ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Certification
The ISO 14001 Environmental Management System supports organisations in bringing their environmental impacts under control, achieving sustainable environmental performance and managing their environmental policies systematically.
Page Contents
- Definition of a management system and the purpose of certification
- Description of the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System
- Benefits to the organisation
- Requirements for ISO 14001 certification
- The ISO 14001 certification process
What Is a Management System?
Management systems define the ways in which organisations organise their structures and processes in order to achieve effective results by ensuring that their processes are planned smoothly and effectively so that they act systematically.
An effective management system is designed to manage an organisation's policies, procedures and processes and to ensure that the system focuses on sustainability and improvement, thereby facilitating adaptation to constantly changing conditions.
Why Should You Obtain a Management System Certificate?
Holding a management system certification is proof that you comply with the requirements of the relevant standard, that you are able to achieve your policies and objectives, that you operate effectively and efficiently, and that you continuously improve your processes.
Organisations may wish to strengthen their management systems with certification by obtaining third-party audit services in order to check the correct functioning of their management systems and to prevent problems that go unnoticed without an external eye during production and service delivery.
For this reason, third-party certification, or an independent certification body that audits your practices against the requirements of management system standards, is the best way of informing your customers, suppliers, business partners and other stakeholders that you apply the standard correctly.
What Are the Benefits of a Management System?
According to research, organisations that adopt and implement best practices as set out in nationally and internationally recognised standards achieve significant benefits.
Management systems enable organisations to achieve these benefits by adopting best practices and verifying, through certification, that they have been properly established:
- Compliance with national and international standards and official regulations
- Producing the best possible solutions to customer demands and requirements
- Helping the organisation to improve its operations and manage risk
- Achieving customer satisfaction by growing the organisation and expanding customer reach
- It can help to establish trust among interested parties.
ISO 14001 Environmental Management System
Organisations' interest in achieving and demonstrating sound environmental performance by controlling the environmental impacts of their activities, products and services, in harmony with their environmental policies and objectives, is growing day by day.
The ISO 14001 Environmental Management System has been developed with the aim of providing organisations with the key elements of an effective environmental management system that can be integrated with other management requirements, in order to help them achieve their economic and environmental objectives.
Environmental Control
It supports the systematic management of the environmental impacts of activities, products and services.
Sustainability
It contributes to the organisation's continuous improvement of its environmental performance and the setting of sustainability targets.
Corporate Trust
It demonstrates an environmental responsibility approach to customers, business partners and employees.
What Is the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System?
The ISO 14001 Environmental Management System is a standard that has gained worldwide acceptance and recognition after the ISO 9001 Quality Management System standard.
The requirements of the standard aim to enable organisations to develop their operational environmental protection in a sustainable manner, to set their own objectives for its implementation and to reduce adverse impact.
The purpose of the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System is to provide organisations with a framework for protecting the environment and responding to changing environmental conditions in balance with socio-economic needs. It can help your organisation demonstrate its commitment to limiting its environmental footprint using a proven framework.
How Does the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Benefit Your Organisation?
ISO 14001 is applicable whatever a company's size and sector. For this reason, non-governmental organisations, private and non-profit organisations, and manufacturers providing service support can also benefit from the ISO 14001 environmental management system.
A certified environmental management system practice adopted as set out in the standards will enable your organisation to gain competitive advantages.
- Improved compliance with national and/or international legislation,
- Gaining an advantage in international competition,
- Increased company reputation and market share,
- Reduced costs and increased efficiency through improved cost control,
- Being prepared for emergencies such as earthquakes, fires and floods and for accidents, thereby reducing accidents and similar events resulting in liability,
- Pollution being brought under control and reduced at source,
- Achieving energy savings,
- Facilitating the acquisition of permits and authorisation documents,
- Ensuring acceptability in the global market,
- It demonstrates your commitment to sustainability to your customers, business partners and employees.
What Are the Requirements for Obtaining an ISO 14001 Certificate?
There are a number of prerequisites that your organisation must meet in order to be certified against the ISO 14001 environmental management systems:
- Development of an environmental policy prepared by company management, containing a voluntary commitment to environmental protection and the optimisation of environmental protection measures within the company,
- The appointment of person(s) with command of the organisation's processes to coordinate the environmental management system,
- The establishment of environmental objectives, targets and actions and the monitoring and measurement of the progress recorded towards achieving those targets,
- Communicating the Environmental Policy and Objectives prepared to employees with their participation,
- Determining actual and potential environmental impacts by assessing how the organisation interacts with the environment,
- Reviewing the system and environmental performance and ensuring continuous improvement.
These requirements form the fundamental framework for making the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System applicable, measurable and sustainable within the organisation.
The ISO 14001 Certification Process
The ISO 14001 Environmental Management System certification process consists of the steps from the quotation stage through audit planning, the certification audit, nonconformity management, surveillance audits and recertification.
- FQC STANDARD's quotation based on the information provided
- Approval of the quotation for the verification / certification of the environmental statement
- Stage 1 Audit: Assessment of readiness
- Planning of the audit
- Stage 2 Audit: Certification audit together with integrated verification of the environmental statement
- Conducting nonconformity management where required
- Publication of the certification process
- Annual surveillance audits
- Recertification