ISO 14001 covers requirements and provides guidance for establishing and maintaining an environmental management system (EMS). This standard helps organizations minimize their environmental impact.
Key Aspects of ISO 14001
ISO 14001 focuses on a systematic approach to environmental management. It outlines the framework an organization should use to:
- Identify and manage their environmental aspects and impacts.
- Establish environmental policies and objectives.
- Implement operational controls to prevent pollution and reduce environmental risks.
- Monitor and measure their environmental performance.
- Continuously improve their environmental management system.
What ISO 14001 does not cover:
It is important to note what ISO 14001 does not directly cover. As the reference states, other standards in the ISO 14000 family address specific areas:
- Auditing: Specific standards focus on how to audit the effectiveness of an EMS.
- Communication: Standards related to how environmental information is communicated.
- Labelling: Standards relating to environmental claims and labelling on products.
- Life cycle analysis: Standards focused on assessing the environmental impact of a product through its life cycle.
- Specific Environmental Issues: other ISO standards address issues like climate change.
Example of How ISO 14001 Helps
For instance, a manufacturing company might use ISO 14001 to:
- Identify that their industrial processes release greenhouse gasses.
- Set a goal to reduce these emissions.
- Implement energy-efficient technologies and practices.
- Monitor the effectiveness of their efforts.
- Adjust their approach to further improve.
Summary
In short, ISO 14001 provides the core requirements for setting up an effective environmental management system. It's a framework that helps organizations improve their environmental performance by reducing their environmental impact and complying with relevant legislation. The standard does not focus on particular environmental issues or how to audit an EMS. Instead, other standards within the ISO 14000 family cover those areas.
