WHYISO 14001IS RIGHTFOR YOUA WHITE PAPER WRITTEN BYTHE BRITISH ASSESSMENT BUREAU

MARK0002 | V1 | 01.08.2016 | WHY ISO 14001 IS RIGHT FOR YOU

CONTENTS

1. 60 SECONDS ON ISO 14001

1.1 What’s ISO 14001?

1.2 Whatarethebenefits?

1.3 How does it work?

1.4 How do I get it?

2. AN OVERVIEW OF ISO 14001

3. GROWING POPULARITY

3.1 A business winner

3.2 Cuttingcosts

4. THE LATEST ISO 14001:2015 REVISION

4.1 Requirements overview

5. THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS 5.1 Pre-Assessment

5.2 Stage 1 Audit

5.3 Stage 2 Audit

5.4 Annual Audit

6. USING A CONSULTANT

7. CHOOSING THE RIGHT CERTIFICATION BODY

7.1 Certificationor Accreditation?

8. THE COST OF ISO 14001

8.1 Ongoingcosts

9. MAKING IT A SUCCESS

9.1 Ensuringsuccessful implementation

9.2 Who’s responsible?

9.3 What skills are required?

10. CONCLUSION

11. SOURCES AND ADDITIONAL READING

This White Paper will teach you:

• WHAT ISO 14001 is, how it works and the benefits certification brings organisations• WHY ISO 14001 is so popular and how it’s recently been updated• HOW organisations can become ISO 14001 certified• WHO the most suitable Certification Body is to work with• WHAT costs you can expect when becoming ISO 14001 certified

60 SECONDS ON1SO 14001

1.1ISO14001,firstlaunchedin1996,isastandardwithasetofrequirementstohelporganisationscreate an effectiveEnvironmentalManagementSystem(EMS),allowingthemtobenchmarktheircurrentenvironmentalperformance (e.g.energyuse, recycling rate, waste created) and set outways to improve on it.

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It’snotsurprisingthatifyouuseless,youtendtospend less! ISO 14001 has been proven to save organisations a considerable amount of moneybygettingthemtothinkharderabouthowtheymightreuseandrecyclematerialsandequipment.

CreatinganEMScanalsoprovetobeanexerciseto foster teamwork throughworking towards acommon goal. When an organisation obtainsthird-partycertificationtoISO14001,it’sproventoprovideacompetitiveadvantage.

WHAT’S ISO 14001?

1.2 WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

1.3ISO 14001 must be clearly supported bymanagement, while the task of creating theEnvironmental Management System will normally falltoadedicatedmemberofstafforteam.Theywill ideally have a good understanding of thebusiness as a whole.

An action plan will be created following anenvironmental review, where the results must be measured.ISO14001encouragesapositiveethosof continual improvement, so an organisation’sEMS won't stop evolving.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

1.4The standard itself is a 44-page document ofrequirements. However, what you really need is certification. This involves engaging with aCertification Body who’ll assess whether ornot you’ve met the requirements on an annual basis.Thiswillbedone through thecreationofan Environmental Management System. This demonstrationof compliance iswhat’s requiredwhenISO14001isrequestedintendercontractsandsupplychains.

HOW DO I GET IT?

OVERVIEW OF1SO 140012.

In the last 20 years, the subject of climatechangehasevolvedfromacademicdebate,toaconversation held at the dinner table with ourfriends and families. Improved education onissuessuchasairpollutionandwasteofresourcesmeans cynical consumers have evolved tobecomeever-moreconsciousoftheirpurchasingdecisions,andhowthatimpactstheenvironment.

Over time, the motivation to be a ‘green’business has become more compelling, as thestatus has developed from representing a nodtowardscorporateresponsibility,toanessentialcomponentforwinningandretainingbusiness.

Thisvastchange inmotivationhasgrown,fromthe constant environmental debates whichhave resulted in both revised and strengthened regulations. As a result, targets agreed bygovernmenthavetrickleddownthepublicsectorsupply chains, to the point where even a sub-contracted sole trader needs to demonstrate acommitment to improving their environmentalperformance.

Similarly, with fingers pointed at multi-nationalcompanies for being major polluters, theresponse has been to put pressure on the global supplychaintoensureeveryoneplaystheirpartin reducing environmental impact and adheringtolegislation.

