ISO 14001:2004
ISO 14000 is a family of standards that have been created for environmental management. Their main purpose is to define standards and requirements in order to help organizations reduce their operations, which may have negative effect on the environment. This standard notably includes ISO 14001, which represents a core set of standards to be used by organizations in designing and implementing an effective environmental management system. The current version is ISO 14001: 2004. This standard sets a criterion for environmental management system. It does not describe the requirements for environmental performances, but has developed a framework that a company or organization can follow in order to achieve an efficient and effective environmental management system. It can provide assurance to its management, employees and stakeholders that, environment impact is being monitored and improved.
ISO 14001:2004 has four main clauses and each main clause consists of sub clauses. This international standard uses the methodology of Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) and focuses on continual improvement.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
The general requirements of the standard are:
- Environmental Policy: It is to be defined by the top management and ensure that, within the defined scope of environment management system, it is appropriate to nature, commitment to continual improvement, commitment to abide by legal requirements, provides framework for setting and reviewing the objectives, documented, implemented and maintained, communicated through all the levels and made available to the public.
- Identification of environmental aspects of the organization, from its present and past activities, products and services. It is necessary to consider all of them, in order to determine the impact on environment.
- Identification of applicable legal requirements and other requirements that the organization is subjected.
- Prioritize the activities of environmental management system and set targets.
- Establish a structure and program to implement the policy, achieve objectives and meet targets.
- Plan, control, monitor, take necessary preventive and corrective actions, and perform periodical audits and review in order to ensure the compliance of the policy and appropriateness of the environmental management system.
- Be capable of adapting to changing circumstances.
- Review: Reviewing of this standard includes 4 key area:
- Identification of environmental aspects associated with normal and abnormal operating conditions, start-up and shutdown, emergencies and accidents.
- Identification of applicable legal and other requirements.
- Examining existing environment management system, including procurement and contracting activities.
- Evaluation of previous emergencies and accidents.
- Tools and methods for reviewing may include checklists, interviews, direct inspection, measurement, previous audit reports and reviews, depending on the nature of the activity.
- Planning: The organization shall conduct and document a planning process. It must be consistent with the environmental policy and lead to activities that continually improve environment management performance.
- Control of Documents: The documents shall be approved prior to issue, reviewed and updated if necessary, ensure changes and current revision status are identified, ensure that relevant versions of documents are available for use, documents must be legible and easily identifiable, prevent unintended use of obsolete documents.
- Checking: This includes creating an audit plan and schedule to evaluate the compliance with legal and other requirements, periodical internal audit to ensure the appropriateness of environmental management system, records of audit results should be maintained, check for any non-conformances, corrections, corrective and preventive actions.
- Control of Records: The records shall be established and maintained to demonstrate conformity to requirements of environmental management system and this international standard, achievement of objectives and targets.
- Management Review: At periodical intervals, the Top Management shall conduct management review to ensure the continuing stability, adequacy and effectiveness of the organization’s environmental management system. Records of management review shall be maintained.
BENEFITS
The benefits of implementing an environmental management system as per ISO 14001:2004 may include reduced cost of waste management, savings in energy and resource consumption, lower distribution costs, and improved corporate image. Since the standard is recognized internationally, business operating in various locations can leverage their conformance to ISO 14001, instead of multiple registrations and certifications. This provides a competitive advantage over other organizations, which do not have certification. Implementation of ISO 14001 can create an innovative and forward thinking image of the organization amidst prospective employees and customers.
ISO 50001:2011
The purpose of the international standard ISO 50001:2011 is to enable the organizations with systems and processes to improve energy performance, including energy efficiency, use and consumption. Implementation of this standard is intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts, and energy cost through systematic management of energy. It applies to all variables affecting energy performance that can be monitored and influenced by the organization. This International Standard does not prescribe specific performance criteria with respect to energy. The main objective of this standard is to improve energy-related performance and identify energy reduction opportunities. The Energy Management System (EnMS) specifies requirements upon which an organization can develop, establish and implement an improved energy-related performance. It functions on Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) continual improvement methodology. It has four main clauses and each clause consists of several sub-clauses.
ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
The requirements of ISO 50001:2011 are:
- General Requirements:
- Establish, document, implement, maintain and improve EnMS in accordance to the standard.
- Define and document the scope and boundaries
- Determine how the requirements shall be met and achieve continual improvement of its energy performance and EnMS.
- Management Responsibility:
- It is the responsibility of Top Management to define an energy policy, document, implement, maintain and improve energy performance.
- Appoint a management representative and approve the formation of an energy management team.
- Provide resources to meet the targets and comply with the international standard.
- Identify the scope and boundaries of EnMS.
- Communicate to all employees of organization.
- Ensure that the energy objectives and targets are established.
- Consider energy performance in long-term planning.
- Conduct management review periodically and ensure that the objectives and targets are met and EnMS is followed appropriately.
- Management Representative: The responsibilities of a management representative (MR) are.
- Ensure EnMS is established, documented, implemented, maintained and continually improved.
