[12], with its main aim to assist companies in continually improving their environmental performance and complying with any applicable legislation. The organization sets its own targets and performance measures, and the standard highlights what an organization needs to do to meet those goals, and to monitor and measure the situation.^[12] The standard does not focus on measures and goals of environmental performance, but of the organization. The standard can be applied to a variety of levels in the business, from the organizational level down to the product and service level.

ISO 14001 is known as a generic management system standard, meaning that it is relevant to any organization seeking to improve and manage resources more effectively. This includes:

single-site to large multi-national companies
high-risk companies to low-risk service organizations
the manufacturing, process, and service industries, including local governments
all industry sectors, including public and private sectors
original equipment manufacturers and their suppliers

ISO 14001:2015[edit]

All standards are periodically reviewed by ISO to ensure they still meet market requirements. The current version is ISO 14001:2015, and certified organizations were given a three-year transition period to adapt their environmental management system to the new edition of the standard. The new version of ISO 14001 focuses on the improvement of environmental performance rather than the improvement of the management system itself.^[13] It also includes several new updates all aimed at making environmental management more comprehensive and relevant to the supply chain. One of the main updates asks organizations to consider environmental impact during the entire life cycle, although there is no requirement to actually complete a life cycle analysis. Additionally, the commitments of top management and the methods of evaluating compliance have also been strengthened. Another significant change linked ISO 14001 to the general management system structure, introduced in 2015, called the High Level Structure. Both ISO 9001 and 14001 use this same structure, making implementation and auditing more uniform. The new standard also requires the holder of the certificate to specify risks and opportunities and how to address them.

Basic principles and methodology[edit]

The PDCA cycle

The basic principles of ISO 14001 are based on the well-known Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle.

Brief history of environmental management systems[edit]

Development of the ISO 14000 series[edit]

ISO 14001 standard[edit]

ISO 14001:2015[edit]

Basic principles and methodology[edit]

Plan: Establ

Iso 14001 Certification Process