| The ISO 14001 aims to reduce the environmental | | | | enables the company, may it be of any size, location |
| carbon footprints that many businesses leave behind | | | | and income to: |
| today because of not taking the right steps to be | | | | - It helps the company improve its environmental |
| environmental sustainable. This standard promotes | | | | strategy and this positively affects their |
| the decrease in the waste of necessary business | | | | environmental performance. |
| resources and also reduces the pollution that can | | | | - It helps in identifying and controlling the |
| sometimes be a by product of a business. | | | | environmental impact that the activities, services or |
| About ISO 14001 | | | | products of the company might have. |
| The most updated version of the ISO 14001 was | | | | - And it helps in carrying out a systematic approach |
| released in the year 2004 by the International | | | | to set environmental targets and objectives, to |
| Organisation of Standardization (ISO), which was | | | | achieve these and also to demonstrate that they |
| attended by members from all the committees from | | | | have been achieved. |
| around the world. In order for a company to be | | | | How does it work? |
| awarded the ISO 14001 standard certificate, an | | | | ISO 14001 does not specify or chalk out a definite |
| external auditor has to audit the company by an | | | | level that each business has to reach. If the |
| audit body that has been accredited by an | | | | performance was determined, then it would have to |
| accreditation body. The certification auditors are | | | | be done for every specific business. But that is not |
| required to be accredited by the International | | | | how it works and has a very different approach, like: |
| Registrar of Certification Auditor and the certification | | | | - The ISO has various standards dealing with |
| body has to be accredited by the Registrar | | | | environmental issues. ISO 14001 deals with a |
| Accreditation Board in the USA or by the National | | | | framework provided for a strategic and holistic |
| Accreditation Board in Ireland. | | | | approach to the businesses environmental policy, |
| The structure of ISO 14001 is very much like the | | | | actions and plans. |
| ISO 9000, which is management standard, so these | | | | - It gives the general requirements for the EMS. |
| two standards can be implemented side by side to | | | | - This also states the reference to the |
| achieve the best results. As a part of the ISO 14000 | | | | communication requirements for the communication |
| family, which deals with different aspects of | | | | of the environmental management issues between |
| environmental issues, ISO 14001:2004 and ISO 14002 | | | | the company, stakeholders, the public and the |
| deal with environmental management system | | | | regulators. |
| (EMS). ISO 14001 gives the requirements | | | | - As these standards are not company specific, any |
| for the EMS and ISO 14002 gives the basic guidelines | | | | and every business can undertake them as long as |
| for EMS. | | | | they are dedicated to the continued and improved |
| Environmental Management System with ISO | | | | environmental performance and they have a |
| 14001:2004 | | | | commitment to comply with the set norms. |
| The EMS, as per the requirements of the ISO 14001, | | | | |