ISO 14001:2015

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

53,000
CERTIFICATES TRANSPARENT 100
GLOBALLY
 Contents
Introduction to the Standard P04

> ISO 14001:2015 Benefits of implementation

PDCA cycle
Risk based thinking / audits
P06
P07
P08
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE Annex SL P10
SECTION 1: Scope P11
SECTION 2: Normative references P12
SECTION 3: Terms of definition P13
SECTION 4: Context of organization P14
SECTION 5: Leadership P18
SECTION 6: Planning P20
SECTION 7: Support P22
SECTION 8: Operation P24
SECTION 9: Performance evaluation P26
SECTION 10: Improvement P30
Get the most from your management P32
Next steps once implemented P34
How else can we assist P35

2 *UK and ISO

Ireland
14001:2015
only ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE ISO 14001:2015 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE 3
 INTRODUCTION
TO THE STANDARD
The International Standard ISO 14001:2015 ISO 14001 requires effective demonstration that
defines criteria for an Environmental a systematic approach has been taken to prevent
pollution and to have processes in order to manage
Management System (EMS); which if environmental risk. Once a policy framework has
implemented and maintained effectively, been put into place along with processes to facilitate
can provide an organization with the organizations’ commitment, the Standard then
reassurance that environmental risk is asks an organization to audit, review and improve
the system to affirm that a commitment to continuous
being managed and improved. improvement is being achieved.
ISO 14001 is applicable to any organization The Standard fundamentally comes in two parts;
regardless of size, sector or geographical location. “The Standard” and then “Annexes” which provide
Whilst the Standard sets out a framework for help and explanation.
environmental management, it has been devised
to give flexibility to apply to all companies and
organizations.

A Brief history of ISO 14001

Back in the 1970’s, ‘80’s and ‘90’s, The ISO 14001 Standard has been • Strengthening of the leadership
an ever increasing worldwide through a number of revisions since commitment from “Top Management”.
concern for protecting the it was first published in 1996. ISO
Standards are reviewed every five years • Environmental management to
environment was emerging. be more aligned with the strategic
to establish if a revision is required in
As a result of this, a number direction of the organization.
order to keep them current and relevant.
of international treaties and
country specific “codes of The current Standard, ISO 14001:2015, • Clearer and effective communication,
practice” were published to responds to the increasing need for driven through a communications
provide organizations with a management systems to be integrated plan.
framework for environmental by using “Annex SL”, a common format
• A life-cycle perspective of the
pollution mitigation. In 1992, for management ISO’s. Other key
organization.
the British Standards Institute improvements in the 2015 Standard
published BS 7750 (based on the include:
then quality Standard BS 5750 • Asking for an appreciation of
– now ISO 9001). This provided external and internal elements that
the foundations and template may influence how environmental
as to what became ISO 14001- management is conducted.
Environmental management
systems - Specification with • Understanding the needs of internal
and external parties who may interact
guidance for use.
with the organization and the EMS.

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 BENEFITS OF PDCA CYCLE
IMPLEMENTATION Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) is an iterative, four-stage approach for achieving continual
improvement. It involves systematically testing possible solutions, assessing the results, and
implementing the ones that are shown to work.
At the “heart” of this approach is leadership. The importance of leadership at all levels, but particularly by Top Management,
All “management ISO’s” have a similar fundamental benefit. They provide a framework of cannot be underestimated to operate an EMS successfully, to achieve performance levels required and generate
action that; if implemented appropriately, provides internal control. In the case of ISO 14001 continual improvement.
the execution of the standard provides control for an organization’s activities, products or
services and the interaction with the environment. This, in turn can increase the long term In the context of an EMS, PDCA is translated into the following:
viability of the organization and where appropriate a higher regard for its asset value.

