How ISO 14001 Certification Enhances Environmental Sustainability: 7 Proven Steps

 

ISO 14001 Standards: The Source to Reveal Ecological Significances

Depending on their type and size, businesses in Sri Lanka cannot serve the same purposes. They demonstrate various moods among clients as they provide a variety of services and strive to be more effective. But they might be able to improve their success in their jobs and markets by just adhering to a few rules.

The equilibrium of the environment cannot be changed. Any company in Sri Lanka, however, is able to follow the guidelines set out by the International Organization for Standardization. This is possible by adhering to the correct ISO 14001:2015 Standard standards.

The procedures and other methods used to achieve ISO 14001 Certification indirectly encourage positive and healthy vibes in the workplace, industry, and surrounding. The principles outlined by the ISO 14001 Standards aid in the efficient development of the Environmental Management System (EMS) framework.

Implementing the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS) is the main goal of adhering to ISO 14001 Compliance. It offers companies a framework for developing, putting into practice, maintaining, and continuously enhancing their environmental performance.

Seven Proven Steps That Assuredly Bring Environmental Sustainability

The following steps are involved to bring better Environmental Management with the help of ISO 14001 Certification:

1.      Adopt a policy for the environment in accordance with ISO 14001 certification

An organization must develop and publish a clear environmental policy expressing its commitment to environmental protection, compliance with applicable laws, and pollution prevention. The observance of environmental rules can elevate the reputation of your business. Enterprises may meet and surpass environmental regulations with the help of ISO 14001.

2.      Help Your Business to Develop an Effective EMS-Based Plan

In order to evaluate possibilities and risks associated with their operations, products, and services, companies must plan in order to comprehend their environmental impacts and aspects. They should set goals and targets and develop a plan to achieve them in order to improve their environmental performance.

An organization's commitment to transparency and accountability in environmental management is demonstrated by its ISO 14001 Certification.

3.      Implementing Functions of ISO 14001 Certification

Utilizing ISO 14001 promotes sustainable practices, waste reduction, pollution prevention, and resource efficiency, which helps businesses improve their environmental performance.

The purpose of this phase is to determine how to implement the Environmental Management System. The steps are as follows:

●       Fulfilling legal environmental duties:

●       Putting in place policies to address environmental problems;

●       Establishing operational controls; educating personnel;

●       Emergency preparedness is covered in full

4.      It's Time to Check and Make Corrections.

Organizations should adhere to ISO 14001 Certification in order to measure and frequently monitor important environmental indicators. They are required to monitor development and ensure adherence. Organizations should carry out ISO 14001 Audits (Gap Analysis and ISO 14001 Internal Audit) to identify areas that require improvement and manage non-conformities.

Businesses are encouraged by ISO 14001 to assess how they utilize resources, energy, and waste. The requirements for ISO 14001 Certification give a foundation for incorporating employees in environmental management activities.

5.      Make the Management Review of ISO 14001 Certification your Goal.

Top management should regularly examine the EMS to assess its effectiveness and make any necessary adjustments. In order to complete this evaluation, the organization's environmental sustainability must be evaluated. Changing conditions must also be taken into consideration, and the system's ongoing appropriateness and sufficiency must be guaranteed.

An organization's well-respected ISO 14001 accreditation demonstrates its commitment to environmental care. The ISO 14001 Certification may offer a competitive edge. Businesses may proactively identify and minimize environmental hazards with the help of ISO 14001.

6.      Better Cost Management

In Sri Lanka, an Environmental Management System can save money by boosting output, cutting waste, and better-managing resources. The cost of the ISO 14001 EMS depends on the following elements: the required training; the level of expertise of the hired personnel; the size and type of the company or business; the required number of consultants and other resources.

In the end, ISO 14001 could help businesses save money and protect the environment, which is good for everyone. The goals for achieving environmental sustainability are laid forth in ISO 14001 EMS.

7.      Embrace Ongoing Improvement

This concept is strongly emphasized in the ISO 14001 standard. Organizations should work to reduce their negative environmental effects. This may be done by setting new objectives, putting new concepts into practice, and involving new parties.

