Environmental Aspects - meeting the ISO 14001 Requirements

Systematically identifying relevant ISO 14001 environmental aspects in implementing an EMS:

This is fundamental to the effectiveness of an Environmental Management System (EMS), as well as ensuring that your organization meets ISO 14001 requirements for certification.

Table of Contents

• Why are Environmental Aspects Important to ISO 14001 Implementation?
• Covid-19's Impact on Organisations' Environmental Aspects
• How to Identify the Environmental Aspects of Your Organisation
  • Look at the Process from a Life Cycle Perspective
  • Know What to Include in your Organisation's Environmental Aspects
  • Consider the Eight Different Factors Involved in Determining the Environmental Aspects of Your Organization
  • Look Into the Environmental Aspects that Your Organization Can Influence
  • Pay Special Attention to Environmental Aspects Directly Related to Your Organization’s Activities, Products and Services
  • Seek Help with Identifying Other Environmental Aspects
    
    

Why are Environmental Aspects Important to ISO 14001 Implementation?

Environmental Aspects, as outlined in ISO 14001 Clause 6.1.2, are important to ISO 14001 implementation. This is because failing to include them will:

1. Undermine the credibility of EMS with stakeholders (if a customer spots a major omission, what will that say to them about your organisation?), and
2. represent a loss to your business (perhaps, a major cost-saving missed) as well as unnecessary damage to the environment.

Also, as an ISO 14001 Lead Implementer or EMS Consultant, you will not want to leave significant omissions for an External Auditor to find. And you will want an environmental aspects and impacts register iso 14001 compliant.

Covid-19's Impact on Organisations' Environmental Aspects

The consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic are, at this time, unquantifiable.  However, we already know that used PPE is already turning up in our seas. The environment is not a top priority for the man-in-the-street and PPE waste will not be the only new environmental aspect the virus and its consequence will introduce. 

Our Course, ISO 14001 Lead Implementer, incudes detailed identification, risk analysis and risk treatment of Environmental Aspects

How to Identify the Environmental Aspects of Your Organisation

Look at the Process from a Life Cycle Perspective

When implementing ISO 14001:2015 the identification of all applicable environmental aspects is fundamental.  And in determining those environmental aspects, you must consider a life cycle perspective. The life cycle stages that are applicable will vary depending on the activity, product, or service.

You need to determine, or re-determine, the environmental aspects within the scope of the environmental management system. Take into account the inputs and outputs (both intended and unintended) that are associated with current and relevant past activities, products and services; planned or new developments; and new or modified activities, products, and services.

In the future, this will have to include new or revised systems of working.  How, for example, will your EMS address home working, which will fall within the scope of your EMS?

Know What to Include in your Organisation's Environmental Aspects

The method used should consider normal and abnormal operating conditions, shut-down and start-up conditions, as well as reasonably foreseeable emergency situations. Attention should be paid to prior occurrences of emergency situations.

You do not have to consider each product, component or raw material individually to determine and evaluate their environmental aspects.  You may group or categorize activities, products, and services when they have common characteristics.

NOTE: This image is taken from deGRANDSON's manual, ‘ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System Implementation Guide’, which is part of our Course ISO 14001:2015 Lead Implementer (including Auditor Training). It includes many examples plus sample procedures and records.

Consider the Eight Different Factors Involved in Determining the Environmental Aspects of Your Organization.

When determining the environmental aspects of your organisation, consider at least eight factors:

1. emissions to air;
2. releases to water;
3. releases to land;
4. use of raw materials and natural resources;
5. use of energy;
6. energy emitted (e.g. heat, radiation, vibration (noise), light);
7. generation of waste and/or by-products;
8. use of space.

Look Into the Environmental Aspects that Your Organization Can Influence

In addition to the environmental aspects that it can control directly, an organization determines whether there are environmental aspects that it can influence.

These can be related to products and services used by the organization that is provided by others, as well as products and services that it provides to others, including those associated with outsourced processes.

For products and services provided to others, it can have limited influence on the use and end-of-life treatment of the products and services.

Ultimately, it is the organization that determines the extent of control it is able to exercise, the environmental aspects it can influence, and the extent to which it chooses to exercise such influence.

Pay Special Attention to Environmental Aspects Directly Related to Your Organization’s Activities, Products, and Services

Environmental aspects related to your organization’s activities, products, and services, should also be considered.  Examples include:

• design and development of its facilities, processes, products and services;
• acquisition of raw materials, including extraction;
• operational or manufacturing processes, including warehousing;
• operation and maintenance of facilities, organizational assets and infrastructure;
• environmental performance and practices of external providers;
• product transportation and service delivery, including packaging;
• storage, use and end-of-life treatment of products;
• waste management, including reuse, refurbishing, recycling and disposal.
  
  

Seek Help with Identifying Other Environmental Aspects

It is unlikely that one person is capable of satisfactorily completing this exercise alone.  A team of persons with relevant experience and expertise is needed. Mostly, the team you need will be working for your organization but external experts may also be required. 

If unsure, you should talk to a reputable expert/consultant before engaging their services.  Begin the identification of Environmental Aspects by having a brainstorming session with your Team.

One of our ISO 14001 Series of Courses, ISO 14001 Lead Implementer, incudes detailed identification, risk analysis and risk treatment of Environmental Aspects.

Alternatively, if you want a quick refresher on ISO 14001, you can also get answers to frequently asked questions about the standard, the training involved, and the certification process on our ISO 14001 FAQ post.

Note: First published in July 2020; revised and updated in September 2021.

Related Articles

• ISO 14001 Consultancy: How to be an EMS Consultant?
• How to do an ISO 14001 Gap Analysis
• ISO 14001 Free Implementation Handbook (100+ pages)

deGRANDSON Global is an ISO Certified Educational Organization

We have chosen ISO 21001 certification because, unlike IRCA and Exemplar badges (which in our opinion are commercially compromised), it is based on independent third-party assessment.  It is a ‘university grade’ standard in use globally by schools, colleges, and universities to demonstrate their competence.