In 1996, the International Organization forStandardization(ISO)publisheditsEnvironmental

Management Standard, ISO 14001. Its purpose was to help organisations of any sizecreate a management system to help improveenvironmentalperformancethroughtheefficientuseofresourcesandreductionofwaste.

Since then, certification to the ISO 14001standardhasbeen specified in pre-qualificationandtenderprocesses inorder for thebar toberaised across the supply chain. 20 years afterbeingfirstpublished, ISOargue the standard isjust as relevant and effective as ever, and stillhelps organisations reduce their environmentalimpact.

ThisWhitePaperwill helpyoudecidewhetherISO 14001 is right for you - as we delve intothe research-backed benefits, explain thedecisions involved inachievingcertificationandthechallengesyoucouldfacewhencreatinganeffectiveEnvironmentalManagementSystem.

For more in-depth guides and papers for ambitious small

businesses, visit:www.british-assessment.co.uk/knowledge-bank

GROWING POPULARITY3.

There’snodoubtthatmanybusinesseschoosetobecomeISO14001certified,butmanymoreareforcedtoachievecertificationinordertoaccessnewwork,orretainexistingbusiness.

In recent research from theBritishAssessmentBureau (BAB), 58% of respondents said theirmotivation to become certified to ISO 14001wasthattheirclient(s)weredemandingevidenceofcompliance to ISO14001before theywouldtradewith them.This is a42% increaseon theprevious year’s results.

Aquarterofcompanieshavebeensuccessful inwinningmorebusinessonce theyhadachievedISO14001;withafurther15%thenbeingabletotenderforworkthatwaspreviouslyunavailabletothem.Afifthofrespondentsweremoresuccessfulatwinningtenders,asaresultofbecomingISO14001certified.

Improved internal processes, more efficientsystems, reducing costs and waste are alladditional benefits of achieving ISO 14001.Gainingcertificationisalsoafeelgoodfactorforowners,employeesandcustomers:

TheFDishappyascostshavereduced,andthebottomlinefiguresarebetter;

Themarketingteamarehappyascustomerslovetobuyfromacompanythat'sgreen;

The sales team are happy as they can nowtender formore newwork from the publicsectorandlargecompanies;

Yourcustomersarehappierbecauseyouare‘greener’;

Your owners, shareholders, investors and employeesarehappybecause thecompanyismoreefficient(andmakesmoremoney!);

Nottomention,theplanetishappiertoo!

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It’s fair to say that smaller organisations mayquestionthesignificanceoftheirenvironmentalimpact, given some of the world’s largestcompanies emit levels of pollution that rivalwholecountries.

Understandably, at first glance, ensuring thecompany demonstrates green credentials isn'tgoing to top the priority list of many smallbusiness owners, as any investment has to show aclearreturninthoseformativeyears,inordertostayafloat.

However, while not immediately obvious, ISO 14001hasbeenshowntomakeaclear,positivedifferencetothebottom-line.

3.1During 2010, the UK’s Prime Minister David Cameron announced he wanted to create the“greenest government ever”, declaring theenvironment as a top priority. There was a big reactiontothis,withpublicsectordepartmentsrequesting suppliers to show evidence ofenvironmental management, with ISO 14001 citedasanexample.

IntheUK,at least, thenumberofawardedISO14001certificationsspiked,witha31%growthin2010–accordingtoISO’sannualsurveywhichtakesdatafromCertificationBodiesworldwide.The Department of Environmental, Food andRuralAffairs (Defra)conductedastudy in2012which showed a link between EnvironmentalManagement Systems and sustainable growth among SMEs.

Thepurposeofthisstudywastodeliverrobustevidence on the environmental and financialbenefits of having an EMS, and includedorganisations from both manufacturing andservicesectors.

Thekeyfindingsoftheresearchwere:

A BUSINESS WINNER

Implementation and certification costc£1,300per£mturnover;

Twothirdsofbusinesses increasedsales,orexpectedto,sinceimplementinganEMS;

New business sales attributed to the EMSrepresentedc£15,000per£mturnover;

Cost and efficiency savingswere calculatedatc£5,000per£mturnover.