External feedback and knowledge gained from earlier experiences should be included to help the EMS grow. The ISO 14001 Certification is what opens up new market opportunities and commercial opportunities. Thanks to ISO 14001, environmental performance keeps getting better.

Conclusion

Businesses can demonstrate their commitment to attaining environmental sustainability. To enhance company reputation, reduce operational risk, and uphold regulatory requirements. ISO 14001 Certification comes first when it comes to optimizing resource utilization by putting the EMS Standard into practice. The standard encourages a culture of continuous improvement that leads to environmental excellence and provides a logical approach to handling environmental challenges. Your company can successfully achieve environmental excellence in Sri Lanka for sure just by adhering to the terms and conditions of ISO 14001 Certification.

How familiar are you with ISO 14001 certification?

 

Let's give ourselves a small EMS boost. No, we're not talking about the electromagnetic spectrum or emergency medical services. We are using this instance to illustrate what an Environmental Management System (EMS) ISO 14001 Certification is.

An EMS is similar to other management systems, to start with the process. It is a way of controlling environmental project execution from cycles and methodology with care and intention. It is something you coordinate within your organization as an EMS administrator to ensure that tasks are completed and goals are achieved. An EMS serves as a launching pad for continuous improvement as well.

Your familiarity with common Environmental Management System models, such as ISO 14001 Certification or Responsible Care from the Business, is a given. These techniques of supervising anything are detailed, exact, organized, and archived. Instead of giving it to one person or a small group of people, the company would be more suited to handle its management.

With an EMS ISO 14001 Certification, you are given a system to manage following a particular set of guidelines. Some management teams employ models like PDCA to complete these frameworks (plan-do-registration). It is a four-step procedure you do out as part of your management system to promote constant improvement throughout the company. This model can be used to achieve any single goal or goal within your management.

Benefits of adopting EMS ISO 14001 Certification within the company

Now, you might be thinking that having an EMS Certification seems like a dreadful requirement to meet for the job. But all of that sweat, perspiration, and effort weren't in vain. First of all, many environmental management systems are influenced by external forces, including clients, local communities, environmental activists, the protection industry, and financial endeavors. But that doesn't negate the possibility of honors for your company as well.

You can focus on environmental consistency and reduce the environmental impact of your firm with the help of an EMS ISO 14001 Certification. When you discuss those wonderful natural promises, it's also a fantastic way to improve the public image of your company.

You can also strongly influence the main issue facing your company. Many environmental management systems result in cost savings through increased productivity (more efficient use of existing resources), less waste, diminished responsibility (reduced costs associated with protecting the environment), and avoidance of fines and penalties. What company (and boss!) doesn't value those kinds of outcomes?

Finally, an EMS ISO 14001 Certification may increase employee satisfaction because management, in general, improves communication throughout the company and makes it clear who is responsible for what. Increased clarity results in happier employees and, occasionally, lower turnover—another anticipated expense investment money.

Important Components of EMS ISO 14001 Certification

A planned, structured, and archived approach is required for the EMS ISO 14001 Standard. Most environmental management systems need you to create an executive plan of action for handling organizational processes. In this written document, you'll outline your organization's overall goals as well as your ecological approach.

Additionally, you can use it to outline a specific plan, including specific initiatives, goals, and destinations, for achieving your objectives. You'll discuss everything from the perspectives and impacts of legitimate and various requirements. You will utilize this paperwork to track your progression and progress, share it with the rest of your business, and submit it for management evaluation.

 

ISO 14001 CERTIFICATION PROCESS

To make the ISO 14001 Certification process simple and quick. Hiring a consultant will guide you and your business through the following steps to achieve ISO 14001 Certification by providing a hassle-free approach toward certification.

1. Gap Analysis Training 
2. Testing  
3. Documentation & Test Report
4. Process Audit
5. External Audit
6. Certification and beyond

What is compliance evaluation, and how is it carried out in accordance with ISO 14001?

 

Every firm engages in environmental interactions, and those interactions almost certainly involve compliance requirements that have been created by governmental bodies, municipal authorities, consumers, or trade associations. Therefore, assessing the organization's compliance on a regular basis, reporting the findings to top management, and creating plans of action to address any noncompliance issues that are found are crucial components of any environmental management system.

