Even the smallest organization has a lot to gain from a
certified Environmental Management System (EMS)
New businesses often ponder the benefits of ISO 14001 Certification, and, being busy with start-up priorities, postpone certification until it is asked for in a tender document or by a prospective customer.
At that point, it is, of course, too late. Optimistically, it takes a minimum of 5 months to get certified by which time the opportunity is lost.
You should be proactive about your business's impact on the environment (and the law requires it) and the list of benefits here can be used to persuade yourself and colleagues to get started sooner rather than later down the road to ISO 14001 Certification.
While helping to preserve our environment, here are 10 more reasons why ISO 14001 compliance is important not only to big businesses but to both small and medium-sized businesses alike.
So, if you don't have a certification to ISO 14001:2015, or you need ‘ammunition’ to persuade your colleagues, you now have 10 good reasons where the financial benefits, as well as the practical ones, can be calculated. Your staff and your customers will thank you for it.
ISO 14001 compliance places a strong emphasis on resource planning, which involves identifying, managing, and optimizing the use of resources within an organization.
It can help your organization to incorporate sustainable energy solutions into your resource planning strategies by helping you find ways to reduce your energy consumption, improve waste minimization, and find alternative energy sources to fuel your business operations, among other things.
ISO 14001’s comprehensive approach to environmental management can have a significant effect throughout the supply chain. It can help your organization address environmental concerns not only within your operations but also in those of your suppliers and partners. A green supply chain that conforms with the requirements of ISO 14001 ensures that commitment to sustainability is shared among business partners from the start to the end.
Green procurement, the practice of purchasing environmentally responsible products and services, also works well with ISO 14001. Your organization can use this standard to set criteria for sustainable suppliers and promote environment-friendly procurement practices.
These can include buying from eco-certified suppliers, prioritizing the use of local materials or suppliers, and considering the lifecycle of products from production to use and disposal to ensure that they align with sustainability goals.
Green manufacturing focuses on reducing waste, conserving resources, and minimizing emissions in production processes. ISO 14001 provides a roadmap for implementing these principles. It encourages the adoption of green technology, materials, and processes, promoting a more sustainable approach to manufacturing while maintaining operational efficiency.
Sustainable logistics is about optimizing the movement of goods while minimizing the environmental impact. ISO 14001 can help your organization evaluate its logistics processes and find opportunities to reduce emissions, improve fuel efficiency, and minimize waste.
Sustainability reporting is essential for organizations committed to transparency and accountability. ISO 14001 can help your organization with this by aiding in collecting, analyzing, and disclosing environmental performance data.
You can then use this data to prepare sustainability reports to prove your organization's dedication to responsible environmental practices to stakeholders, investors, and the public.
ISO 14001 compliance and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) go hand in hand, as ISO 14001 is an important tool for organizations looking to prove their commitment to sustainable business practices.
By adhering to ISO 14001 standards, your organization can demonstrate a proactive approach to environmental impact reduction, which is a key component of environment-based CSR initiatives.
Let's distinguish between managing the environmental aspects of your business and implementing a formal Environmental Management System.
As processes are established as part of a start-up, you'll need to address the control of environmental aspects as they are realized with environmental management activities.
By the time you think about going forward for certification, a lot of the foundation work (in the form of risk assessments and environmental programs, for example) will already have been completed.
As soon as processes and procedures are bedded in, you can start looking into getting certified to ISO 14001. You definitely won't regret it, knowing that the potential for harm to the environment is under control and in line with both legal and regulatory requirements.
And you'll have your ISO 14001 Certificate as proof of your commitment and achievements regarding minimizing your environmental impact.
If you're wondering where to start with certification, begin by considering our ISO 14001 Lead Implementer Course as well as the other posts we have published about this standard (search 'News' for 'ISO 14001').
Note: Originally posted in October 2019; revised and updated in February 2022.
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.