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The research found that commercial andmarketing reasons were the dominant triggersfor implementing an EMS. This is somethingreflectedinacustomersurveycarriedoutbyBABduring2016:

90% sought ISO14001 certification towinbusiness;

34% sought to improve environmental performance;

16%soughttoimprovetheircorporateimage.

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3.2Whateverthesizeofyourorganisation,youcanachieveimprovedefficiencybyimplementingISO14001. This means you waste less, so you spend less!Naturallythebiggerthecompany,thegreaterthelikelihoodthatefficienciescanmultiple.

The manufacturing sector holds a significantadvantageovertheservicesectorwhenitcomestocuttingcosts,whichisillustratedbyanacademicstudy. It showshow90%of themanufacturingsector experience operational cost savings asa result of ISO 14001 certification, comparedto50%of the service sector.Asamuchbiggerconsumer of energy andmaterials, the scale ofconsumptionofthemanufacturingsectormeantimprovementswereeasiertoachieve,andmuchmorenoticeabletoo!

That’snottosayanSMEwon’tmakeefficiencygains;astheDefrastudyclearlyshowedsmallerorganisations were able to progress too. Theresultwasthatittook,withimplementationandcertificationcostsconsidered,only3monthsforISO 14001 to make a return on investment.

CUTTING COSTS

“As a result of having the ISO 14001 we have maintained a couple of contracts that we wouldn't have without it.” -DMSPropertyMaintenance

ISO14001:2015REVISION4.

ISO14001hasexistedfor20yearsnow.Usually,ISO review their standards every 5 years in order to remain relevant and up to date. With technology and business practices moving onsignificantly since ISO 14001 was last revised,theprocesstoengagewithusersofthestandardbeganbackin2011.AnupdatedISO14001willnowremainapplicableforthenext10years-ormore-acrosstheworld.

With Environmental Management Systems being partofbothsustainabilityandsocialresponsibilityintoday’sworld,theyhelporganisationsoptimiseenvironmentalperformancewhilemeeting legalrequirements. ISO 14001:2015, which waspublished in September 2015, has built on the basicprinciplesofthepreviousISO14001:2004,butwithanumberofkeydifferences.

ForthosewithexistingISOstandardsinplace,apositivestepwastofollowISO’snewhighlevelstructure,Annex SL,which provides a commonframework with other management systemstandards. This makes it considerably easier tocreateanintegratedManagementSystem,whichis both easier to manage and incorporate intocore business processes. This reduces the riskof an ISO 14001 EMS becoming an extension.The new version helps to forge strongerintegration between environmental issues andan organisation's strategic action planning andthinking.

To assist in ensuring the EMS is truly at the heart of the organisation, revised requirementsstrengthenstrategicfactors,communicationandleadership involvement.

When it comes to environmental performance,the latest ISO14001:2015 shifts to identifyinglifecycles,with the aimof gettingorganisationsto consider their wider impact, from cradle tograve, by using their environmental influencethroughouttheirsupplychains.

4.1 REQUIREMENTS OVERVIEW

Simplyput,ISO14001setsoutrequirementsforbuilding an Environmental Management System. Byprovidingawaytoorganisepeople,resourcesand processes, it aims to meet organisationalgoals. This results in increased resourceefficiency,areductionofwaste,anditthereforeaidsprofitably.

Thestandardisnotprescriptive.Ultimately,whatan organisation gets out of implementing anEMSisdowntotheaimsandintentionstheyset,combinedwith their commitment to deliver onthem;andontime!

Shouldn't you insist that your suppliers are ISO 14001

certified as well?

PDCA CYCLE

Implementing an EMS successfully requiresSupport.Onceyou’vefiguredouthowextensiveyour documentation needs to be, you need todefinewho’sresponsibleforwhat,andensuringthey’recompetent todo it.You’realso requiredto review how you communicate on mattersconcerningyourEMS.

The Operations clause is about settingout theplansonhowyou’regoingtomeettheactionsyouhaveset,andcontrolhowtheyoperate.There’salso a consideration of risk expected, whereyouneedtoestablishaproceduretorespondtoemergencysituations.

