ISO 14001 - Environmental management
The topic of sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the international and national environment. Sustainability encompasses ecological, economic and social aspects. With ISO 14001 certification, you can systematically improve your environmental impact and have this confirmed by an independent certification body.
ISO 14001 - Environmental management
The topic of sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the international and national environment. Sustainability encompasses ecological, economic and social aspects. With ISO 14001 certification, you can systematically improve your environmental impact and have this confirmed by an independent certification body.
Summary
In view of the internationally and nationally recognised environmental problems and the existing high explosiveness of this topic in society, a prudent environmental commitment is valuable for all companies today from an ecological, economic and social point of view. One advantage of the standard is that it can be applied to organisations of all types and sizes and to different geographical, cultural, social and ecological conditions.
The ever-increasing pressure from relevant interested parties (investors, customers, employees, society, politics, etc.) on sustainability and the constantly changing environmental regulations create challenges for which a management system offers the ideal platform for efficient and effective processing and verification. Those who implement ISO 14001 fulfil SDGs 6, 7, 12, 13, 14 and 15 (SDG = Sustainable Development Goals - The United Nations).
If different management systems for quality, energy efficiency, occupational health and safety, etc.) are implemented and realised in an integrated management system (IMS), synergies can be exploited.
Environmental management is therefore the systematic and continuous planning and implementation of environmental measures to reduce the adverse environmental impact of the company's activities and products - in compliance with the relevant binding obligations, as well as the communication of environmental information to relevant interested parties to build trust, taking into account the specific situation of the company and the cost-effectiveness of the measures.
Development
ISO 14001 is the globally accepted and applied standard for environmental management systems. The first version was published by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) in 1996.
As with all ISO standards, a review process was initiated for ISO 14001 within five years of its publication.
Current revision:
ISO 14001 is currently undergoing a revision process, which is intended as an amendment (Amd). This process is being carried out in several phases:
Committee Draft - April 2024 (CD)
Draft International Standard - January 2025 (DIS)
Final Draft International Standard - September 2025 (FDIS)
The revised standard is therefore not expected to be published until autumn 2025 at the earliest.
Various clarifications are being discussed. Completely new requirements are not expected in the event of an amendment.
Topics under discussion:
Climate change, biodiversity, etc. will be formulated more specifically
Points that can be influenced by the organisations, such as the conservation of natural resources, sustainable use of resources, etc., will be emphasised more strongly
Clarifications in standard section 6.3 Change management: ‘Outsourcing’ is replaced by ‘externally provided
More specific wording and additional explanations are possible in the annex or in the notes
Benefits
- Potential savings, for example in resource consumption, can be identified more easily, resulting in cost advantages over competitors.
- Certification based on environmental requirements is an important cornerstone in the area of sustainability.
- The increasing expectations of the relevant interested parties are better fulfilled.
- Consideration of the entire life cycle extends the reduction of environmental impact and increases sustainability.
- Certified companies are among the preferred suppliers.
- Authorisation procedures can be accelerated.
- Controlled processes minimise incident risks and their effects. Among other things, this can lead to premium reductions and advantages when granting loans.
- You gain security in complying with environmental regulations and thus reduce the risk of possible legal consequences and liability issues.
- The attractiveness for potential employees is increased.
- Your employees are additionally motivated and their identification with the company is strengthened.
- The continuous improvement of environmental performance is driven forward in a regulated manner.
The consequences of climate change and environmental degradation have a direct impact on many companies:
- Natural resources are becoming scarcer,
- fossil fuels more expensive in the long term,
- customers are becoming more critical in their consumer behaviour.
Sustainable companies that implement environmental and climate protection measures are therefore not only assuming social responsibility for the preservation of an intact environment. They are also investing in their own future viability.
What you need to know
The ISO 14001 standard is divided into the chapters of environmental policy, planning, realisation and operation, review and management review. The requirements are described in more detail below:
Environmental policy
The environmental policy clearly sets out the company's commitment to environmental issues. Among other things, it includes the company's commitment to comply with the relevant environmental legislation, to continuously improve its environmental performance and to define environmental targets, and takes into account the requirements of the stakeholder groups. The environmental policy serves to motivate employees internally with regard to environmental issues and as a commitment to continuous improvement both internally and externally.