Plan: Do: Check: Act:

Whilst there other numerous benefits to achieving ISO 14001 3. Internal audit and Management Review Understand the context of the organization, Implement the Monitor, measure and Take actions
(and some will be more appropriate depending upon what
ISO 14001 provides the framework to check what controls establish environmental objectives and processes as planned evaluate environmental to continually
sector an organization operates) the following benefits are
have been put into place through the use of internal audit processes necessary to deliver results to include operational performance to include improve to include
likely in most cases:
and provides a way in which to monitor and improve. A in accordance with the organization’s planning and control internal audit and addressing non
environmental policy, understand risk and and emergency Management Review. conformity.
1. Demonstration of Leadership Management Review process then allows Top Management
opportunities and determine the support preparedness and
to take a “step back” and determine how well the system is
By testing environmental controls against the internationally working within the context of the organization and whether required to achieve the outcomes required. response.
recognized environmental Standard, an organization it requires modification to meet future changes in a process,
demonstrates ethical environmental leadership to their resources or regulatory framework. Internal audits and
Stakeholders which includes customers, employees and Management Reviews when combined with an audit from a
Regulators. The achievement of 14001 also provides certification body, such as NQA, provide assurance that the CONTEXT OF THE ORGANIZATION
assurance to a Board of Directors, Trustees or owners that EMS is meeting the requirements of the organization and the
there is management control regarding environmental risks ISO 14001 Standard.
inherent within an organization. SCOPE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

2. Economic benefit
In a global market place where all sectors have to compete in SUPPORT &
some form or other, demonstration of ethical environmental OPERATION
leadership through “good environmental stewardship”, can
be the deciding factor for being selected to supply the goods
or services that an organization provides. Having ISO 14001 Plan Do
also may give a Unique Selling Point (USP) that increasingly
provides one of the fundamentals when promoting an NEEDS AND
EXPECTATIONS
organization. INTERNAL &
OF RELEVANT
EXTERNAL ISSUES PLANNING LEADERSHIP PERFORMANCE
EVALUATION
INTERESTED
A fundamental part of the Standard is conformance PARTIES
to appropriate environmental regulatory requirements
or other obligations that are deemed as important as
a regulatory requirement. A system which checks on
adherence to legislation mitigates the risk of environmental Act Check
liability prosecution. Whilst this is not a direct saving to
an organization, the outcome of unregulated activities
that deleteriously affect the environment will result in ever IMPROVEMENT
increasing fines.

Most organizations or businesses consume resources of

one form or another. Whilst the Standard doesn’t direct an
organization to measure something specifically, examining
the resources that are consumed, for example energy,
together with waste produced can lead to changes in use and
INTENDED OUTCOMES OF THE
fundamental savings. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

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 RISK BASED PROCESS BASED
THINKING/AUDITS THINKING/AUDIT
The Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle for process improvement, as described above, Some organizations that implement an EMS will look to integrate it with their Quality
corresponds to proven risk management approaches. Many organizations have the process of Management System (QMS). If this is the case, they will have heard of “process based”
risk management as a fundamental process particularly around information technology, finance thinking. However, if not, it might be less understood how the process approach is
and occupational health and safety. applicable to the EMS requirements in ISO 14001:2015.

