ISO 14001:2015
Environmental Management Systems

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What is the ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System Standard?

The ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System standard is an internationally-recognised framework to facilitate continual improvement for better managing business environmental responsibilities, with the goal of reducing environmental impacts, and complying with environmental regulatory requirements.

In other words, ISO 14001:2015 will help organisations to manage and improve their environmental performance throughout the entire life cycle of their activities. This is achieved by identifying and controlling impact, reducing resource consumption and waste, and promoting sustainable practices in operations in relation to how the organisation interacts with the environment

The standard is designed to help organisations of all sizes and industries to minimise their environmental footprint and demonstrate their commitment to sustainability.

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ISO Standard Documents

The ISO 14001:2015 Standard is an actual document developed by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) detailing the standard’s clauses and requirements. We highly recommend that you purchase the ISO 14001:2015 Standard document, to fully understand the requirements for successful implementation. Visit Standards Australia to purchase a copy.

Why ISO 14001?

Achieving ISO 14001 Certification is highly beneficial for any size organisation seeking to improve their environmental performance as it provides an internationally recognised Environmental Management System (EMS) framework. The environmental standard offers a structured approach to sustainability, guiding organisations in aligning their operations with global environmental standards. This certification demonstrates a commitment to ethical practices, while enabling businesses to navigate complex ecological challenges, thus ensuring a greener and more prosperous future.

By achieving this Certification, organisations can also effectively manage and reduce their environmental impact, ensuring compliance with environmental regulations and fostering a positive reputation. It acts as a powerful business improvement tool, enabling organisations to enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs and waste, and optimise resource utilisation.

Additionally, ISO 14001 Certification can be a critical competitive advantage as it broadens your market opportunities with eligibility to secure bigger and better projects via government tenders and grants. The certification can also help organisations fulfil other contract or product requirements, and be used to help lower insurance premiums.

The Environmental Standard also helps organisations identify potential environmental risks and develop strategies to mitigate them, leading to better risk management and improved overall performance. Additionally, it can also facilitate access to new markets, as many customers and stakeholders prioritise partnering with environmentally responsible organisations. 

 Who needs ISO 14001 Certification?

ISO 14001:2015 Certification is designed for organisations of all sizes and types that are committed to managing their environmental impact responsibly. Any organisation, regardless of whether it operates in the manufacturing, service, or public sector, can pursue ISO 14001 Management System and its Certification. 

The standard is particularly relevant to organisations seeking to enhance their environmental performance, mitigate environmental risks, and demonstrate their dedication to sustainability. Implementing ISO 14001 helps businesses establish an effective Environmental Management System (EMS) that identifies and controls the environmental aspects of their operations, products, and services. 

This Certification is valuable for companies looking to enhance their reputation among stakeholders, including customers, investors, regulators, and the local community. 

We’ve helped over 200 client organisations achieve Certification across 15 different industries and different sized enterprises. Want to check if ISO 14001 is the right fit for your business? Book a FREE Strategy Session to discuss your needs.

Benefits of ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management Systems

Reduced environmental impact

Reduce environmental impact

business sustainability

Improve business sustainability

Identify ways to positively impact the environment

Reduce, reuse and recycle waste

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Greater control and management of environmental risks

General Benefits of ISO Management System Standards

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Qualify for more tenders, contracts and international trade

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Increase and improve brand reputation to boost stakeholder confidence

business planning

Improve business planning and align with organisational strategy

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Higher profit margins and reduced costs through improved efficiencies

improved business strucutre

Improve business structure and standardise systems for sustainable growth

 Steps of ISO 14001 Certification Process

01

Planning

Understanding the requirements of the ISO 14001 standard is the first step. The planning process may also include performing a gap analysis to assess the organisation’s current documentation status in relation to the ISO 14001 requirements, unless starting from scratch. Consequently, a plan is developed to address these gaps and establish a roadmap for the Certification Process.

02

Documentation Development

During this stage, the appropriate documents must be created to build an Environmental Management System (EMS), including environmental policies, procedures, work instructions, and business planning documentation. This is the point at which expertise in understanding and implementing the Standard requirements becomes valuable, and expert consultants will optimise this step, saving you time and money with their strategic execution. 