 

What are the requirements for ISO 14001 compliance?

 

Laws and regulations, as well as voluntary requirements included in contracts or codes of conduct, as well as expectations of interested parties, are all considered compliance duties by ISO 14001. Once a company decides to adopt voluntary requirements, they become legally binding.

 

Identification and adherence to all applicable compliance duties are necessary for the implementation of an Environmental Management System and ISO 14001 Certification. This criterion is so crucial that top management makes a public commitment to it in a document known as the Environmental Policy.

 

Organizations must ascertain whether certain compliance duties apply. Therefore, the firm must decide how it interacts with the environment after evaluating its compliance duties. This is accomplished by identifying environmental factors to confirm which compliance duties are relevant.

 

Also, Check -->> What is ISO 14001:2015?

 

Compliance obligations' scope of application

 

Some compliance requirements are universally applicable; if an organization finds a specific environmental factor, it is immediately applicable. As an illustration, if a company discharges industrial wastewater, that discharge must be allowed by a license from a competent authority, and the effluent's quality must meet the standards set forth by either general regulations or a specific license. The organization's compliance duties are not applicable if it does not produce industrial wastewater.

 

The volumes involved will determine any further compliance requirements. For instance, in some nations, if an annual threshold for the use of electricity or solvents is exceeded, a set of regulations and obligations become applicable; but, if the threshold is not reached, these obligations do not apply.

 

What is a compliance assessment?

 

Comparing compliance obligations, requirements, and an organization's real status over time is the goal of a compliance evaluation. An organization must maintain an up-to-date list of compliance duties and compliance obligations requirements in order to accomplish this.

 

Before translating compliance duties into a collection of precise requirements known as compliance obligations requirements, you must first determine whether they are applicable. For instance, in some nations, an organization is only subject to compliance requirements regarding volatile organic compounds if it operates in specific economic sectors and if its yearly consumption exceeds a set threshold.

 

Also, Check -->> Who needs ISO 14001 Standard?

 

You can begin building a picture of the current situation once you have determined the compliance obligations: Does your company follow the rules established by its compliance obligations?

 

The response will certainly be yes in some circumstances. In other instances, the response will be a no or only partial compliance, such as when comparing last year's electricity consumption with the threshold level in the regulation to see if the organization is still on the non-applicable side, or when verifying that the industrial wastewater discharging license is still valid and quality parameters are adhered to.

 

According to ISO 14001:2015, all instances of complete or partial non-compliance must be eradicated and changed into a state of compliance through a series of measures in order to uphold the commitment stated in the Environmental Policy. The organization's working style and reality will change as a result of the efforts taken to put into place a state of compliance.

 

Internal auditing is one method of evaluating the success of those measures (clause 9.2). An internal audit, however, is always founded on a sample. An enterprise having an Environmental Management System in accordance with ISO 14001:2015 must conduct a systematic compliance evaluation to get a full picture of the situation regarding the compliance requirements (clause 9.1.2). Only sampling will not sufficient; all compliance duties must be examined. Someone who is knowledgeable about compliance requirements should perform this verification process. This verification process is carried out by a compliance officer in some firms; in others, it is carried out by the environmental manager or even the quality manager.

What is ISO 14001?

 

A widely accepted standard for an environmental management system is ISO 14001 (EMS). The requirements for reducing and enhancing an organization's environmental effect are outlined in this standard. The organizations first put the norm into practice in 1996. Controls are suggested by the ISO 14001 Standard for processes that influence the environment. Using environmental resources, managing environmental trash, and energy use are a few examples.

The worldwide standard known as ISO 14001:2015 outlines the criteria for a successful environmental management system or EMS.

Organizations can follow a framework provided by ISO standards. Organizations are free to choose whether or not to abide by any of the ISO standards.

What is ISO 14001 for?

The primary goals of ISO 14001 are to outline the specifications for the EMS and offer instructions for its implementation. The standard provides a planned action for enhancing the environment within the organization.

A set of publications known as ISO 14000 deals with the establishment of an environmental management system (EMS).

