ISO 14001 standard is a voluntary international standard aimed at implementing an Environmental Management System of organizations. An environmental management system includes, among others, the following activities:
- Analysis of the environmental context
- Analysis of the interested parties
- Analysis of environmental risks and opportunities
- Identification and careful control of the environmental impacts of their activities;
- Continuous performance improvement in a consistent, effective and sustainable manner;
- Definition of an own environmental policy;
- Identification and management of the reference environmental legislative framework
An Environmental Management system is a method that makes one’s action towards the community of reference transparent and evident, that can be documented and traced, and contributes to a new way of relating to administrators and citizens, as well as having possible ì positive impacts on the economic side (Eg. lower waste production = lower costs to be paid for disposal).
The phases of a project to implement an Environmental Management System are mainly the following
- Determine the analysis of the dispute from the point of view of the environmental aspects connected to the company and the related impacts
- Identification of the interested parties and of the needs and expectations, connected to environmental aspects related to the activity carried out by the organization and contextualization in the territory
- carry out an initial environmental analysis, which makes it possible to identify and quantify the significant environmental aspects connected directly and indirectly with the activities carried out;
- define and implement an environmental policy document, containing the objectives and principles of action that the organization aims to achieve, not limited to compliance with the limits and provisions of the law in force, but with the commitment to carry out continuous and concrete improvement actions of its environmental performance. The implementation of the environmental policy takes the form of drawing up specific objectives in an environmental program. These objectives, established in accordance with the most significant environmental impacts, must be described, communicated and updated regularly;
- set up an Environmental Management System, consisting of a set of people, resources and procedures, in order to plan actions, implement them, check the results and decide whether to maintain or modify the decisions taken in the planning phase. The effectiveness of the system, its proper functioning and its adequacy are based on the correct identification of the environmental aspects with the Analysis and maintenance of compliance with environmental legislation, through a periodic assessment activity (auditing).
The ISO 14001 compliant system can be subjected to verification of compliance with the international standard by a Certification Body. The certification process foresees, after the development and a suitable implementation period within the company of the management system; the audit by the same Certification Body, through two phases conducted separately. In particular, the. Stage 1 audit in which an analysis is carried out on the compliance of the documented information prepared and on compliance with the main applicable legislative requirements, the Stage 2 during which the application and effectiveness of the implemented system is verified.
The audit of the Certification Body is aimed at assessing the compliance of the management system with the reference standard with respect to a specific operational area specified by the organization (so-called “certification scope”).
Advantages and impacts related to the implementation of an ISO 14001 system:
- Benefits for companies
- rationalization of business management
- significant reduction in product and process environmental costs
- increased competitiveness in the market
- improvement of the “image” of the company
- increased capacity to manage business risks
- improvement of relations with the competent authorities
- improving accessibility to public contributions
- increased motivation and sense of responsibility of workers
- reduction of the risk of accidents, etc., therefore possible reduction of insurance premiums and better banking conditions
Benefits for institutions
- rationalization and modernization of public activities
- decrease in operating costs
- conservation and enhancement of own resources
- improved local reporting
- reduction of natural risks and mitigation of environmental impacts
- increased employee accountability
- greater transparency and credibility, with image improvement
- integration of the principles of sustainable development in the activities of the institution, in the context of Agenda 21
- guarantees of compliance with national and international legislation
- better strategic and planning capacity
- better access to finance