Context: Planning – risk and The ISO 9001 requirements for a QMS are founded on seven
quality management principles, and one of these is the
• Performance and monitoring:
In order to determine how successful a process is the result of
The first step of implementing an EMS, as described below, is
to gain an understanding the “context” of the organization or,
opportunities: “process approach”. It is explained fully in the introduction of the process (good/bad) needs to be evaluated.
ISO 9001:2015, but as a paraphrased summation; a process
paraphrasing, the macro issues that affect and are affected by Those organizations that need further assistance in ensuring • Support/competence:
approach is where more consistent results can be attained when
an organization. As an organization is subject to a variety of that their risk assessment process is comprehensive can In order to undertake a process, or a number of processes
consideration and management of activities are carried out as
influences, which can change, this can lead to risks in the form look towards ISO 31000 Risk management - Principles and effectively, a person needs to be competent. When
interrelated processes, which together, make up a system.
of potential threats and opportunities. Determining the risks guidelines. This provides generic guidelines although it is not determining environmental competence needs, competence
that derive from this drives an organization to consider such intended to promote uniformity of risk management across The process approach applies to an EMS because a will need to be obtained or matched to the needs of the
changes or events, analyse their impacts and chances of an organizations. Of course, the design and implementation of comprehensive appreciation of an organizations processes and particular processes. If competence is not proven or
event occurring and then encouraging a planning or mitigation risk management plans and frameworks will need to take their interrelation needs to be known. The following are the main appropriate to a particular process this could result in adverse
strategy. into account the varying needs of a specific organization, its areas in an EMS where process thinking is attributable: environmental impact.
particular objectives, context, structure, operations, processes,
functions, projects, products, services, or assets and specific
Environmental aspects and practices employed.
• Context:
A comprehensive appreciation of processes needs to be
• Internal audit:
The processes which comprise the EMS need to be
operational control: understood when considering the macro environmental systematically audited over a time and frequency to determine
Following the determination of the macro issues, 14001 asks an Continual improvement: issues which interrelate between the organization and the
environment.
whether they perform effectively.
organization to determine the aspects and impacts of activities, A risk based philosophy means that an organization can be • Corrective action:
products and services in some form of risk assessment process. better prepared for the impacts of uncertainty, which in turn • Environmental aspects and operational controls: A corrective action is an opportunity to correct a problem
This analysis informs an organization where there are significant means greater resilience. Moreover, risk-based thinking implicitly In order to determine environmental aspects and impacts, identified in an EMS. A process approach to this will start
issues (risks or opportunities) that need careful management, results in continual improvement, as an organization is always risks and opportunities, an analysis of the inputs, activities at root cause and finish at an appropriate and satisfactory
where objectives need setting, controls that need designing or examining potential influences and changes. and outputs needs to be determined. As part of the analysis sustainable solution.
where and to what frequency internal audits need carrying out. the interactivity of one or more of the processes may need
to be taken into account. If it is not, this environmental risk
Planning – compliance assessment may omit environmental aspects and impacts
which in turn would result in no controls being devised. This
obligations: could result in a deleterious impact upon the environment.
Surrounding the determination of aspects and impacts is the
assessment of whether an organization is complying with
their legal framework. The concept of maintaining knowledge
and understanding of its compliance status has built in risk
assessment principles so that an organization can determine
its compliance status and, per se, understand where it is not
complying and therefore devise strategies to minimise the risk. £
£

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 ANNEX SL SECTION 1:
Annex SL provides the new common architecture for ISO Management System Standards.
It replaces ISO’s Guide 83, which provided a structure and text for management system
Standards. Guide 83 started to address the issues that many organizations had when
SCOPE
integrating such Standards as ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 27001.
There are no specific requirements
Annex SL takes the principles within Guide 83 and creates a for an organization to adhere to
universal high-level structure, identical core text, and common within this section. However, it
terms and definitions for all management system Standards High Level Structure sets out the parameters within
which make the integration of management systems when
according to a particular Standard easier. which ISO 14001 can be used
Annex SL high level structure comprises
Note: the “SL” in Annex SL doesn’t stand for anything – it’s just and provides the overall intended
the following:
the way that ISO numbers things! outcome of an EMS as being:
1. Scope
2. Normative References • Providing value for the environment,
3. Terms and Definitions the organization itself and interested
4. Context of the Organization parties,
5. Leadership • Enhancement of environmental
6. Planning performance;
7. Support • Fulfilment of compliance
8. Operation obligations;
9. Performance Evaluation • Achievement of environmental
10. Improvement objectives
Numbers 1 to 3 provide a background to the Standard
itself and it is not until number 4 that the requirements
The section also sets out that
or “clauses/sections” of the Standard are set out. the Standard is applicable to any
organization, regardless of size, type
Whilst clauses 4 to 10 are common to all Management
System Standards, ISO 14001 specifically relates to and nature.
environmental topics. So, whilst there is commonality,
there are processes to be established, implemented
and maintained such as an organizations’
understanding of a policy framework around
protection of the environment or “aspects and
impacts” and “life cycle perspective” which are unique
requirements to ISO 14001.

A good use of Annex SL and an example of an

integrated management system (IMS) is one that
simultaneously handles the requirements of ISO 9001
and ISO 14001.Typically, the processes required
in each Standard for document control, internal
audits, dealing with nonconformities, corrective
actions, or management review are shared, so that
the requirements of each Standard are met without
duplicating effort i.e. having two processes - one for
ISO 9001 and one for ISO 14001.