- Identify persons authorized by the management, to work with MR in support of EnMS activities.
- Report to top management regarding the energy performance and performance of EnMS.
- Ensure that energy management activity planning is designed to support the energy policy.
- Define and communicate responsibilities in order to facilitate effective energy management.
- Determine criteria and methods required to ensure that operation and control of EnMS is effective.
- Create awareness of energy policy and objectives to all levels.
- Energy Policy: Top Management should define the energy policy and ensure that it is appropriate to the organization’s nature and scale of consumption, commitment to continual improvement, commitment to abide by legal requirements, provides framework for setting and reviewing the objectives, documented, implemented and maintained, communicated through all the levels and made available to the public, commitment to ensure that information and resources are available to achieve objectives and targets.
- Energy Planning: The organization shall conduct and document an energy planning process. It must be consistent with the energy policy and lead to activities that continually improve energy performance.
- Identification of applicable legal requirements and other requirements that the organization is subjected.
- Energy Review: The organization should develop record and maintain an energy review. This may be done by analysis and evaluation of past and present energy use and consumption, identify areas of significant energy use, identify, prioritize and record opportunities for improving energy performance.
- Energy Baseline: The organization shall create an energy baseline based on the data collected during the energy review. The changes in energy performance can be recorded against energy baseline. Energy baseline shall be maintained and recorded.
- Energy Performance Indicators (EnPI): EnPIs shall be developed by the organization to measure and monitor its energy performance. The methodology for determining and updating EnPIs must be recorded and reviewed regularly. They shall be compared and reviewed to energy baseline.
- Energy objectives, targets and action plans shall be established, implemented, documented and maintained by the organization. Time frames must be set to achieve targets and objectives.
- Implementation and Operation: Using the action plans and outputs of the planning process, EnMS shall be implemented and operated. Employees working for or on behalf of significant energy uses must be competent, trained and aware about the entire system and its requirements. The organization shall record and maintain the personnel’s competency and training records.
- Communication: The organization shall communicate internally to all levels of employees regarding the energy performance and EnMS. Communicating to the outside world is the organization’s decision.
- Documentation: EnMS documentation requires scope and boundaries of EnMS, energy policy, energy objectives, targets and action plans, documents including records required by the standard, other documents determined by the organization to be necessary.
- Control of Documents: The documents shall be approved prior to issue, reviewed and updated if necessary, ensure changes and current revision status are identified, ensure that relevant versions of documents are available for use, documents must be legible and easily identifiable, prevent unintended use of obsolete documents.
- Checking: This includes monitoring, measurement and analysis of energy performance variables, evaluation of compliance with legal and other requirements, periodical internal audit to ensure the appropriateness of EnMS (an audit plan and schedule should be prepared), records of audit results should be maintained, check for any non-conformances, corrections, corrective and preventive actions.
- Control of Records: The records shall be established and maintained to demonstrate conformity to requirements of EnMS and this international standard, achievement of energy objectives and targets.
- Management Review: At periodical intervals, the Top Management shall conduct management review to ensure the continuing stability, adequacy and effectiveness of the organization’s EnMS. Records of management review shall be maintained.
EUROPEAN UNION ECO-MANAGEMENT AND AUDIT SCHEME (EMAS)
EMAS is a voluntary environmental management instrument. It was developed in 1993 by European commission. The main objective of EMAS is to promote continual improvement in the environmental performance involving industrial activities. Key elements of EMAS are as follows:
Performance: self -committing and harmonized scheme, which allows the organization to reduce and improve its environmental impact.
Transparency: Public information on an organization’s environmental performance is achieved externally through environmental statement and internally through employee involvement.
Credibility: The core component of EMAS is EN ISO 14001. However, EMAS goes beyond and focuses on measurable improvements, internal and external transparency, as well as legal compliance.
EMAS TIMELINE
- June 1993: EMAS was created by adopting the Council Regulation 1836/93
- 1993-1995: Setup of the structures for implementation of EMAS
- April 1995: Open for participation by companies of manufacturing sector.
- 1996: Commission recognizes EN ISO 14001 as a stepping stone to participate in EMAS
- 1997: Consultation for review of EMAS
- October 1998: Commission presents a proposal for review of EMAS. The proposal goes through legislative procedure of co-decision
- March 2001: EMAS II was created. The new EMAS regulation was adopted by the Council and European Parliament
- September 2001: Commission adopts technical guidance documents for implementation of scheme.
IMPLEMENTATION OF EMAS
In order to implement EMAS, the organization should comply with some implementation steps as follows.
- Environmental Review: Initial comprehensive analysis of the activities, products, services of the organization and their environmental impact, finding applicable environmental law, etc.,
- Environmental Policy: Defining organization’s environmental objectives and their commitment to continual performance.
- Environmental Program: Description of activities, responsibilities and means to achieve the environmental objectives and targets.
