ISO 14001 Environmental Management System
The ISO 14001 standard identifies requirements for an internationally recognised Environmental Management System
About ISO 14001 Environemental Management System
The ISO 14001 standard identifies requirements for an internationally recognised Environmental Management System (EMS). It maps out a framework that an organisation can follow to:
- Identify impacts on the environment
- Define controls to prevent and reduce pollution
- Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements
- Grow your business in a sustainable and environmentally responsible way
Enhance Your Reputation
It’s the duty of all businesses to create, implement, and maintain responsible practices when it comes to managing their environmental impact. The benefits of doing so aren’t just a win for the planet, though. The public’s eye has never been more focused on how organisations assess and improve their sustainability which provides ample incentive for getting your business certified.
Build trust with your customers, and enhance your reputation by committing to a cause that is, and will continue to be, at the forefront of everyone’s conscious.
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Focus of ISO 14001
Following an update to the standard in 2015, the focus of ISO 14001 includes:
- Compliance with government regulations and legal requirements
- protecting the environment by preventing or mitigating adverse environmental impacts
- Life-cycle thinking, considering each stage of a product or service, from development to end-of-life
- Integration between environmental issues and strategic action planning
- Waste reduction and resource efficiency
- Mitigating the potential adverse effect of environmental conditions on the organization
Benefits of ISO 14001 Certification
- Promotes sustainable development
- Improves waste and energy management
- Reduces the risk of non-compliance with legislation and subsequent costs or prosecution
- Improves your brand image and demonstrates your organisation’s commitment to the environment
- Demonstrates a commitment to compliance with legal and other requirements
- Increases your access to new customers and business partners
- Improves managing your environmental risks, now and in the future
- Reduces insurance premiums, waste handling costs, and other related fees
- Attracts investment, enhances brand reputation and removes barriers to trade
- Provides an advantage over competitors who are not accredited
Certification Process
Certification involves GCC assessing your organisation in order to ascertain that management systems meet the requirements of one or more recognised standards. Becoming certified to a nationally or internationally recognised standard is of great benefit to an organization. It improves overall performance, builds confidence within stakeholder groups and broadens the scope of new opportunity.
Application/ Contract
- Application for certification by client
- GCC will review and provide certification proposal
- Client accepts the agreement and return to GCC
- Audit dates will be booked
- GCC conducts Gap Analysis (optional)
Certification Audit/ Transfer
- Stage 1 Audit, The Audit team will assess documentation and readiness of management system for Stage 2 Audit
- Stage 2, Certification Audit, Audit team will assess implementation of system and will verify any issues outstanding from the Stage 1 Audit.
- Organisation will be recommended for Certification after review and positive decision by the independent GCC certification Authority,
- A Certificate will be issued
Maintaining certification
Surveillance Audits
Each issued certificate has a three-year life period. Upon certification, an audit program will be created for regular audits over the three-year period. These audits confirm company’s on-going compliance with specified requirements of the standard. At least one surveillance audit per year is required.
Read our policy for use of Certification Marks
Re-Certification
Re-Certification
The certification expires within 3 years and a re-certification Audit will be conducted prior to the expiry date to ensure that Management System is maintained.
Frequently Asked Questions
ISO 14001 is an international standard that sets out the requirements for an effective environmental management system (EMS). Following the ISO 14001 Standard guidelines, companies can create an EMS that helps them minimise pollution, make the most efficient use possible of their resources and comply with all relevant local and international regulations. The main focus of developing and implementing an ISO 14001 environmental management system is to help you reduce the environmental impact of your commercial activities by following more sustainable practices in all areas of your business. The favourable reputation enjoyed by companies that achieve ISO 14001 certification in Australia translates into financial benefits, making it well worth considering for organisations in all industries.
There has been some confusion about the requirement for an internal auditor since the latest update to ISO 14001 in 2015. Hiring a third party expert to carry out auditing is still perfectly acceptable if your company does not have a staff member with the necessary expertise. The clause that covers this requirement may appear to indicate that an employee of the organisation needs to perform the audit, but this is not the case. If you would like to arrange for an experienced professional to audit your EMS, you are, of course, more than welcome to get in touch with us to request a quotation. We provide a full range of ISO certification services in Australia and overseas, including auditing and training for ISO 14001 and other international standards.
If you already have an EMS in place that is certified as compliant with the 2004 ISO 14001 standard, amending your documentation and procedures to achieve ISO 14001:2015 certification should be a relatively straightforward process. The new standard has been designed to give companies a greater degree of freedom in how they structure and implement environmental management systems, with fewer documentation requirements than before.
As long as your company can demonstrate compliance with the new guidelines, which have not changed radically since 2004, you should be able to complete the review and auditing process in around six months. It is possible to complete the procedure in less time, but we recommend that you take the time to evaluate your entire system while you are making the necessary changes. It is the ideal time to identify any other areas where improvements could be made.
If you would like to learn more about ISO 14001 certification and how it could benefit your business, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Any professionally run business that wants to maximise its legitimacy, reputation, and overall branding should acquire an EMS ISO 14001 certification.
The benefits vastly outweigh the costs, especially when anticipating and preventing any expensive legal issues.
There are many benefits to obtaining an EMS ISO 14001 certification, including:
– The enhanced reputation and legitimacy that your business will receive.
– Offering your customers a partner they can trust to be fully committed to key environmental issues and risks.
– Increased exposure to new customers and potential business partners.
– Reduced insurance costs and mitigated risks and costs associated with legislative non-compliance.
– The promotion of responsible, sustainable development and increased waste/energy management efficiency.
– Overall performance enhancement.
– Confidence in business partners and investors is maximised. New clients and investment opportunities are much more likely to arise.
No matter the scope and remit of your particular business, obtaining nationally and internationally recognised certifications are of great benefit.
The easiest thing to do is to get in touch with a dedicated team member today. Our simple and convenient contact form will provide all the information we need.
Once we have assessed your situation, we will guide you painlessly through obtaining an EMS ISO 14001 certificate.
Here at GCC, we consider the acquisition of an EMS ISO 14001 certification to be a success in and of itself. It proves that your business has taken its environmental and safety responsibilities seriously.
The certificate represents your business in a very favourable light. It has been proven to attract attention and increase positive perceptions of any given brand. This drives further business and investment.
Your peace of mind is perhaps the most successful outcome of the EMS ISO 14001. You can focus on other essential aspects of your business. Safe in the knowledge that GCC has identified any issues and corrected them during the certification process.
We want to ensure that your business is fully covered and compliant with any required certifications. On engaging our services, GCC will assess all relevant aspects of your organisation and determine your exact certification requirements.
Our recommendations are very much dependent upon your business and its specific circumstances. However, aside from ISO 14001 EMS, we generally recommend:
An ISO 9001 is an overarching framework that sets out the requirements for any given business. It outlines the standards that need to be met in the wider quality management system. Essentially, it represents the structure upon which all other certifications can be built.
An ISO 45001 is an essential certification suitable for any business. This assists in creating safe, legally compliant working spaces for employees and clients. There is no certification of greater importance.
This certification is specific to businesses providing food services of all kinds. It is the gold standard in this certification and is internationally recognised.
Also referred to as ISO/IEC 27001, it is concerned with data and information protection. Both that of the business itself and its valued clients.
Recognised internationally, it is a crucial element of any business that stores customer information.
Complementary to the information security management certification is ISO 27701. It deals specifically with issues of privacy and protection.
Again, internationally recognised and respected. ISO 27701 shows clients and business partners that you take security and protecting their private information very seriously.
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