Once things are in place, Evaluation needs to begin.Thisclauseisforsettingupthemonitoringand measurement of your performance. ThesearecarriedoutasInternalAudits,andtheresultsneed to be shown at management reviews to demonstrate involvement.

This is followedby Improvement. With lessons learnt from checking how well you’ve done,ISO 14001 then expects you to commit tomaking enhancements for a better performingenvironmental management system.

Source:http://www.praxiom.com/iso-14001-checklist.htmThe latest version of ISO 14001 – ISO

14001:2015–hasanentireclausededicatedtoLeadership, helping to foster commitment fromthe top,down.This clausealso includes settingout responsibilitiesandtheestablishmentofanEnvironmentalPolicy.

It’s important to remember that ISO 14001 doesn’thavetoapplytoyourwholeorganisation.Itisn’tunusualforlargercompaniestostartwithcertainsitesordepartmentswheretheyenvisagethey’ll see the biggest rewards.

ThestandardasksyoutoexplaintheContextoftheEMS,whereyouneedtoconsidertheissues,factors, and conditions that could influence orbe influenced. It asks you to identify relevantinterestedpartiesandtoconsiderthecomplianceobligationsyou’reexpectedtomeet,sotheycanbe appropriately managed.

Planning isasubstantialclause inthestandard.It involvesdevelopingaprocesstoconsidertherisksthatcouldaffectyourEMS’objectives.You’llneedtodefineactionsonhowyou’lladdressyourenvironmental impact, compliance obligations,risks,andanyopportunities.

Toensurethishappens,youractionswillneedtoturnintodefinedprocesses.Thiswillneedtobebrokendowntorelevantdepartmentssoit’sclearwhere responsibility lies.

CERTIFICATION PROCESS5.

Once you have the basis of an ISO 14001Environmental Management System, you’re readytobeginthecertificationjourney.

5.1Outside of the various training courses andseminarsheldbyCertificationBodies,manyoffera‘PreAssessment'or'GapAnalysis'serviceaheadoftheformalcertificationprocess,toidentifyanyomissions or weaknesses. Alternatively, somechooseatthispointtouseaconsultanttogiveadded confidence. Again, many CertificationBodieshaveananswertothis, in theformofaconsultant register.While they'renotpermittedto recommend consultants, they can providedetailsofspecialistswhoareknowntothem.

PRE-ASSESSMENT

5.2The 1st assessment, referred to as a ‘Stage 1’Audit isadocumentreview,withtheaimbeingto establish that – on paper at least – you’re conforming to all of the requirements of ISO14001.

ThelengthoftheAuditisdeterminedbyfactorssuchasyourorganisationssizeandtheindustryyou’rein.Thiswillentirelyinfluencethecost,soyou’llbeinformedoftheamountoftimerequiredintheformofanAuditPlaninadvance.

OncetheStage1Audit isfinished, there’llbeaclosingmeeting to round-up thefindings.You’ll

STAGE 1 AUDIT

then be provided with a report detailing what happenedduringtheAudit,withanoverviewofanynon-conformities.

5.3Inorder toberecommendedtoadvanceto the‘Stage2’Audit,you’llneedtocloseoutanynon-conformitiesbyestablishingaCorrectiveActionPlan.Muchlikeadrivingtest,non-conformitiesareseparated by minor and major variants. Whereas majorvariantsneedtobeactedonimmediately,minornon-conformities canbe reviewedat thenextAudit.

TheAudititselfisaboutdemonstratingthatyourorganisation’s living and breathingwhat you’vedocumented. Your Auditor will therefore needtomeetwithmanagersandstaff,aswellasseeevidenceofyourInternalAuditsandmanagementreviews, as documented in the requirements ofthe standard.

All being well, you’ll be recommended bythe Auditor for certification. However, this’llrequirefinalsignoffbytheCertificationBody’scompliance department. You’ll then receive areportandanynon-conformitieswillneedtobeactedonbeforecertificationisformallyawarded.

STAGE 2 AUDIT

5.4DuringAudits,AuditorsareencouragedtoshareOpportunities for Improvement (OFIs) in thespirit of establishing an ethos of continuousimprovement.

ThesearereviewedatSurveillanceAudits,whichmust occur at least annually. In the meantime,youshouldmaintainascheduleofInternalAuditsand management reviews.