Planning
The organisation (=company) is aware of the environmental impacts in the company as well as the applicable legal and other requirements. These must be continuously determined and systematically integrated and implemented in the organisation.
On the basis of the defined environmental policy and the relevant environmental impacts, measurable targets and measures are defined and implemented through suitable environmental programmes.
Realisation and operation
The management must ensure the internal structures and the availability of the resources required to realise and operate the EMS. The resulting need for training is identified and a corresponding training programme is defined and implemented. The company appoints a management representative to be responsible for the EMS. The communication channels relevant to the environment are recognised and run systematically.
The environmental management system is documented and all associated documents and records are controlled. The processes with environmentally relevant correlations are identified and appropriately described. Suitable emergency precautions ensure that emergency situations are avoided and the environmental impact is minimised in the event of an emergency.
Inspection
The effectiveness and efficiency of the EMS is measured and continuously monitored using meaningful parameters and indicators. Deviations from the target values are rectified by means of suitable corrective measures, and potential deviations are recognised and prevented by means of precautionary measures. Appropriate records document the proper implementation and effectiveness of the EMS as well as continuous improvement. The effectiveness of the EMS is reviewed on an ongoing basis by means of internal audits.
Management assessment
The effectiveness and suitability of the EMS is evaluated by the company's management. Audits, compliance with legal and other requirements, fulfilment of objectives and improvements play a central role in this.
As an aid for your company, you can download the audit checklists from the "safetycenter-shop" free of charge.
The standards from the ISO 14000 ff series of environmental standards mentioned in the "Worth knowing" section, the list of which is not exhaustive, also provide your company with possible assistance in implementing the topics relevant to you.
Other important standards from the ISO 14000 family of standards divided into the stages of the continuous improvement process "plan, do, check, act"
Plan
Environmental management system implementation
ISO 14050
Environmental management – vocabulary
ISO 14004
Environmental management systems – General guidelines on principles, systems and support techniquies
ISO/DIS 14005
Environmental management systems – Guidelines for the phased implementation of an environmental management system, including the use of environmental performance evaluation.
Environmental aspects for product standards
ISO Guide 64
Guide for addressing environmental issues in product standards
ISO/CD 14006
Environmental management systems – Guidelines on eco-design
Do
Implementation of life cycle analyses
ISO 14040 ff
Life cycle (impact) assessment
ISO/CD 14051
Environmental management – Material flow cost accounting – General principles and framework
Guiding and directing greenhouse gases
ISO 14064
Greenhouse gases – Specification with guidance at the organization level for quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions
ISO 14067
Carbon footprint of products – Quantification and communication
ISO/AWI 14069
GHG – Quantification and reporting of GHG emissions for organizations (Carbon footprint of organization) – Guidance for the application of ISO 14064-1
Check
Implementation of audits and evaluation of environmental performance
ISO 14015
Environmental management – Environmental assessmentof sites and organizations (EASO)
ISO 14031
Environmental management – Environmental performance evaluation – Guidelines
ISO 19011
Guidelines for quality and/or Environmental management systems auditing
Bewertung der Treibhausgas-Performance
ISO 14064
Greenhouse gases – Specification with guidance for the validation and verification of greenhouse gas assertions
ISO 14065
Greenhouse gases – Requirements for greenhouse gas validation and validation and verification bodies for use in accreditation or other forms of recognition
ISO/CD 14066
Greenhouse gases – Competency requirements for greenhouse gas validators and verifiers document.
Act
Communication and use of environmental labels
ISO 14020ff
Environmental labels and declarations
ISO/AWI 14033
Environmental management – quantitative environmental information – Guidelines and examples
ISO 14063
Environmental management – environmental communication – Guidlines and examples
Courses of the Swiss Safety Center Academy
We offer seminars on environmental management:
Environmental management ISO 14001 (4 days)
Environmental management update - the latest developments (1 day)