One of the many ways we seek to become our client’s business partners is by sharing free resources on ISO certifications. This is why we have come up with a free guide that helps understand the ISO 14001 standard. This is a free ebook and can be downloaded here.
Below you will find a small summary of the main concepts covered in the book.
Introduction
Sustainable development was a term first issued in 1987 in the so-called Brundtland Report, produced exclusively by the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development (UN-CMMAD). The term sustainable development is defined as meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This means that today’s society must have a responsible performance and a conscious consumption so that the next generations can enjoy the same or better conditions that we currently enjoy.
The ISO 14001 standard is a practical tool for any organization independent of the size or branch of activity to manage its environmental aspects/impacts.
Annex SL
Annex SL is a document drawn up by the ISO to harmonize the structure of standards. The goal is to align standards with single structure and facilitate their integration. As an example, an organization certified in ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 may easily integrate your management system with the new requirements structure and classifications of Annex SL. The following is the structure of annex SL for an easy comparison of recently published standards:
1 – Scope 2 – Normative References 3 – Terms and Definitions 4 – Context of the Organization 5 – Leadership 6 – Planning 7 – Support 8 – Operation 9 – Performance Evaluation 10 – Improvement The structure presented above is the same as that of ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015; the requirements converge between standards and integration is extremely easy compared to previous versions. Soon, all norms of management systems will obey this same structure, optimizing the implementation processes for certified organizations.
Objectives of the ISO 14001 Standard
As described in the Standard itself, the goal of ISO 14001:2015 is to provide a framework for protecting the environment and enabling a response to changes in environmental conditions in balance with socio-economic needs.
Through concrete actions, the systematic approach of this Standard can provide the Top Management with information necessary to create alternatives that contribute to sustainable development, some of these actions are highlighted below:
- Protection of the environment by the prevention or mitigation of adverse environmental impacts;
- Mitigation of potential adverse effects of environmental conditions on the organization;
- Assisting the organization in meeting legal requirements and other requirements
- Increased environmentally friendly performance;
- Control or influence on how the organization’s products and services are designed, manufactured, distributed, consumed and disposed of, using a life-cycle perspective that can prevent the involuntary displacement of environmental impacts within the life cycle;
- Achievement of financial and operational benefits that may result from the implementation of environmental alternatives that reinforce the organization’s position in the market;
- Communication of environmental information to relevant stakeholders.
It can be noted that the implementation of the environmental management system really aims at the sustainable development of the organization and society as a whole, especially in the new version of the standard where the organization’s context is identified, and the expectations of the interested parties.