• Learn more about the whole family of ISO 14000 Standards
• The criteria of an EMS according to ISO 14001:2015
• EMS Guidelines, ISO 14001:2015
• Guidance on a phased approach

Essentials of ISO 14001

The following fundamental components are part of the ISO 14001 environmental management systems standard:

Management assessment of environmental policy, planning, implementation, and operation, as well as checking and corrective action.

An environmental management system evaluation, which includes applications for environmental management systems, is the first step in environmental management system awareness. It then looks at the specifications for environmental management systems and offers advice for use, including but not limited to:

• Components of an environmental management system
• How to implement a management system for the environment
• Costs of an environmental management system
• Environmental and quality management systems that are combined
• Improvement of the environmental management system

Also, Check -->> Who needs ISO 14001 Standard?

Benefits of adopting ISO 14001 Certification

An environmental management system example must begin with a broad strategic perspective and commitment by management to handle both the short-term and long-term effects of this activity. The International Organization of Standardization (ISO), a global organization that develops many different kinds of standards, has created a series of standards to assist with the implementation of environmental management systems to assist individual businesses with this process, reduce implementation costs, and ensure acceptance by other organizations such as customers, local and national governments, and the general public.

An organization or business can control its environmental impact methodically by using an environmental management system. Because of the enhanced productivity and efficiency, the company can save more money. The ability to achieve a high degree of environmental performance that demonstrates an organization's entire commitment to reducing environmental waste, pollution and energy consumption is another major advantage of implementing the ISO-14001 environment system. Other major advantages of adopting ISO 14001 Certification are:

1. Lower costs as a result of greater environmental efficiency

2. Reduction in environmental obligations

3. Reduced risk from the environment

4. Enhanced organization's capacity to compete in the world market.

By granting certification, the registrar is certifying that the entity's environmental management system has been evaluated and approved following the requirements of ISO 14001 Certification in Sri Lanka and is specifically applicable to the industry in which they operate (i.e., manufacturing a specific type of product or offering a specific service). You can use the certification mark you obtain once your organization has been certified on your stationery, and websites.

Why third-party 14001 consultancy?

The tools, training, and documentation you need to self-certify your business for ISO 14001 are available from hustle free. Numerous businesses all across the world have adopted this effective system.

What is Environmental Management and Protection?

 

The term environment has arrived from the French word 'environia,' which means to surround. The environment incorporates every one of the living and non-living parts near us and with whom we have the day-to-day interactions which are important for our endurance.

It is the area wherein we work and incorporates all components of nature. Creatures, including individuals, communicate with the parts of their current circumstances to support life.

All creatures are exceptionally subject to their surroundings for food, water, and stable day-to-day environments. Hence, organisms need to manage the environment that they live in.

Natural administration additionally incorporates the parts of the biophysical environment and the human environment, similar to the cultural, social, political, and monetary conditions.

The actual environment involves all the abiotic factors or conditions like temperature, precipitation, light, minerals, soil, and so forth. It likewise involves the environment, lithosphere, and hydrosphere. Then again, the biotic environment involves every single biotic element or living structure like creatures, miniature life forms, plants, and so forth.

In any case, we frequently fail to remember the significance of environment management and take part in exercises that will hurt it. Instances of such activities incorporate deforestation, soil disintegration, obliteration of untamed life, air contamination, water contamination, and so on.

Such destructive activities have been happening for ages, prompting numerous extreme changes in our current circumstances. For instance:

1.      Extinction and danger of different types of species are important to keep up with balance in the biological system.

2.      It is prompting the contamination of seas and drying out of various water bodies like oceans, streams, and lakes through chemical emissions,

3.      It is dissolving snow and ice on mountains because of an unnatural weather change.

4.      Depletion of the ozone layer, cleaning up petroleum products, discharge of unsafe gases like chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), carbon mono oxide (CO), methane (CH4), and other harmful gases very high from manufacturing plants and vehicles.

5.      Accumulation of plastic waste in each layer of the lithosphere, hazardous rapidly spreading fires are obliterating sections of land of woodlands and a large number of creatures in it.

What Is the Importance of Environmental Management?

We can say that we have just a couple of years to invert the adverse consequence on our valuable environment. Accordingly, natural administration is the need of great importance.

Natural administration is the instrument with which we can advance ecological assurance and deal with general wellbeing from the poisonousness delivered by destructive human activities with various resources of the environment.