Most Certification Bodies issue certificates in-line with the 3-year certification cycle. Every3rd year, a ‘Re-Certification’ audit is carriedout.WhereasaSurveillanceAuditwill focusonimprovement areas found in previous audits,theRe-CertificationAuditmust cover all of thestandard’s requirements.

ANNUAL AUDIT

USING A CONSULTANT6.

The alternative for seeking representation is tolook for a specialist consultant in ISO 14001.There’sanextensivenetworkworkinginthefieldofEnvironmentalManagementStandards.

Consultantsareused forverydifferent reasons,dependingonthesizeoftheorganisation.Whilea small business may require the hands-on help frombeingresourcelimited;alargerorganisationmay have the required manpower, but feelexpertise is required to maximise efficiencyopportunitiesandensuretheorganisationmeetsmorecomplexlegalrequirements.

Being inapositionof reliancehas itsdangers -while a consultant may help overcome short-term challenges, there’s a risk that long-termdependencycouldnegatethecost-benefitfromimplementingISO14001.

It could become attractive to simply leave allthings related to environmental management to the consultant.The downside is thatwhile thismayensureyourorganisationcontinuestomeettherequirementsofthestandard,you’llfailtoreaptherewardsduetoalackofteamparticipation.

Your decision will ultimately be based on yourmotivation to implement ISO 14001. Thepotentialissuedescribedmaynotbeconsidered

a problem if certification will lead to lucrativework.However,ensuringyourconsultantworkstoengage,involve,trainandempoweryourstaffmeansyou’llavoidISO14001becomingacosttothebusinessifthevaluablecontractsdryup.

When seeking a consultant, sector-specificexperience is likely to be the most key factorfor choosing the most appropriate person forthe job. In combinationwith an impressive CVand collection of testimonials, it’s a notableadvantage for the consultant to have auditingexperience. With some requirements of ISO14001comingdownto interpretation,havingaqualifiedauditoractingonyourbehalfmeansyoucanhaveconfidenceifchallengedbytheauditorofyourCertificationBody.

Whenestablishingcredentialsofan ISO14001consultant, qualifications from the IRCA andIEMAarerespectedwithintheindustry.Theseareusually delivered by approved training centres,whichfrequentlyincludeCertificationBodies.

It’s not unusual for consultants to also workas sub-contractors for Certification Bodies.However, there are rules in place to maintainimpartialitysothataconsultantcannotperformbothconsultancyandauditingrolestothesamecompany.

CHOOSING A CB7.The financial industry has the FCA, holidaycompanies have ABTA, but there’s no suchmandated regulatory body for CertificationBodies. As a result, there’s no protection forthose who mistakenly choose the wrong path.It’scritically important tomaketherightchoicebeforesigningonthedottedline.

Driven by government contracts requiringcertification, the UK represents a significantproportionofworldwideISO14001certificates.This demand has created an environment foropportunitists to take advantage of thoseorganisationswho require certification urgentlyinordertoqualifyforacontract.

While themajority ofCertificationBodies seektodemonstratetheircompetenceandcredibilitythrough "accreditation" from UKAS, the UK’sNational Accreditation Body, others havesought accreditation from alternative bodies.WhereasUKAS is recognisedandsupportedbyGovernment,thealternativesarerecognisedonlyby themselves.

The long-term issue with this is that, oncespotted,non-UKAScertificatesareoftenrejectedand- justas importantly-thecredibilityof ISOstandards as a whole is diminished by those not implementingthemintheintendedspirit.

UKAS’ role is to ensure Certification Bodiesmeet the ISO 17021 standard for conformityassessment. Achieving accreditation fromUKAS involves a rigorous head office reviewof management, policies and procedures.Certification Bodies must also pass a test oftheir competence via Witnessed Assessmentsundertaken by UKAS.

Often, Certification Bodies without UKASaccreditation claim to be a ‘one stop shop’ forconsultancy and certification, in an effort tomarketthemselvesasthemostconvenientoption.However,thisisindirectviolationofISO17021’srequirements-CertificationBodiesmustremainimpartialandcanonlyprovidecertification,andnotconsultancy.

