The International Standard ISO 14001 sets out requirements for an Environmental Management System (EMS) which can be employed by an organization to measure and document their environmental impact. EMS’s that meet the ISO 14001 requirements can be externally audited and certified by an accredited Certification Body. The certification body must be accredited by the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board in the USA, the United Kingdom Accreditation Service in the UK, or the National Accreditation Board in Ireland. Certification auditors need to be accredited by the International Registrar of Certification Auditors.
To check whether an organization is ready for certification to ISO 14001 they can use an ISO 14001 Self Assessment Checklist aimed at outlining the required elements.
In 2004, the ISO 14001 standard was updated to reflect changes in environmental consciousness. The updated systematic ISO 14001:2004 approach requires the organization to take a hard look at all areas where its activities have an environmental impact. It can lead to benefits such as the following: reduced cost of waste management, savings in consumption of energy and materials, lower distribution costs, improved corporate image among regulators, customers and the public, and framework for continual improvement of environmental performance.
» What is ISO 14000 » ISO 14001 » List of ISO 14000 Series Standards
|