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 SECTION 2: SECTION 3:
NORMATIVE TERMS AND
REFERENCES DEFINITIONS
ISO/IEC Directives, Part two, Section 6.2.2, defines the inclusion of a normative reference This section sets out the terms and definitions that are used in the Standard which may
as, “This conditional element [of the Standard] shall give a list of the referenced need further clarification in order to apply the Standard to a particular organization.
documents… in such a way as to make them indispensable for the application of
the document.” They are listed according to the hierarchy of the concepts If an electronic version of the Standard has been purchased
(reflecting the sequencing of their introduction in the the definitions are hyperlinked to other definitions so that there
Standard). Terms are grouped by major clause title (i.e. interrelationship can be seen.
In other words, by citing something as a normative reference, Context of the Organization, Leadership, Planning, etc.). ISO/
it is considered as indispensable to the application of that TC 207/SC 1/WG 5 agreed to order terms within the groupings The following sections, 4 to 10, provide the requirements of
particular Standard. However, unlike ISO 9001, there are no such that: the Standard. When reading the Standard it is important that
normative references in ISO 14001. as with past ISO 14001 versions, the word “shall” indicates
i. discipline-specified terms are presented consecutively the mandatory requirements that an organization must meet
after its generic form, and to the extent possible. and external auditors, such as NQA, are required to verify
conformance and effectiveness against.
ii. present terms in the order in which they appear in the
text. WG5 inserted an “Alphabetical index of terms”, In order to understand how each of the following clauses
which may be modified to reflect alphabetical listings in applies to each other the remaining text applies to the
another language. following diagram:

In addition to the term or definition there are also notes that

seek to provide further information and clarity.

PLAN DO CHECK ACT

4 9
5 6 7 8 10
Context of the Performance &
Leadership Planning Support Operation Improvement
organization evaluation

4.1 6.1 Actions to 9.1 Monitoring, 10.1

8.1 Operational
Understanding 5.1 Leadership address risks measurement, Nonconformity
7.1 Resources planning and
the organization & commitment & opportunities analysis and and corrective
control
and its context (inc. Aspects, evaluation action
impacts &
5.2 compliance 8.2 Emergency
4.2 obligations 10.2 Continual
Environmental 7.2 Competence Preparedness & 9.2
Understanding improvement
policy response Internal audit
the needs and
expectations of 6.2
interested parties 5.3 Environmental
Organizational objectives and 9.3
7.3 Awareness
roles, planning to Management
4.3 responsibilities achieve them review
Determining and authorities
the scope of
the EMS 7.4
Communication

4.4 EMS

7.5 Documented
information

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 SECTION 4: 4.2 Understanding
the needs and

CONTEXT OF THE
expectations of
workers and other REGULATORY
BODIES
interested parties CERTIFIERS EMPLOYEES

ORGANIZATION
Whilst the term “interested parties”
may not be new within ISO 14001,
most organizations will probably
understand the term “Stakeholder”
better. From an understanding of the
context i.e. the conceptual or macro
This is a new concept in terms of ISO 14001:2015. Some organizations, prior to the introduction of important issues in the organization,
SUPPLIERS AND
determination of the stakeholders AN CUSTOMERS
“context” had performed a “baseline review”, which in some cases, provided a broad understanding DISTRIBUTORS ORGANIZATION
of an organization prior to working out the “nuts and bolts” of trying to manage (in some form) the or interested parties will provide an
understanding of who can be affected
environmental impacts. by the environmental impacts of the
organization.
The clause is sequential as there is need to understand the organization and context (4.1), prior to identifying interested parties
and understanding their needs and expectations (4.2), the output of both 4.1 and 4.2 allows determination of scope (4.3), and then Determination of interested parties
ultimately designing the EMS (4.4): can be formulated by creating
a “Map” i.e. those internal and TRADE
THE PUBLIC
external parties who interact with an ASSOCIATIONS
organization in some way:
4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4
Understanding of Understanding the Determining Environmental
the organization needs & expectations the scope of management
and context of interested parties the EMS system
Once this has been created then the interested parties relevant needs and expectations need to be
determined. There again, this can just be an iterative process, listing the interested parties needs and
4.1 Understanding of the expectations e.g. as customer may require ISO 14001. What is important though is the drawing out of
issues from interested parties that an organization may consider to become compliance obligations
organization and context (see later for a description of compliance obligations).
The intent of “Context” is to provide a high-level, conceptual
understanding of the important issues that can affect, either
positively or negatively, the way an organization manages its
environmental responsibilities. To put it another way, it is a
comprehensive appreciation of the macro processes (and their
interrelation) which can affect or be affected by an organization.
From ISO 14001:2015 Annex A, it suggests that the following
are also appreciated when understanding “context”:

• environmental conditions related to climate, air quality,

water quality, land use, existing contamination, natural
resource availability and biodiversity
• external cultural, social, political, legal, technological,
economic, competitive circumstances, where it operates
• internal characteristics or conditions of the organization,
and its capabilities

There are a number of methodologies that can be used

to determine context. A good way of achieving this is to
formulate a matrix setting out the requirements of the Standard
(and Annex A) and then perform a series of interviews
with appropriate employees, so that the knowledge of an
organization can be harnessed. Where appropriate, this could
be turned into a report. The benefit of this is that it provides a
cohesive explanation and a good reference to support present
and future business strategy. (It can also be reflected upon
when undertaking a Management Review (See Section 9
Performance evaluation below).

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 4.3 Determining the scope of
the EMS
From an understanding of the context, interested parties and
the interested parties needs and expectations, the scope of the
EMS can be determined. The “scope” sets out a description
of the extent and breadth of the EMS. Sometimes, at the
initial stages of an implementation, it can be problematic to
finalise the scope because sometimes there needs to be more
knowledge of the organization through implementation of
the remainder of the Standard (particularly when determining
environmental aspects and impacts from the activities,
products and services of an organization).

However, the scope should be documented in some form

within the EMS. Where a scope is particularly complicated,
perhaps because certain parts of a business are excluded
from the EMS because of legitimate reasons, then a clear
description in a manual or other document should be
undertaken. Where, the scope is relatively straight forward
then a good place to have it is in the Environmental Policy
Statement. As a publically facing document, the Environmental
Policy Statement may provide a good location for describing
scope. A clear description of the scope within the Policy
Statement can inform the reader succinctly of who the New consideration for
company is, what it does and what the remainder of the policy
relates to. Of course you may choose to have scope defined
climate change
in both places but if the scope changes, both statements will ISO has made changes to ISO 14001 to emphasise the
have to be changed! importance of addressing the effects of climate change
within the framework of organisational management
4.4 Environmental systems.

management system To enhance organisational awareness and response

to climate change, ISO has introduced two critical
The final section in clause 4 sets out that as a result of the changes within Clause 4:
above, an organization then has to determine, implement and
continually improve an EMS. The remainder of this document Original Clause 4.1:
will look at the how this is to take place. “Understanding the organisation and its context. The
organisation shall determine external and internal
issues that are relevant to its purpose and that affect
its ability to achieve the intended result(s) of its XXX
management system.”

This clause now explicitly includes the

statement: “The organisation shall determine
whether climate change is a relevant issue.”

Original Clause 4.2:

“Understanding the needs and expectations of
interested parties. The organisation shall determine:

• The interested parties that are relevant to the XXX

management system.
• The relevant requirements of these interested parties.
• Which of these requirements will be addressed
through the XXX management system.”

The clause now also states: “Note: Relevant

interested parties can have requirements
related to climate change.”

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 SECTION 5:
LEADERSHIP
The Standard states that top management must demonstrate leadership, commitment and
take accountability for the “effectiveness of the EMS.” This sets the tone for Section 5 and the
operation of the whole of the EMS.