03

Implementation

The EMS is put into practice across the business, and employees should be coached to understand the documentation, along with clarification on their roles and responsibilities. Conducting an Internal Audit and a Management Review are also mandatory, to verify that the management system is implemented, followed, and executed accordingly. This ensures the requirements of ISO 14001 have been met in preparation for the external audits. 

04

External Audits

This is the point at which you need to engage a Certification Body (aka Conformity Assessment Bodies). As an accredited organisation, they will conduct the Certification (External) Audits to assess your EMS against the ISO 14001 requirements. Auditors will evaluate the management system’s effectiveness, its alignment with the standard, as well as its capacity to deliver consistent results. Upon successful completion of the External Audit, your organisation will receive your ISO 14001 Certification. Find out how to select the right Certification Body for your business here.

05

Continual Improvement

Upon achieving Certification, its validity lasts 3 years, during which your Certification Body will return to perform annual surveillance audits to verify your commitment to the implemented environmental management system. You must regularly conduct ongoing activities, such as Internal Audits, as required ISO 14001, to ensure your EMS still meets the standards requirements. Evidence of these will be checked by your Certification Body auditor. Find out more here.  

The Certification Readiness journey for ISO 14001

The Certification Readiness Process is broken down into 3 Phases. We can tailor our service for you depending on your needs. The infographic shows the steps of the entire process.

ISO 14001 Environmental

Get your FREE Certification Readiness Process Diagram today!

How we can assist you

Our services are customisable for each business, depending on your specific needs.

Ready to get started?

Book a FREE Strategy Session with us to discuss the best approach for your business, understand the benefits for your organisation, and find out how we can best help you achieve your goals!

What our clients have to say

JDV Projects
JDV Projects
Ray Levin

Operations Manager

JDV Projects

North Ryde, NSW

“A big thank you to the team at ISO Certification Experts who provided us with expert guidance. From the outset we knew we were in capable hands. Most importantly, our integrated management system to comply with ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and AS/NZS 4801:2001 was developed and built specifically for our business. Erica took the time to really understand our business and our processes and from there was able to expertly develop and evolve our processes and systems to meet the standards. Erica’s approach to what seemed to us like a daunting task was surprisingly refreshing.

Now having achieved our certifications we will certainly be continuing with the services of ISO Certification Experts to ensure we are maintaining the high operational standards that we have set for our business. We are comfortable that we partnered with the right team from day one and would highly recommend ISO Certification Experts to any business seeking to achieve certification to prescribed standards.”

Ray Levin

Operations Manager

JDV Projects

North Ryde, NSW

Memba Civil
Memba Civil
Maggie Galvin

Strategic Director

Memba Civil

Padstow, NSW

“The team at ISO Certification Experts are very professional and knowledgeable in all aspects of their business. They’ve helped us achieve our Quality, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety ISO Certifications, first time and in a very efficient manner.

We were more than satisfied with the level of assistance provided to us. We highly recommend ISO Certification Experts for all their consulting, business systems development, as well as their training services. We will continue to use ISO Certification Experts for ongoing assistance to continually improve our management system.”

Maggie Galvin

Strategic Director

Memba Civil

Padstow, NSW

PAStech
PAStech
Steve French

Director

PAStech

Milton, QLD

“The team at ISO Certification Experts have worked with us over the past six months to develop our Integrated Business Management System to meet the Certification Requirements of ISO9001 for Quality, AS/NZS4801 for Safety and ISO14001 for Environmental Management. The whole process has run really smoothly. We’ve found it easy to work with our new system, and are already seeing the benefits.

At a recent audit conducted by Origin Energy, the auditor told us it was ’The Best Small Company Management System he’d seen’.

Helen’s industry experience and knowledge has been extremely valuable in getting our systems right for our business, and the ongoing communication and support from the ISO Certification Experts Head Office has given us the guidance we’ve needed throughout the whole process.”

