The now almost
20-year-old ISO 14001
environmental standard
has just been revised, with
key improvements designed
to make it fit for the
marketplace for the next
20 years, according to the
technical committee that
developed the standard and
undertook the revision.
With the SA Bureau of
Standards (SABS) figures
showing that SA has the
4th highest emissions of
carbon (CO2) in the world,
“going green” is a business
imperative.
And surveys show that
green is very important to
companies in the supply
chain spectrum.
These companies have
to be involved to the
level where they are not
just looking at internal
environmental controls,
but they need to take into
account where the products
they handle are coming
from and
what clients
are doing
with them.
And that’s
a special
requirement
where raw
materials are
concerned.
According to the
committee, the new
standard “responds to the
latest trends”, such as an
increasing recognition by
companies of the need to
factor in both external
and internal elements that
inf luence their impact,
including climate volatility.
The latest version,
ISO 14001:2015, sets out
the new requirements
for an environmental
management standard.
And there is a distinct
benefit for companies
complying with the
standard, according
to the ISO acting
secretary-general Kevin
McKinley. He said: “ISO
14001 is something that
organisations can use to
distinguish themselves
from their competition.
And, in many cases, to
also provide financial
advantage, as it helps
organisations to realise
efficiencies and improve
performance.”
Full details are available
at http://www.iso.org/iso/
iso14001_revision
INSERT
SA has the 4th
highest emissions of
carbon (CO2) in the
world. “
