Environmental Management Systems. A brief introduction to the nature and benefits of ISO14001:2015

Transcription

1 Environmental Management Systems A brief introduction to the nature and benefits of ISO14001:2015

2 ISO14001:2015 & Environmental Management Systems (EMS) An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a framework that allows an organisation to consistently control its significant impacts on the environment, reduce the risk of pollution incidents, ensure compliance with relevant environmental legislation and continually improve its processes and operations, ISO is an internationally accepted standard that defines the requirements for establishing, implementing and operating an EMS Organisations need to be concerned about both their own profitability and improving environmental performance. ISO takes account of this and provides a practical methodology to develop and implement a really effective EMS that supports the organisation s strategic goals and incorporates life cycle thinking If the environmental and operational & financial benefits are enhanced, stakeholders can see the rewards and support the introduction of ISO Excellent Environmental Management Systems will comply with the intent and spirit of ISO14001:2015, even if an organisation has no intention of seeking certification Business frameworks such as the EFQM Excellence Model are easily complementary when adopting ISO14001 compliant practices, which are directly relevant to an organisations Impact on Society

3 Principles & Purpose of an Environmental Management System Many organisations undertake audits and reviews to assess environmental performance, but these may not be enough to ensure that its performance continues to meet its legal and policy requirements The EMS aims to provide a framework that can be integrated with other management requirements to achieve both environmental and organisational goals The ISO14001:2015 standard provides the requirements for an EMS which can be used for the certification and / or self-declaration of an organisations management system More detailed guidance on supporting environmental management techniques can be found in other standards and guidelines such as ISO/TC 207 and ISO Short and to the point messages, such as The 5R concept, get the idea across to where its needed

4 The ISO 14001:2015 process approach (incorporating the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle and life cycle thinking) 4. EMS INPUTS Internal & external Issues. Needs & expectations of relevant parties 5. Leadership OUTPUTS Outcomes of the EMS Numbers indicate clauses in the ISO 14001:2015 standard

5 Environmental Management the 5R concept Refuse Reduce Reuse Reform Recycle Avoid purchase of environmentally burdensome materials whenever possible Reduce waste material Reuse waste material when possible Reuse materials in a different form Reuse materials as resources

6 Certification to ISO14001:2015 Is it necessary? Not for everyone - huge benefits can be had by simply adopting and complying with the principles Certification should be a by-product of a good environmental management system - not the sole reason for introducing it However: some industries must have it to trade and take part in tendering because of the level of risk due to an environmental failure most organisations use external certification to provide client and customer confidence in their management system being certified means that an external body has independently agreed that you have a robust and integrated management system - they also keep an eye on you!

7 How Do You Become a Certified company? Start Commitment to Environmental principles Undertake an environmental impact assessment Prepare and communicate environmental policy and objectives Define organisational context and scope of Environmental Management System (EMS) Build EMS Refine and modify Environmental procedures Ready for audit? Cooperate with audit Refine and modify EMS Is further action needed? Certification approved and certificate received End

8 What are the Benefits to Adopting ISO14001:2015 Disciplines? Helps the organisation deliver environmentally aware products or services that meet customer needs Supports other business models such as the EFQM Excellence Model Productivity can be increased due to reduced waste Qualitative & quantitative data from audits etc. help target environmental improvement Stakeholders know that it can give competitive advantage Staff confidence, pride and morale improves Gives external recognition to your organisation Cost of utilities can be managed Company image is improved

9 Does ISO14001:2015 have any weaknesses? Yes, it does: It describes the Management System and not how to address environmental management issues. There are many legal requirements to be brought into the management system and other company policies to be integrated. It is not as holistic as some business models such as the EFQM Excellence Model Environmental factors need to be considered in every decision that is made or the EMS certification could be affected. Bureaucracy remains a danger unless compliance and certification is carefully undertaken and controlled. But all is not lost - if your EMS is developed in a pragmatic and business orientated way it can provide real benefit to the organisation

10 What can we do to help? ley hill solutions has a wealth of experience in: Developing environmental policies and systems Documenting processes and especially management processes and procedures Training staff and managers in ISO14001, Internal Auditing and maintenance of the EMS Supporting management teams through the ISO14001 certification process We also have experience in: Building management systems based on other ISO standards e.g Using and assessing against the EFQM Excellence model Developing balanced scorecard strategy & performance management systems Investors in People Developing process improvement systems using Lean Sigma techniques Business continuity management, risk and contingency planning systems Customer service standards

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