ISO 14001:2004 Certification
ISO 14000 is a series of environmental management standards developed and published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for organizations. The ISO 14000 standards provide a guideline or framework for organizations that need to systematize and improve their environmental management efforts. The ISO 14000 standards are not designed to aid the enforcement of environmental laws and do not regulate the environmental activities of organizations. Adherence to these standards is voluntary.
The ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management Systems (EMS) certification enables an organization to demonstrate its commitment to the environment. The standard provides guidance on how to manage the environmental aspects of your business activities more effectively, while taking into consideration environmental protection, pollution prevention and socio-economic needs.
ISO 14001 is the principal management system standard which specifies the requirements for the formulation and maintenance of an EMS. This helps to control your environmental aspects, reduce impacts and ensure legal compliance.
ISO 14001 is accompanied by ISO 14004 Environmental Management Systems – General Guidelines on principles, systems and support techniques. The standard covers issues such as the establishment, implementation, maintenance and improvement of an EMS.
Benefits of ISO 14001 Certificate
- Providing potentially fewer surveillance visits from regulatory agencies.
- Growing competitiveness.
- Showing your business partners, regulatory agencies, and community that you are environmentally responsible.
- Providing your company with assurance that you meet, and will continue to meet, your environmental management system commitments and corporate policy requirements.
- Confirming your systems for recognizing and complying with environmental laws and regulations.
- Growing profits through potential process improvements and energy conservation.
- Reducing your environmental liability.
- Reducing costs as a result of potentially lower insurance rates.
- Streamlining operations - organizations often realize monetary savings as a result of greater operational efficiency and energy conservation, and reduction in use of hazardous materials and generation of hazardous wastes.
- Improving relationships with regulators - organizations that implement an ISO 14001 EMS often report improved relations with government regulatory agencies, find that regulators are quicker to provide technical support, and find that the regulators are much more supportive in general.
- Capturing institutional knowledge - ISO 14001 ensures this information is properly documented, communicated and retained. The cyclical nature of this management system further ensures all system information is reviewed and updated at least annually.
