Detailed overview of ISO 14000
What do you mean by ISO 14000?
A family of standards which is connected with management of the environment is ISO 14000. ISO 14000, therefore is also known as Environment Management System. ISO 14000 assists organizations in several things such as:
- Minimizing the hazardous effect upon environment such as adverse effects on land, water, air, etc. as a result of their operations
- Work in compliance with the laws, regulations as well as the requirements concerned with environment
- Continuous improvement on the above-mentioned points
ISO 14000 is alike with ISO 9000 quality management system as both these management systems pertain on the production procedure of the products, rather than on the product. Similarly, ISO 9001 certification is carried out by third party organizations instead of ISO directly giving the certification. Audit standards of ISO 19011 as well as that of ISO 17021 are applicable when it comes to the performance of the audits.
Is there any history of environment management systems?
In responding to the concerns on environment that were severely increasing, in March month of 1992, BSI Group came up with the environmental management system standards, BS 7750, known to be the world’s first one. Environmental management was a part of greater systems such as Responsible Care, prior to this. A template was supplied for developing ISO 14000 series in 1996. BS 7750 was the one who did it. The template having representation from ISO committees throughout the world. A data according to 2017 reveals the fact that over 300,000 certifications have been there for ISO 14001, which is found in a total of 174 nations.
Before ISO 14000 series was developed, EMSs of own were made voluntarily by the organizations. However, it made hard for comparing environmental effects among the companies. So, with that need came into existence ISO 14000 series.
ISO Certification defines EMS as overall management system’s part, which includes structural organization, planning of the activities, practices, processes, responsibilities ad well as the resources in order to develop, implement, achieve and maintain the policies related to the environment.
Explain about the ISO 14000 series development
ISO 14000 family has many standards included within it but most notably being ISO 14001 standard, that is a representation of the core standards set which organizations use in order to design ad well as implement the environmental management system that are effective. Other standards in the ISO 14000 series is ISO 14001, that adds the guidelines needed for good EMS, and also the standards that are more specialized in order to deal with specific aspects of management of environment. ISO 14000 series has a main objective of providing all sorts of companies and organizations with practical tools that are looking forward for management of the responsibilities concerned with environment resting upon their shoulders.
Based on voluntary approach for the regulations set for environment, ISO 14000 series has many similarities with ISO 9000, quality management system, also said to be its predecessor. ISO 9000 worked as an internal structure model. Both ISO 14000 as well as ISO 9000 cam be implemented side by side. As with ISO 9000, ISO 14000 acts as a tool for management as well as a method to demonstrate the company’s environmental commitments for their customers as well as clients.
What are the various standards of ISO 14000 series?
The various standards of ISO 14000 series are listed below:
- ISO 14001: Concerned with requirements along with proper guidance for using
- ISO 14004: Concerned with Guidelines in general for implementation
- ISO 14005: Provides guidelines for flexibility in approaching phased implementation
- ISO 14006: Provides guidelines for incorporation of eco design
- ISO 14015: Concerned with environmental assessing of sites as well as organizations
- ISO 14020 to 14025: Concerned with labels as well as declarations related to environment
- ISO/NP 14030 Green bonds– nominated projects and assets’ environmental performance, also discusses about environmental assessment post production
- ISO 14031: Provides Guidelines as well as evaluates the environmental performance
- ISO 14040 to 14049: Assessment of life cycle, discusses about planning of pre-production as well as setting of the environment goal
- ISO 14050: Includes vocabularies, terms as well as definitions
- ISO/TR 14062: Integration of the aspects of environment into product designing as well as development
- ISO 14063: Guidelines and examples for environmental communication
- ISO 14064: Concerned with measurement, quantification as well as reduction of the emissions of greenhouse gases.