Title
Environmental management systems - Requirements with guidance for use
Executive summary
Environmental management techniques.
Abstract
This International Standard specifies requirements for an environmental management system (EMS) to enable an organization to develop and implement a policy and objectives which take into account legal requirements and other requirements to which the organization subscribes, and information about significant environmental aspects. It applies to those environmental aspects that the organization identifies as those, which it can control and those, which it can influence. It does not itself state specific environmental performance criteria.
This International Standard is based on the methodology known as Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA). PDCA can be briefly described as follows.
- Plan: establish the objectives and processes necessary to deliver results in accordance with the organization's environmental policy.
- Do: implement the processes.
- Check: monitor and measure processes against environmental policy, objectives, targets, legal and other requirements, and report the results.
- Act: take actions to continually improve performance of the environmental management system
This International Standard is applicable to any organization that wishes to
a) establish, implement, maintain and improve an environmental management system;
b) assure itself of conformity with its stated environmental policy;
c) demonstrate conformity with this International Standard by:
- making a self-determination and self-declaration, or
- seeking confirmation of its conformance by parties having an interest in the organization, such as customers, or
- seeking confirmation of its self-declaration by a party external to the organization, or
- seeking certification/registration of its environmental management system by an external organization.
A number of business benefits are associated with implementing an effective EMS based on the ISO 14001 standard, including:
- Improved environmental performance of the organization;
- Improved profitability - resource efficiency and cost control;
- Savings in raw materials, energy, waste collection and disposal costs, etc.;
- Increased control of environmental impacts/environmental performance;
- Productivity improvements.
Type
Specification
History and related standards
This standard supersedes BS EN ISO 14001:1996 which is now obsolescent.
This second edition of this International Standard is focused on clarification of the first edition, and has taken due consideration of the provisions of ISO 9001 to enhance the compatibility of the two standards for the benefit of the user community.
