Developing a Voluntary Environmental Management System ISO 14001
An Environmental Management System is a management tool to:
- identify and control the environmental impact of a business' activities, products or services,
- improve its environmental performance continually,
- implement a systematic approach to setting environmental objectives and targets, to achieving these and to demonstrating that they have been achieved.
ISO 14001 is a set of international standards on what an environmental management system should contain. To be certified
14001 compliance, your business must develop an environmental management system, train your employees, and then be certified by an
outsider that you have implemented your system.
The benefits to developing an ISO 14001 environmental management system include:
- reduced cost of waste management
- savings in consumption of energy and materials
- lower distribution costs
- improved corporate image among regulators, customers and the public
- framework for continual improvement of environmental performance.
Free Implementation Guide for small and medium businessesClick here for the US Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Management Systems: An Implementation Guide for Small and Mid-Sized Organizations.