7.1

For most, certification and accreditation areinterchangeableterms.However,intheworldofISOstandards,thereisahierarchy–CertificationBodiesareaccreditedbyNationalAccreditationBodies.Asa result,anorganisationcanonlybeISO14001certified,not‘accredited’.

CERTIFICATION OR ACCREDITATION?

THE COST OFISO 140018.

Costsofimplementationhavebeenleftuntillast,as the chosen approach will have a significantimpact. It’s a realistic ambition for an SME toimplement and achieve certification to ISO14001withoutexternalassistance,andcostswillbemuchreducedasaresult.

It’simportanttoassesstheimpactoftheresourcesrequired,andit’svitalacost-benefitassessmentiscarriedoutagainstotherpotentialinitiativesandinvestmentstheorganisationcouldbemaking.

AllCertificationBodiesfollowasimilarapproach,as cost is ultimately influenced by the timerequired toAudit, the amountwhich is derivedfrom an industry-agreed calculator that takesintoaccount:

Staffnumbers;

Industry;

Complexityandrisk;

Numberofsites.

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A small company in the service industry mayrequirejustacoupleofdaysofAuditingforthewholecertificationprocess,thankstotherelativesimplicityofitsprocesses.Ontheotherhand,daysrequiredtoAudita largemulti-siteorganisationcouldmoveintoweeks.

Aslongasasiteduplicatesactivitiesofanother,itcanbe‘sampled’.RatherthanAuditeverysiteatgreatcost,visitscanberotatedwithinthe3-yearcertificationcycle.

The organisation’s industry sector andcomplexitywillmeanonlycertainAuditorshavethe appropriate knowledge, experience andqualifications to Audit. This’ll have a knock-oneffectforcosts,withCertificationBodiestypicallychargingbetween£600-£900perday.

Bewareofhiddencostson topof theAuditing!Managementandtravelfeesareoftenexcludedfromquotations.It’salsoimportanttocheckthelengthofacontract,asalowerfeemayindicatelessflexibilityintheformofalengthyagreement;where3yearsistypical.

Increasingly, Certification Bodies will quotea package cost inclusive of the Stage 1 andStage 2 Audits, as well as the compliance andadministration aspects. Despite this trend, it’sstill important to check for hidden costs – forexample,somewillexcludecostsoftravel.

Thesesameprinciplescanbeappliedlooselytothe cost of using a consultant.With day ratesranging from £400 - £1000 per day, it'll beimportanttobalancethelevelofsupportrequiredwith the value it will deliver.

8.1Maintaining certification to ISO 14001 issubject to an Annual Surveillance Audit. SomeCertification Bodies will expect to see anorganisation atmore regular intervals basedontheirsizeandcomplexity-butthisisn’tmandatedby the standard.

ThesamecalculationofdaysforAuditingwillberequired. However, with no Stage 1 required, a smallbusinesswillfindcostsaretypicallylessthan50%ofthe1styear’s.Addingsites,asignificantamountof staffordevelopingnewserviceswillmeanthetimerequiredtoAudittheorganisationwill have to be reviewed.

ONGOING COSTS

MAKING IT A SUCCESS9.

9.1

Studies on employee engagement show that it’s imperative organisations share their vision anddisseminatecorevaluesthroughouttheirteams.ImplementinganISO14001EMSisnodifferentinthisrespect-it’sessentialemployeesunderstandwhy the organisationwishes to implement thestandardandcrucially,they’vegottobelieveit!

ENSURING SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION

In the past, some criticism has been leviedat ISO 14001 as it doesn’t specify targets.Instead, the requirements simply state that the organisationmustset itsowntargets,andbuildaplantosuccessfullymeetthem.Asaresult,theapplication of ISO 14001 follows the age-oldtruism – you only get out what you put into it.

http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/10-employee-engagement-ideas-get-serious-results

9.2An SME would question who should beresponsible for the implementation of ISO14001.Withlargerorganisations,it’squiteusualtohaveadedicatedpersonorteamworkingonthe ‘project’. For a smaller business, there isn’ttheneedorjustificationtohaveadedicatedrolefocusingonenvironmentalmanagement.

WHO'S RESPONSIBLE?

Aswithallof theirmanagementstandards, ISOemphasise the point of ensuring managementinvolvement;infact,it’sarequirementwithinISO14001.