Numerous business organizations overall are approaching numerous ecological administration frameworks and plans such as ISO 14001 Certification to their business plans for natural security.

The different advantages and significance of ISO 14001 EMS administration are as per the following:

•                  ISO 14001 administration decreases the possibilities of dangers of ecological episodes like oil slicks in seas or timberland fires, or the exploding of coal mineshafts, in this way guaranteeing ecological security.

•                  It works on the organization's standing by advancing their image picture as eco-accommodating and getting the market, which further assists them with social event clients and lowers their working expenses.

•                  Ecological administration works on general wellbeing and the general soundness of the biological system by limiting the harm done because of the carelessness of enormous organizations and advancing natural security.

•                  Builds the labor force's morale about the effect of thoughtless business strategies on the environment and concentrates on embracing ways that will assist with lessening ecological consumption.

•                  Ecological administration and security help in the decrease of waste delivered by organizations as side-effects during assembling.

•                  It assists with new business thoughts utilizing waste side-effects to make new items. The results of oil are utilized to produce Vaseline, LPG, fuel, paraffin wax petrochemicals, and so forth.

•                  It assists with setting targets and various systems for preparing to accomplish ideal outcomes.

•                  Accomplishing ideal use of assets by following legitimate requests and keeping up with consistency all through the interaction.

The Environment Management system administration frameworks (EMS) trailed by different organizations overall for ecological insurance are under the accompanying heading.

5 phases of an EMS, as characterized by the ISO 14001 standard

 

What is Environmental Management? 

 

Environmental management is "an intentional action to keep up with and work on the condition of environmental resources impacted by human exercises. 

 

Environmental management under ISO 14001 Certification further intends to guarantee that environment administrations and biodiversity are ensured and kept up with for fair use by future human ages, and keep up with biological system respectability as an end in itself by thinking about moral, monetary, and logical (biological) factors. Biological administration attempts to distinguish the elements that have a stake in the contentions that might ascend between addressing the requirements yet securing the climate. 

 

• Identification: Via protests/worries from the local area we distinguish a specific natural issue 

 

• Evaluation: Inspections with important Government Departments (Provincial and National) we decide the degree of the issue 

 

• Control: The issue is brought to the consideration of the violator/polluter and the individual/organization who is educated to stop the criminal behavior and address the issue or concerns which incorporate the recovery of the area(s). 

 

Environmental Management Officials has a legal commitment to ensure the climate for the present and the people in the future as revered in the Constitution's Bill of Rights 

 

Also, Check -->> ISO 14001 Certification for rubber industries

 

Specifically, the Bill of Rights specifies that: 

 

"Everybody has the right – 

 

(a) To a climate that isn't hurtful to their wellbeing or prosperity; and 

 

(b) To have the climate secured, to serve present and people in the future, through sensible authoritative and different measures that – 

 

(I) Forestall contamination and biological corruption; 

 

(ii) Advance preservation; and 

 

(iii) Secure biologically maintainable turn of events and utilization of normal assets while advancing reasonable monetary and social development". :

 

The five main stages of an EMS, as defined by:

 

1. Responsibility and Policy - Top administration focuses on natural improvement and sets up the organization’s environmental strategy. The approach is the establishment of the ISO 14001 EMS. 

 

2. Arranging and planning- An organization initially recognizes the ecological parts of its tasks. Ecological angles are those things, for example, air poisons or dangerous waste, that can contrarily affect individuals and additionally the climate. An organization then, at that point, figures out which perspectives are critical by picking measures considered generally significant by the organization. For instance, an organization might pick laborer wellbeing and security, ecological consistency, and cost as its standards. When a critical environment is not set in stone, an organization sets destinations and targets. A goal is a by and large ecological objective (e.g., limit utilization of synthetic X). An objective is a point by point, a measured prerequisite that emerges from the goals (e.g., diminish the utilization of synthetic X by 25% by September 2030). The last piece of the arranging stage is conceiving an activity plan for meeting the objectives. This incorporates assigning liabilities, setting up a timetable, and laying out characterized steps to meet the objectives. 

