Although the objectives are voluntary, the Standard creates a framework to best ensure success. By periodically revisiting our objectives and the measures in place to reach them, we hope to continually reduce our environmental impact.
Aside from the obvious benefit of conserving the planet, having an Environmental Management System can lead to a number of economic benefits as well. Firstly, there is an overall higher conformance to legislative and regulatory requirements, and improved efficiency. By minimizing the risk of regulatory and environmental liability fines, and reducing consumption and waste, operating costs are subsequently reduced. Secondly, there has been a push in the last decade by consumers for companies to adopt better environmental controls, making the incorporation of ISO 14001 a smart approach for the long term and providing a competitive advantage over companies that do not adopt the Standard. Compliance leads to improved public perception and a better position to operate in the international marketplace, especially when it comes to government tenders, where there is a growing interest in including certification to ISO 14001 as a prerequisite.
Here’s a short video that explains ISO 14001:
