ISO 14001:2015 AND CONTEXT

Nigel LeehaneTechnical Director

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Presentation content

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• Context and interested parties

– The BS EN ISO14001:2015 requirements

– The potential value of addressing context and interested parties

– Approaches to addressing context and interested parties

ISO 14001:2015 requirements for context

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4.1 Understanding the organization and its context

4.2 Understanding the needs and expectations of interested parties

4.3 Determining the scope of the EMS

4.4 Environmental management system

• This is a sequential process; we need to understand context to be able to identify interested parties, then the output of 4.1 and 4.2 allows us to determine scope. Once we know our scope, we can design the EMS

What is context?

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4.1 is a very succinct clause – from “Annex SL”determine external and internal issues relevant to its purpose and that affect its ability to achieve the intended outcomes of its EMS. These include environmental conditions being affected by or capable of affecting the organization.

From the ISO 14001:2015 Annex

a) environmental conditions

b) external cultural, social, political, legal, technological, economic, competitive circumstances, etc., where it operates

c) internal characteristics or conditions of the organization, and its capabilities

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Needs and expectations of interested parties

• We need to establish the interested parties that are relevant to the environmental management system and their relevant needs and expectations (i.e. requirements)

– Internal and external interested parties

– Take a high level approach, i.e. categories (“customers”) rather than individual entities (e.g. Tesco)

– The organisation decides which interested parties are relevant

• We must determine which of these needs and expectations become our compliance obligations

– Regulations impose mandatory compliance obligations

– Organisations can voluntarily accept others, e.g. customer requirements, sector initiatives, international protocols, community agreements, etc.

Context and the needs and expectations of interested parties

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Decrease in biodiversity

Legislation

Economic factors

Natural Environment

Water scarcity

Desertification

Extreme weather,

floodsSociety (&

interested parties)

The Organisation

Raw material demand

Cultural issues

Political pressure

Competition

Communities

Investors

Customers

Internal factors

Nuisance

Discharges to air, water,

land

The life cycle in ISO 14001:2015 – context and scope

Raw materials

Design ProductionTransport/

deliveryUse

End of life treatment

Final disposal

Is the intention to describe a linear “cradle to grave” approach, or can we interpret this more broadly?

How far can we usefully extend control and influence? That will depend on our context.

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Examples of issues from context

• External environmental conditions– A retailer relies on imports of green vegetables

– will climate change result in increasing water scarcity?

• Socio-economic and other external factors– Stringent regulations for local air quality in

some jurisdictions – need to redesign product for export

• Internal circumstances– The company employs a large number of

immigrant workers – how to communicate EMS expectations

• Interested parties– Customers dictate product specifications – so

focus on production efficiency rather than product characteristics

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• Major commercial property developer

– Clients want energy-efficient buildings to meet their GHG reduction targets

– Respond by ensuring this is addressed from concept to completion

– Ensure external architects, engineers, planners, contractors are engaged

– Address local concerns through employment and other community programmes

• Power company supplying equipment for remote locations

– Determination of context led to extending the EMS to field operations (previously assumed to be under client control)

– EMS also extended to suppliers – audits and inspections, initiatives

– Well-understood H&S processes expanded to address environment

More examples, and the benefits

The potential value of addressing context and interested parties

• Understanding context ensures:– Appropriate scope – e.g. how far into life

cycle to extend control and influence?

– EMS is focused on issues important to the success of the business (risks, drivers, expectations)

– Organisational strengths and weaknesses are identified

– EMS adds value to the business, by aligning environmental and business strategy and encouraging integration and efficiency

Interested parties

• External - how to address a range of different stakeholders?

– Customer feedback/engagement processes (9001?)

– Investor relations

– Community engagement processes

– Regulator liaison, government lobbying

– Specialists studies, e.g. materiality studies for corporate reporting

– Social media

• Internal

– Standard business communications processes

– Staff engagement forums

– H&S participation process

Approaches to addressing context and interested parties

• Toby is going to explain in detail how British Gypsum tackled these issues

• Key points– ISO 14001:2015 does not specify a need for a documented

process or documentation of output!

– Organisations lacking specialist expertise can address this by brainstorming, applying common sense approach – a simple process

– The management review could be a useful place to document the consideration of context, NEIP and implications for scope

Approaches to determining context

• Team approach – individuals who understand different aspects of the business

• Utilise existing skills in business strategy development –Toby will explain some techniques

• Utilise existing sources of information – from ESIAs, environmental permits, etc

• Consider using external expertise, but remember that the organisation’s collective knowledge is greater

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ANY QUESTIONS?

Nigel LeehaneTechnical Director – SLR Consulting

+44 (0) 115 964 7280nleehane@slrconsulting.comwww.slrconsulting.com

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