ISO 14001 2015 Standard

Updated guidance on environmental management systems

ISO 14001:2015 Environmental management systems – Requirements with guidance for use specifies the requirements for an environmental management system (EMS).

An EMS is applicable to organisations of all types and sizes, helping them to:

• Enhance their environmental performance
• Fulfil their compliance obligations
• Achieve their environmental objectives.

This international standard applies to environmental aspects that the organisation can control and over which it can be expected to have an influence. It does not state specific environmental performance criteria.

With more than 300,000 ISO 14001 certifications issued worldwide each year, ISO 14001 ranks high on the agenda of organisations that recognise the importance of their environmental impact.

Revisions introduced by the 2015 version

ISO 14001:2015 address the need for companies to factor in external and internal elements that influence their impact, including climate volatility . The new version of the Standard also offers:

• A greater commitment from leadership
• An increased alignment with strategic direction
• Greater protection for the environment, with a focus on proactive initiatives
• More effective communication, driven through a communications strategy
• Lifecycle thinking, considering each stage of a product or service, from development to end-of-life.

Applicability

The Standard applies to any organisation that wishes to:

• Implement, maintain and improve an environmental management system.
• Assure itself of its conformance to its stated environmental policy and demonstrate such conformance to others.
• Seek certification/registration of its environmental management system by an external organisation .
• Make a self-determination and self-declaration of conformance with this international standard.

Contents