It’s overall success and environmental performance level

will depend upon the extent to which top management Whilst the main thrust of leadership requirements
are committed in most aspects of the establishment, is within Section 5, as the Standard is holistic, there
implementation and continual improvement of the EMS. are other implied “leadership” requirements in the
following sections:
The following examples are how leadership can be
demonstrated within an EMS:
• Ensuring that the strategic plans of the organization and the Planning:
EMS objectives are compatible and integrated within the An appropriate understanding of the environmental
organization. aspects, actions, and compliance obligations and the
• Provision of appropriate resources. corresponding risks and opportunities, require strategic
• Considering and integrating environmental concerns in guidance from Top Management.
business planning and strategy.
• Understanding what good environmental performance is or Support:
“looks-like” and then responding appropriately. There are many instances where it is Top
• Facilitating the culture of continual improvement. Management’s role to provide a steer or “sign off” in
• Communicating appropriately amongst interested parties. order to support the aims of the EMS. This includes
provision of resources, gaining competence, ensuring
One potentially “public facing” example of demonstration
awareness, effective communication, and appropriate
of leadership is of course Top Management signing the
documented information.
Environmental Policy Statement, to say that as a Leader of
the organization, “this is what we are going to achieve”...or...
“these are our intentions”. Whilst this alone cannot solely been Operation:
seen as a demonstration of leadership, it provides a framework Certain operational control and emergency planning
so that the actions as described above can be implemented. need in many cases Top Management’s insight and
strategy.

Performance evaluation:
Top Management need to understand the output of
internal audit, measurement and monitoring results
and be actively involved in the Management Review
process.

Improvement:
Top Management influences the culture of continual
improvement and has the power to enable effective
continual improvement and ultimately have the final say
on how poor results are dealt with. For example, this
could be approval of monies for additional resources or
realigning the organizational strategy.

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 SECTION 6:
PLANNING
This section sets out a framework that asks an organization to analyse itself to determine the
aspects, impacts, risks and opportunities of its activities, products and services and then how
to manage the result of this analysis.

a) Aspects, impacts, risk, opportunities After generating a list of aspects, the aspects need to
be “sieved” to determine which can have a significant
and compliance obligations environmental impact. The principal reason for doing this is to
work out which are the most important and need either control/
This is a fundamental part of the EMS, as without
management or need their impact reducing to an acceptable
understanding the environmental implications of an
level.
organization’s activities, products and services there can be
no plans to either minimise, mitigate or manage environmental
The Standard says that in order to determine significance an In order to determine the appropriate compliance obligations The Standard sets out explicitly the framework it requires for
impact.
organization should use “...established criteria”. In assessing and how they apply to the organizations processes achieving objectives and a good way of depicting this, meeting
A good approach to understanding the environmental the significance it is suggested though that the following are and aspects a great deal of research may be needed, the Standard and having an “Action plan” to manage the
implications of an organization is by starting to understand considered: particularly if the organization is complex or highly potentially objectives is to form a table of the Standards’ requirements:
the business itself. The parameters of the organization have environmentally damaging. This is sometimes where
• The likelihood of the impact occurring
already been understood in the determination of scope. organizations need specialist help. However, from the list of
• The scale of the environmental damage What When How will the
Therefore, it is a matter of “filling in the gaps” with the detailed compliance obligations there may be areas where lack of What will Who will be
• The level of concern within interested parties resources will will it be results be
activities, products and services (processes) which comprise compliance or non-compliance is a risk to an organization and be done?
be required?
responsible?
completed? evaluated?
• The requirements of appropriate compliance obligations
the organization. it is important to identify this and put into place appropriate
(legal and other requirements).
plans to bring the process into compliance.
Assembling this information together into a matrix allows
consistency and the data to be presented logically. If Each of the above can be quantified in some way and scored. From the aspects and impacts analysis, “risks” will
appropriate this information could be referenced to a location At the end of this process it is important to sense check that be produced (as defined in the Standard as “effect of
plan of the organization so that referencing to physical location what has been scored as significant - is significant! uncertainty”). However, there may also be opportunities The latter column in the table above - “How will result be
can be achieved. i.e. where there is an activity that gives rise to significant evaluated?” is an interesting requirement that is worthy of
environmental impact there may be an opportunity to reduce consideration. The Standard directs an organization into
From determination of activities, products and services the environmental impact. Whilst this appears to be a process including indicators for monitoring progress towards achieving
environmental aspects and impacts need to be determined. that is undertaken just once, in reality it needs to be proactive its objectives. Whilst the intimation is that there needs to be a
Environmental aspects are defined as “element of an Potential Severity Rating
and reactive. It needs to be proactive in order to determine the quantitative measure, it is quite reasonable for the evaluation to
organization’s activities or products or services that interacts or environmental implications of planned or new developments. be qualitative e.g. if an organization had set an objective to say
can interact with the environment”. Environmental impacts are It also needs to be reactive; to determine when a process produce a report – an organization will know when the objective
defined as the “change to the environment whether adverse or Minor Moderate Significant Catastrophic
changes or when a compliance obligation changes. has been met if the report is produced!
beneficial, wholly or partially resulting from an organization’s
environmental aspects”. This process should take into account The overall theme of ensuring that the EMS is integrated within
b) Environmental objectives and
Likelihood severity occurs

