Benefits of ISO 14001

It is becoming more and more important to demonstrate that organisations are thinking about their environmental impact and putting in place systems that will not only benefit the environment but will also reduce costs and improve efficiency within the organisation.

The benefits of showing conformance to the ISO 14001 standard are numerous:

1. Cost savings in waste, recycling and consumption
2. Advantage over competitors when tendering for business
3. Management of environmental risks
4. Compliance with individual countries environmental regulations
5. Demonstrates your commitment to improving the environment
6. Shows you are a responsible future focused organisation
7. Can reduce insurance cover costs
8. Can increase employee engagement in the knowledge that they are working in an environmentally friendly organisation

Having a well-defined Energy Management System (EMS) framework will provide your organisation with a systematic approach to compliance. In some cases regulatory bodies are more flexible with companies with performance and public accountability records.

In addition, Officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) have indicated that certification may lead to a reduction in the number of inspections required for obtaining permits. In unique circumstances, the EPA has reduced fines on the condition that financial resources are put into better practices, including compliance to ISO 14001.

Through the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), ISO 14001 is expected to become a prerequisite for doing business worldwide. Experts say that it is the market forces, which will drive acceptance of the new global environmental standards.

ISO 14001 is also compatible with other management standards such as ISO 9001, OHSAS18001and ISO 27001.