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ISO 14001

The International Organisation for Standardisation has formed a group of environmental management standards of which ISO 14001 is a core segment. Many businesses and organisations around the world are either operating outside the bounds of environmental responsibility or are simply ignorant to the effects that their production processes and distribution chains are having on the planet’s delicate ecosystems.

These standards are applicable to any business or organisation no matter what size, location or income it has. When organisations are making efforts to minimise the negative effects of their operations on the natural environment, they need a framework to work efficiently within and to help maintain their momentum. Once an organisation follows the guidelines and requirements laid out within the ISO 14001, their staff and management can use an ISO 14001 Self Assessment Checklist to assess whether or not they are ready to pursue certification.

The ISO 14001 was updated in 2004 in order to keep up with changes in the public’s growing environmental consciousness. Now, all areas of a company’s activities are required to be examined rigorously in search of any harmful environmental impacts that may or may not be readily obvious. Through this type of self-examination, many benefits can arise. Companies can reduce their waste and waste management costs.

Gains in energy-efficiency and changes in energy sources can be made. These and other positive environmental gains in a company’s operations can improve a company’s corporate image among regulators, customers and the general public. These positive incremental changes can build momentum and greater ecological awareness and action and set the stage for further even more ambitious changes in the future. Also, the morale of the staff can be enhanced when they realise that the company that they work for is a force, however small, for positive change in the world.