About ISO 14001:2004 - Environmental Management

The ISO 14000 family addresses various aspects of environmental management. The very first two standards, ISO 14001:2004 and ISO 14004:2004 deal with environmental management systems (EMS). ISO 14001:2004 provides the requirements for an EMS and ISO 14004:2004 gives general EMS guidelines.

The other standards and guidelines in the family address specific environmental aspects, including: labeling, performance evaluation, life cycle analysis, communication and auditing.

An ISO 14001:2004 based EMS

An EMS meeting the requirements of ISO 14001:2004 is a management tool enabling an organization of any size or type to:

• identify and control the environmental impact of its activities, products or services, and to
• improve its environmental performance continually, and to
• implement a systematic approach to setting environmental objectives and targets, to achieving these and to demonstrating that they have been achieved.

How it works?

ISO 14001:2004 does not specify levels of environmental performance. If it specified levels of environmental performance, they would have to be specific to each business activity and this would require a specific EMS standard for each business. That is not the intention.

ISO has many other standards dealing with specific environmental issues. The intention of ISO 14001:2004 is to provide a framework for a holistic, strategic approach to the organization's environmental policy, plans and actions.

ISO 14001:2004 gives the generic requirements for an environmental management system. The underlying philosophy is that whatever the organization's activity, the requirements of an effective EMS are the same.

This has the effect of establishing a common reference for communicating about environmental management issues between organizations and their customers, regulators, the public and other stakeholders.

Because ISO 14001:2004 does not lay down levels of environmental performance, the standard can to be implemented by a wide variety of organizations, whatever their current level of environmental maturity. However, a commitment to compliance with applicable environmental legislation and regulations is required, along with a commitment to continual improvement – for which the EMS provides the framework.

What can be achieved?

ISO 14001:2004 is a tool that can be used to meet internal objectives:

• provide assurance to management that it is in control of the organizational processes and activities having an impact on the environment
• assure employees that they are working for an environmentally responsible organization.

ISO 14001:2004 can also be used to meet external objectives:

• provide assurance on environmental issues to external stakeholders – such as customers, the community and regulatory agencies
• comply with environmental regulations
• support the organization's claims and communication about its own environmental policies, plans and actions
• provides a framework for demonstrating conformity via suppliers' declarations of conformity, assessment of conformity by an external stakeholder - such as a business client - and for certification of conformity by an independent certification body.

ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 in the global economy

• ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 have become thoroughly integrated with the world economy.

  ISO 9001:2008 is firmly established as the globally accepted standard for providing assurance about the quality of goods and services in supplier-customer relations.

  ISO 14001:2004 confirms its global relevance for organizations wishing to operate in an environmentally sustainable manner.

  The positive roles played in globalization by ISO’s standards for quality and environmental management systems include the following:

  • a unifying base for global businesses and supply chains – such as the automotive and oil and gas sectors
  • a technical support for regulation – as, for example, in the medical devices sector)
  • a tool for major new economic players to increase their participation in global supply chains, in export trade and in business process outsourcing;
  • a tool for regional integration –  as shown by their adoption by new or potential members of the European Union
  • in the rise of services in the global economy – nearly 32 % of ISO 9001:2000 certificates and 29 % of ISO 14001:2004 certificates in 2007 went to organizations in the service sectors, and
  • in the transfer of good practice to developing countries and transition economies.

Training on ISO 14001

Kelmac Group offer training courses on ISO 14001 covering:

• Executive Overview Training (0.5 day)
• Foundation Level Training (1 day)
• Internal Auditor (2 or 3 days)
• Auditor/Lead Auditor Training (5 days) - IRCA Certified (A14128)
• Implementation Training (3 or 4 days)
• Tailored/Incompany Training

Full course information available by clicking here

For more information and/or a competitive quotation on any training solution, please do not hesitate to contact us.