- Environmental Management System: A system for planning activities, assigning responsibilities, defining practices, procedures and processes for developing, implementing, maintaining, achieving and reviewing the environmental policy and managing other environmental aspects.
- Environmental Audit: A systematic periodically scheduled, recorded check has to be done regarding the compliance and maintenance of objectives of environmental policy and environmental management system.
- Environmental Statement: Comprehensive, regular reports to the public, regarding the performance of the organization, improvements in environmental activities and their impacts, following environmental policy and the requirements of EMAS
- Verification and Registration: An accredited environmental verifier for the compliance of above explained points must verify the organization. The report has to be sent to EMAS Competent body for registration and made available to the public, in order to make the organization eligible to use the EMAS logo.
The European Commission develops and supervises the EMAS scheme at EU level and the Member States are responsible for the registration and verification at national level including competent and accreditation bodies. The main actors involved are:
- The National Competent Bodies: In order to organize EMAS registration in the territory, each Member State of EU designates a national competent body. Their responsibility is to register the organizations that have submitted a validated environmental statement, collect registration fee, refuse, delete and suspend organizations from the list and to respond to enquiries concerning organization on the EMAS register. All the competent bodies meet at least once a year to exchange information and improve the process of EMAS.
- Accreditation Body: It is an independent body responsible for the accreditation and supervision of environmental verifiers. They are designated by the Member State. The Accreditation Body establishes, revises and updates the list of environmental verifiers, and their sector of accreditation in their Member State. Changes made in this list needs to be communicated to the Competent Body and EU Commission. The procedures are reviewed at least once a year in the ‘Forum of Accreditation Bodies’ (FAB), to exchange information and disseminate best practice. FAB also develops guidelines for accreditation, competence and environmental verifiers.
- Environmental Verifiers: EMAS verifiers are organizations or individual who expertise in the field of EMAS, that have been accredited by their Accreditation Bodies and independent from the organization and organization’s auditor. Their responsibility is to verify that the organization registrations comply with the requirements of EMAS regulation and to verify that improvement plans respects the environmental objectives and targets. Verifiers are also responsible for checking whether an organization is in legal compliance, has conducted environmental review, has an effective environmental management system, which is audited regularly and has created an environmental statement as per EMAS regulations. Therefore, verifiers verify the correctness, reliability and credibility of data and information provided in the environmental statement and other environmental information provided by the organization.
COMPARISON BETWEEN EMAS I AND EMAS II
EMAS KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPI) AND THEIR BENEFITS
EMAS requires the registered organization to meet a set of KPIs in six key environmental areas namely,
- Energy Efficiency: Total energy consumption annually and percentage of that energy produced from renewable source by the organization.
- Material Efficiency: Annual mass flow of different material used.
- Water Efficiency: Total water consumption annually.
- Waste: Total generation of waste annually (for each type) and total generation of hazardous waste annually.
- Biodiversity: Usage of land.
- Emissions: Total annual emission of green- house gases and total emission of air.
These KPIs guide the organization to measure their environmental performance and monitor their continual improvement against set targets. The benefits of these indicators are that environmental performance can be reviewed regularly and managerial decisions can be made for improvements. Performance can be compared with other competitors to create a benchmark. External stakeholders develop an image about the environmental performance of the organization and will be helpful to receive suggestions for improvements, gain new business and customers.
MAJOR BENEFITS OF EMAS IMPLEMENTATION
Increased Efficiency Savings: The primary benefit of EMAS registration is cost savings through increased resource efficiency. It helps registered organizations to identify opportunities to manage their resources in a better way.
Reduced Negative Incidents: EMAS provides organizations with a better overview of their processes and controls, which allows them to reduce the number of negative incidents.
Improved Relationships with Stakeholders: EMAS helps to improve relations with non-governmental organizations and local communities. This helps to improve understanding and trust between parties. On the other hand, any user can ask for information in order to give suggestions for improvement. This may reduce the number of complaints received from stakeholders.
New business opportunities in markets where environmental performance is important.
Improved quality of workplace, employee morale and motivation for team work.
Marketplace advantage and improved company image by improving relationships with stakeholders and local communities.
REFERENCES
- EMAS. (2013). EMAS Helpdesk. Retrieved dec 25, 2013, from ec.europa.eu: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/emas/index_en.htm
- ISO. (2004). Environmental Management Systems- Requirements with guidance for use. In E. M. Technical Committee ISO/TC 207, INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 14001 (pp. 4-9). Switzerland: ISO Copyright Office.
- ISO. (2011). Energy Management Systems- Requirements With Guidance For Use. Retrieved Dec 20, 2013, from ISO.
- The International Organization for Standardization. (n.d.). ISO 14000- Environmental Management. Retrieved Dec 19, 2013, from ISO: http://www.iso.org/iso/home/standards/management-standards/iso14000.htm
- Wenk, M. (2005). The European Union's Eco-Management and Audit Scheme. Netherlands: Springer.
- Wikimedia Foundation. (2013, Dec 17). ISO 14000. Retrieved Dec 19, 2013, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_14000
