The ISO 14001: 2015 standard is the global benchmark for the implementation of an environmental management system. It is a great tool to help any organization (VSE, SME, large companies, associations, public services…) to limit the impacts related to its activities on the environment.
Beyond the reduction of its consumption of water, energy, raw materials, etc. and of its waste, implementing the principles of the ISO 14001 standard (approved in France under the name NF EN ISO 14001: 2015) also makes it possible to reduce its gas emissions. greenhouse effects (GHG).
Feedback from organizations that have adopted the ISO 14001 standard shows that it also makes it possible to go ahead of regulatory environmental requirements, to open up new markets and offer an image of responsible organization.
New features in version 2015
The ISO standard 14001, the most widely used environmental management framework on all continents, is evolving to take account of the expectations and practices of users. Since the first version of the standard in 1996, environmental concerns have notably evolved in the face of the challenges of global warming.
The 2015 version of the ISO 14001 standard offers for the first time a high-level structure (High Level Service) common to ISO 9001: 2015 and which will be adopted by the future ISO 45001 on occupational health and safety. The challenge is to improve the agility of the widely used integrated management system approaches, particularly within the framework of the Quality-Safety-Environment triptych.
In its 2015 version, the standard is clearly in line with as a tool for sustainable development and takes into consideration new concepts such as environmental protection, product life cycle, environmental performance, listening to stakeholders and better consideration of risks and opportunities…
Another novelty, ISO 14001: 2015 leads the organization to estimate its environmental performance, to question the level of results, but also the benefits of the process, to then set objectives.
Created in 1996, it was revised in 2004 and 2015.