Summary of ISO 14001 requirements
Topics
Context analysis
The organization identifies and keeps up to date, the internal and external:
- important developments (for example in terms of technology; legal requirements, etc.) that are important for the organization’s environmental policy.
- needs and expectations of, for example, employees and clients are regarding the environment and how this is taken into account in the management system.
- scope of the environmental management system (EMS) is; what activities and processes are included and excluded in the EMS. This also includes outsourced processes.
Leadership
Top management’s involvement is explicitly set out in the standard in nine elements for which management can be held accountable. This means that management must show leadership with respect to various parts of the EMS and take responsibility for the effectiveness of the EMS. Responsibilities and authorities for relevant roles must be assigned and communicated within the organization.
Identification of hazards and assessment of risks and opportunities
The organization ensures a systematic, current, and documented understanding of the hazards and risks and opportunities of products, processes, and services. Significant environmental aspects are examined such as effects on soil, water, air, climate change, etc.
Objectives and planning
The identification of environmental aspects is done from a life-cycle perspective. This means that the organization must be familiar with the important environmental aspects both at suppliers and in the use/disposal phase of products and services. It must then be determined whether influence can also be exerted on the environmental aspects.
Based on the significant environmental aspects, compliance obligations, and risks and opportunities, objectives are formulated. Indicators are established for the objectives to assess progress. The actions to achieve the objectives are preferably integrated into other business processes.
Operational planning and control
Arrangements are made regarding how day-to-day operations are carried out and to ensure that all obligations are met and all measures are also implemented in practice. The standard refers to the life-cycle perspective, which requires attention to environmental aspects in the design and development process, looking at all phases of the product or service, including:
- Purchasing products and services;
- Environmental requirements for external suppliers;
- Information for users and at different stages of the product or service such as transport or delivery, use, and end-of-life stage.
Internal audits and management review
Internal audits are carried out to assess whether the management system complies with the standard and functions effectively. The management reviews all results and new insights from the current context analysis and adjusts objectives to achieve continuous improvement of both the system and performance.