 

Also, Check -->> ISO 14001 Certification for mining industry

 

3. Execution - An organization finishes the activity plan utilizing the essential assets (human, monetary, and so forth) A significant part is a representative preparation and mindfulness for all workers (counting assistants, project workers, and so on) Different stages in the execution stage incorporate documentation, following working methodology, and setting up internal and external communication lines.

 

4. Assessment - An organization screens its activities to assess whether goals and targets are being met. If not, the organization makes a restorative move following ISO 14001 certification requirements. 

 

5. Audit - Top administration surveys the after-effects of the assessment to check whether the EMS is working. The executives decide if the first natural strategy is predictable to the organization's qualities. The arrangement is then overhauled to advance the viability of the EMS. The audit stage makes a circle of persistent improvement for an organization.

 

This is how ISO 14001 Certification is implemented in the organization.

ISO 14001 Certification

 

ISO 14001 is considered the gold standard in terms of businesses showing a consignment to an administration that is ecological. Developed by the experts in the International Organization for Standardization, ISO 14001 lays out the groundwork for an Environmental that is beneficial administration (EMS). Over 25 % of a million companies globally have an ISO 14001 Certification, with some worldwide greenest businesses touting their ISO certification as part of their durability successes and/or choosing a doing company just with other ISO 14001 manufacturers that are certified.  

How Can I Get ISO 14001 Certified?

 

The entire process of ways to get ISO 14001 certified involves designing and implementing an EMS that follows the ISO's recommendations for an environmental administration (EMS), getting hired working, and having an ISO-approved auditor perform a complete review of the system. This review will demand paperwork that is substantial the auditor could have recommendations that need to be satisfied before you receive ISO 14001 qualified.

 

The average time to implement ISO 14001 Certification depends on the design, analysis, and document and also how well your employees know about ISO 14001 Certification. A monitoring system considerably lowers mistakes and offers a central database that collects and registers all documentation (treatments, manuals, emergency programs, checklists, files, etc.). The bigger a business, the greater the number of documents to examine, upgrade and get a grip on. 

 

Also, Check -->> ISO 14001 Certification for Mining Industry

 

Do you know the Advantages ISO 14001 Standards?

 

Society is rapidly expanding, with vast amounts of individuals, cultures, and businesses becoming more and more interconnected. This connection also increased the involvement of the general public – and by expansion government – awareness about lasting development and environmental criteria. ISO 14001 Certification is designed to support organizations EMS (Environmental Management System), aided by the goal to identify, manage, monitor, and control prospective conditions that are environmental impacts. Complying with the ISO 14001 management that is ecological proves that a company is taking into consideration the environment within its targets, which in turn aids its international reputation, selection as a vendor, and total material efficiency (which also translates straight to financial savings). 

 

The general public benefits about ISO Certification can appear intangible, but it really may have a result that is huge on stakeholders, other businesses, industry, and also the government. It is, therefore, crucial to make every work that the ISO 14001 Certification audit goes well, as benefits are being potential including environmental improvements, risk avoidance, and business growth.

 

Businesses aiming for ISO 14001 Certification set their target objectives for conformity that ought to be practical when it comes to viability plus in line with industry requirements. ISO 14001 is in this regard is very flexible; however, this process also means there are no set guidelines or easy-to-follow rules. 

 

What is the most recent ISO 14001 Standard?

 

One of many skills regarding the ISO system is the fact that the standards get revised and improved occasionally - after the same improvement that is continuous that the environmental standard needs. Having said that, the newest ISO 14001 Standard ended up being published over 6 years ago, in 2015. The present ISO that is the latest 14001 standard is 14001:2015.

 

Also, Check -->> ISO 14001 Certification for Textile Industries

 

There have been many changes from the past version 14001:2004. These mostly broadened the typical range associated with EMS requirements including documents that are furthermore management engagement, enhanced interactions with third events, and increased official certification price. Notably, ISO 14001:2015 also added a necessity for risk-based likely to participate in your environmental management. 

 

In general, the latest ISO 14001 standard represented a change that is philosophical the conventional; 14001:2004 required organizations to cut back bad effects (like emissions) whereas 14001:2015 asks those organizations to earnestly increase the environmental conditions around their particular sites.