In truth, ISO have recognised that for anyinitiativetobesuccessful-buy-infromthetopisessentialforengagementtofilterthroughouttheorganisation.Thisiswhyoneofthefirstexerciseswithin the ISO 14001 standard is to develop anEnvironmentalPolicy inorder to setout thedirection and objection of the managementsystem. In other words, the setting out of thevisionandaspirationsbehind implementingISO14001inthefirstplace.

Of course, it’s not realistic for the Board ofDirectorsofacompanytoberesponsiblefortheday-to-dayactivitiesinvolvedinestablishingandmaintaining the organisation’s EMS. Instead, adesignated ‘management representative’ canbeappointedtofulfilthisrole.

Asthisrole isn’tspecificallydescribed,commonsense would dictate that the ‘representative’has a good overall understanding of how theorganisationfunctions.Theyshouldalsobeableto communicate with, and influence, top-levelmanagement.

If your organisation doesn’t have a dedicatedEnvironmental, Sustainability, HSEQ Manager or similar, it’s quite often the Office Manager,HR Manager or Finance Manager who takes

10 employee engagement ideas that get serious results!

on the role.This is oftendue to– disregardingcertification leading to securing new business– ISO 14001 being categorised as a ‘businessimprovement’orcost-savinginitiative.

9.3

VariousresearchhasshownISO14001canprovea beneficial initiative for engaging employees.Overthelastdecade,theissueofclimatechangehasrisenintheglobalagenda,whichhasresultedin people taking more interest in their personal impactontheenvironment.

For any organisation implementing ISO 14001,it should be a realistic ambition to build aworking group to implement and maintain the EMS,asthey’lllikelyderivesatisfactionfromthe

WHAT SKILLS AREREQUIRED?

initiative’ssuccess.

Trainingisn’tessential,butcanhelpputintothecontext the requirements of the standard andgiveconfidencewhenengagingwithanAuditorataCertificationBody.MostCertificationBodieswill provide familiarisation, implementationand InternalAuditing courses. Formore formalqualifications, organisations such as IEMA andIRCAcanhelpdeveloppeopleintoAuditors.

A lone voice returning from a training coursefullofenthusiasmismorelikelytobeanirritantratherthananeffectiveagentofchange.Seriousconsideration should therefore be given toencouraging more involvement, as a team ofpeoplecansupporteachotherinamoresustainedapproach.

“We gave employees ownership of the EMS by

appointing ‘Green Champions’ across each of our sites…we

never felt like we were fighting employees – everyone was

keen to be involved and could see that what we were doing

was positive.”- Nuneaton and Bedworth Leisure Trust

AND FINALLY...10.Wehopethatyou’vefoundthisWhitePapernotonlyinteresting,butinformativetoo!We’reonamissiontomakesurethatbusinesseshavegreatmanagementsystemsinplacesotheycanoperatemoreeffectivelyandefficiently,havehappiercustomerswhobuyagainandagain,andnewcustomersclamouring tobuy too. In theend, ifbusinessesmakemoremoneyandorganisationsareable toreducecosts,thenwe’reproudtohavehelped.

TheBritishAssessmentBureauworkswithawideanddiverse rangeofclients, fromsole traderstogovernmentdepartments.Eachoneofourclientshasuniquerequirementsandwerelisheachchallenge.However,weneverforgetthatit'syourbabyandthatyou'llalwayswantthereassuranceofasafepairofhands.

Wehaveover40years’experienceinthecertificationindustry,winningmultipleawardsalongthewaytohelpdemonstrateourcommitmenttodeliveringthebestservicepossible.WecertifyorganisationstoISO9001,ISO27001,OHSAS18001andofcourse,ISO14001.

SOURCES & READING11.

http://www.iso.org/iso/introduction_to_iso_14001.pdfhttp://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jsd/article/viewFile/8487/6808http://www.smithersregistrar.com/images/stories/documents/iso14001/Iso14001WhereAreWeWhereAreWeGoing.pdfhttp://www.iso.org/iso/iso-surveyhttp://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/mar/19/uk-recycling-rates-europehttp://www.theclimategroup.org/_assets/files/Consumers_Brands_and_Climate_Change_2008.pdf

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