In this day and age, there is more focus than ever on the environment, and this is reflected in the way that both individuals and organisations decide where they will buy from, the services they will use and who they will and will not deal with.
The ISO 14001 standard is an effective way for businesses to be able to improve their operations through the identification of inadequacies and by taking the necessary measures to achieve and maintain compliance and successful certification. Having this in place is a clear and effective way for businesses to be able to demonstrate and prove their commitment to sustainability.
About The ISO 14001 Standard
This international standard sets out the criteria and requirements for an effective environmental management system or EMS. ISO 14001 provides the vital framework and structure for organisations to follow that helps them to better recognise, regulate and manage their environmental impact.
This will include a review of the organisation’s business operations through a gap analysis which can be used to identify practices, systems and processes where there are issues, weaknesses or shortcomings that need improvement. Steps can then be taken to implement corrective measures that are then monitored going forward to check and review what has been done and if it is working as expected.
One of the many reasons that this standard can be so effective for businesses is that it is proactive, getting them to determine and resolve potential problems before they become an issue as opposed to being reactive and only responding to or resolving the problem after the fact.
Consumers, Clients and Customers
It is becoming increasingly important for both individual customers and large corporate clients, that the businesses they buy from or deal with are ethical and take their social and environmental responsibilities seriously.
However, this is not something that is brand new, and a lot of businesses have jumped on the bandwagon in one way or another making claims of how they have ‘made positive changes’ in regards to their environmental impact. Whilst this is good for the environment, trying to make your efforts known can just be white noise amongst everyone else claiming to be doing the same thing. It can also be difficult for consumers to differentiate between those who are genuinely working to make sure that their business practices are sustainable and those who use it for marketing purposes to drive sales and improve brand image.
ISO 14001 is internationally recognised and by attaining certification in this standard, companies can publicly advertise and display their accreditation across their websites, social media and during the tendering process. This clearly demonstrates and promotes the organisations well deserved achievements in their commitment to sustainable business practices and can give them an advantage over competitors.
The Benefits Of Sustainable Business Practices
There are many benefits and advantages for companies who achieve certification in ISO 14001 including;
- Environmental benefits from improved identification, monitoring and control of environmental impact.
- Provides proof of compliance with environmental regulations.
- Access to new markets and increased opportunities for growth.
- Financial benefits from the improvement of process efficiencies.
- Tangible reductions in waste, water use, energy use and raw materials which aid cost control.
- Future proofing of supply chains from the changes that have been implemented on upstream suppliers.
- Improved corporate image and corporate credibility which helps build trust with consumers and shareholders.
- Encourages engagement with employees, motivates them to participate in green initiatives, improves morale and encourages company wide improvements.
ISO 14001 Certification Support
At JR Consultants our experts deliver the guidance, advice and practical support that organisations need to unlock the full potential of their business and equip them with the necessary tools successfully gain ISO 14001 certification.
If you are interested in ISO 14001 and would like to know more about our professional ISO consultancy services then please do not hesitate to get in touch and one of our friendly, knowledgeable experts will be happy to help answer any questions you may have.
Request Call Back.
If you need to speak to us about a general query fill in the form below and we will call you back within the same working day.