ISO 14001 Requirements

“Environmental Management System” (EMS) is a blanket term for the processes that enable an organization to reduce its overall environmental impact. These systems involve certain requirements, which were developed to help reduce the environmental footprints of organizations of all sizes. One set of these standards is known as the ISO 14001, an international set of regulations that was revised several years ago. Read on to learn more about ISO 14001 requirements as they pertain to your organization.

ISO 14001 Requirements

What Is ISO 14001?

“ISO” stands for the International Organization for Standardization. Per the organization’s website, ISO exists to promote “the development and implementation of voluntary international standards, both for particular products and for environmental management issues.” In other words, ISO creates the regulations that govern a wide variety of organizational requirements, covering almost all aspects of technology and manufacturing. ISO 14000 is one of these sets of standards. It exists to govern Environmental Management System (EMS) standards, as well as standards in related fields including environmental auditing, environmental performance evaluation, and environmental labeling.

What Is the Purpose of This Standard?

ISO 14001 provides a valuable framework that allows organizations of all sizes to establish effective environmental management systems. Simply put, this set of standards can provide peace of mind, ensuring that a company is working to measure and improve its environmental impact. In other words, if your organization is actively working toward sustainability as an organizational pillar, ISO 14001 is your essential guide. The set of standards can also help organizations measure the effectiveness of their environmental management systems. Per the ISO website, that measurement includes a diverse rubric of criteria including “environmental performance, fulfillment of environmental compliance obligations, and achievement of environmental objectives.” Of course, those compliance obligations and environmental objectives will vary dramatically from organization to organization.

ISO 14001 Requirements

Per the EPA, the ISO 14001 standard “requires that a community or organization put in place and implement a series of practices and procedures that, when taken together, result in an environmental management system.” This does not, however, typically involve a set of prescribed performance standards for organizations, as organizational metrics can vary widely. The full list of ISO 14001 requirements is available online via ISO’s standards catalog. However, some of the key requirements are listed below, taken directly from the ISO website:

• Organizations must implement a policy statement “which includes commitments to prevention of pollution, continual improvement of the EMS leading to improvements in overall environmental performance, and compliance with all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.”
• Organizations must set “performance objectives and targets for the management system.” These objectives should link back to three main commitments, which are established in the organization’s policy. These commitments can include pollution prevention or another sort of environmental compliance. Ultimately, the commitments depend on the organization’s goals.
• Organizations must provide a clear framework for implementing the EMS. That includes everything from training employees to establishing environmental progress metrics. This can also include plans to regularly audit the EMS for effectiveness.

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While ISO 14001 requirements aren’t a one-size-fits-all approach, they can serve as an excellent guide for organizations of all shapes and sizes. When developing an environmental management system, the standards set out in ISO 14001 can be an incredibly helpful tool. When in doubt, an environmental expert like EWI can help your team work within ISO 14001 standards.

Do you have further questions about ISO 14001 requirements? Give Environmental Works a call. We have in-house experts ready to help. We will walk you through the specifics of your organization’s planning and compliance needs. Our team can also work with you to develop an ongoing plan for your business to ensure ongoing environmental responsibility. Finally, we can work with you to audit your environmental management system for ongoing effectiveness. When you’re ready, you can contact EWI online or call 877-827-9500 for more information.