ISO 14001 Management Standard

The International Standards Organisation (ISO) published the international standard for Environmental Management – ISO 1400; this was revised in 2004. It is designed to be compatible with other management standards, particularly the widely used ISO 9001 Quality Management Standard. Industrial companies, service organisations, utilities and public bodies worldwide have embraced ISO 14001 as the preferred model for environmental management.

An effective environmental management system based on ISO 14001 provides an organisation with a defined structure to allow them to more confidently and effectively manage environmental issues by:

- establishing a policy and awareness that good environmental performance is a strategic objective of the organisation
- focusing on the prevention of waste and pollution and on continual improvement of environmental performance
- systematic analysis, planning, control and monitoring of all activities that may affect environmental performance
- assisting companies to more effectively meet legislative and regulatory requirements
demonstrating to regulators, stakeholders and other interested third parties that a formal environmental management system is operational and effective