FAQs
Q. What is ISO 14001:2004?
ISO 14001:2004 is the latest edition of the ISO 14001 standard. ISO 14001 is the standard organisations can be assessed against under the ISO 1400 environmental management family. The standard is generic and can be applied to any organisation. All ISO standards (currently more than 17,000) are periodically reviewed to ensure they remain up-to-date and relevant. Decisions are made to confirm, withdraw or revise standards on an ongoing basis.
ISO 14001 is often seen as the corner-stone standard of the ISO 14000 series. It specifies a framework of control for an Environmental Management System and is the only ISO 14000 standard against which it is currently possible to be certified by an external certification body. However, it does not in itself state specific environmental performance criteria.
This standard is applicable to any organisation that wishes to:
implement, maintain and improve an environmental management system
assure itself of its conformance with its own stated environmental policy
demonstrate conformance
ensure compliance with environmental laws and regulations
seek certification of its environmental management system by an authorised external certification body
make a self-determination of conformance
By having their environmental management system independently assessed, organisations are making a powerful statement about their environmental credentials. Other benefits of ISO 14001 certification include:
Better management of environmental risks, now and in the future
Increased access to new customers and business partners
Demonstration of legal and regulatory compliance
Potential for reduced public liability insurance costs
Overall cost savings: in terms of consumption, waste and recycling
Conformity to ISO 14001:2004 will be evaluated by certification bodies (e.g. the British Accreditation Bureau) during regular surveillance visits and full reassessment will only take place once current certificates expire.
If you would like to see the ISO 14001:2004 standard in full, a copy can be purchased from ISO.
Further Reading
Q. Buy ISO 14001:2004 standard (External Link)