Steve French

Director

PAStech

Milton, QLD

Enstruct
enstruct
Gemma Reynolds

Office Manager

Enstruct

Milsons Point, NSW

“Our most recent management system goal was to get assistance with the new Work Health and Safety requirements for Certification to ISO 45001 and the new Environmental requirements for Certification to ISO 14001.

By working with ISO Certification Experts, we were able to achieve a much better structure for our management system, and a significantly improved understanding of our responsibilities and best practices.

Helen Mofrage, our consultant, was fantastic, and I loved working with her – she made herself always available to meet our needs and put no pressure on us. 

We have worked with the team at ISO Certification Experts for a number of years now, and will definitely recommend and use their services again.”

Gemma Reynolds

Office Manager

Enstruct

Milsons Point, NSW

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History of ISO 14001

All ISO Standards are reviewed approximately every five years by ISO technical committees. If a standard is revised and updated as a result of this review, ISO will publish a new version of that Standard with the new title including with the year it was revised.

The initial version of ISO 14001 was made available in 1996 and has gone through various modifications over time to ensure that it adequately caters to the evolving requirements of businesses and their interested parties. Below is a short summary of ISO 14001 over the years:

ISO 14001:1996

Withdrawn

ISO 14001 was first published in 1996, providing a framework for environmental management systems.

ISO 14001:2004

Withdrawn

The first revision of ISO 14001 clarified requirements and added new guidance on the evaluation of environmental performance.

ISO 14001:2015

Current Version

This current revision includes significant changes, involving: greater emphasis on leadership, identifying environmental risks and opportunities, new guidance on environmental performance indicators, and evaluation and improvement, just to name a few.

Frequently asked questions about ISO 14001:2015

The first consideration to make is the expense involved in upgrading your Management System, as well as obtaining the actual Certification.

If you require the assistance of a professional ISO Consultant, like us, the fees will vary based on various factors, such as: what you already have in place; the size of your business; complexities and risks for your industry; number of locations; the level of service you’d like; and which and how many ISO Management System Standards you’re working towards (I.e. ISO 14001:2015 only or more). This is where the FREE Strategy Session is useful, so we can identify these factors and provide you with a tailored quote – book in your FREE Strategy Session here.

Regarding the Certification itself, the price will be set by Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs), who are responsible for auditing and certifying your business. CABs usually provide quotes based on the three-year certification period, which includes a Certification Audit (Stage 1 and 2) and two annual Surveillance Audits. When the three-year cycle concludes, you must complete a Recertification Audit to renew the certification for another three years. The cost will be influenced by the size, complexity, and nature of your organisation, which will differ from one organisation to the next. If you want to know more about choosing the right CAB for your business, click here.

How long it takes to become certified to ISO 14001:2015 depends on several factors, such as the complexity of your business processes, the size of your organisation, and the level of preparedness of your environmental management system. On average, if starting from scratch, it could take anywhere from three months to one year to complete the entire Certification Process.

If you want a more accurate timeline based on your specific situation, we can help you. To speak with one of our experts, contact us here!

Any type of business can achieve Certification to ISO 9001:2015. ISO Management System Standards are designed to be generic and flexible, meaning that the requirements can be adapted to any type of business, regardless of size, nature or industry.

Nowadays, there’s growing pressure and expectation from consumers, partners and regulators for businesses to integrate environmental and social best practices into their operations, regardless of their size. By implementing ISO 14001:2015 and achieving Certification, small businesses will not only benefit from greater operational efficiency, boosted stakeholder confidence and improved brand reputation, but will also be prepared to grow sustainably and in compliance with current and future environmental requirements.

Yes, ISO 14001:2015 can be integrated into an already established ISO 9001:2015 management system. The two standards share many common requirements, including their emphasis on risk management, process approach, leadership, continual improvement, and more. Consequently, it is possible to form a consolidated management system that fulfils the requirements of both standards.

To integrate ISO 14001:2015 into your existing ISO 9001:2015 management system, you must first determine the areas where the standards overlap and where extra controls or processes may be required. A gap analysis would help you identify and plan your management system integration. Contact us for the best approach for your business.

If you’re interested in learning more about Integrated Management Systems, you can visit this page.

Have a question we didn’t answer here? Visit our full FAQ page.