potential emergency situations. Very Likely Moderate High Extreme Extreme the business is inherent within this part of the Standard. The
planning to achieve them best objectives will, of course, be meaningful to the business
An example of an interaction of a process causing an and therefore be integrated into the organizations’ processes.
aspects and impact: The Standard says that an organization has to “establish
Likely Low Moderate High Extreme
environmental objectives at relevant functions and levels
taking into account...significant environmental aspects and
associated compliance obligations and considering...risks and
Unlikely Very Low Low Moderate High
Aspect: opportunities”. If the analysis (above) has been undertaken
Process: Impact:
Emissions comprehensively, it should be obvious what needs to be worked
Heating Air pollution
from boiler on and where an objective needs to be set to bring about
Rare Very Low Very Low Low Moderate
change. Of course, an organization’s objectives do not need to
derive from the above analysis – but it’s a good place to start!

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 SECTION 7:
c) Documentation
The Standard gives clear direction as to what documentation it requires. The 2015 Standard is less prescriptive than other
iterations although it still requires the following:

SUPPORT Clause
4.3 (Scope)

5.2 (Policy)
Documentation Requirement
The scope shall be maintained as documented information and be available to interested parties.

The environmental policy shall be maintained as documented information.

6.1.1 (General) The organization shall maintain documented information of its:

This section looks at the resource, communication and documentation of an EMS. The • risks and opportunities that need to be addressed;
• processes needed in 6.1.1 to 6.1.4, to the extent necessary to have confidence they are carried out as
requirements really underpin an EMS and ensure that it runs effectively. planned.

6.1.2 (Environmental aspects) The organization shall maintain documented information of its:
• environmental aspects and associated environmental impacts;
a) Resources including competence b) Communication • criteria used to determine its significant environmental aspects;
• significant environmental aspects
and awareness
Effective and efficient internal and external communication is
6.1.3 (Compliance obligations) The organization shall maintain documented information of its compliance obligations.
In order to operate an EMS there are a variety of resources “key” to running an EMS. The Standard is helpful in providing
required which can include financial resources, inventory, a framework in order to depict the communication process 6.2.1 (Environmental objectives) The organization shall retain documented information on the environmental objectives.
human skills, production resources and information/computer within an organization. By turning this into a table and with
technology. As considered in Section 5, “buy-in” from reference to the “interested parties” or “stakeholder” analysis 7.2 (Competence) The organization shall retain appropriate documented information as evidence of competence.
Top Management is essential, as ultimately they have the undertaken in 4.2 a communications “plan” can be formed: 7.4.1 (Communication - General) The organization shall retain documented information as evidence of its communications, as appropriate.
decision to deploy or invest in the resources for the EMS.
An organization also has to identify the correct resources it 7.5.1 (Documented information – The organization’s environmental management system shall include: a) documented information required
With whom General) by this International Standard; b) documented information determined by the organization as being
requires. As part of identifying resources, an organization What will be When will it be
will it be
How will it be
communicated? communicated? communicated? necessary for the effectiveness of the environmental management system.
needs to look at the information produced within Section 6 to communicated?
acknowledge the risks/opportunities and resulting objectives NOTE: The extent of documented information for an environmental management system can differ from
that have been identified and need deployment of resources to one organization to another due to:
mitigate or manage them.
• the size of organization and its type of activities, processes, products and services;
• the need to demonstrate fulfilment of its compliance obligations
Usually, the greatest challenge is to provide competent and • the complexity of processes and their interactions;
knowledgeable personnel to support the requirements of Of course, the columns can be re-arranged if necessary! • the competence of persons.
the EMS. This is especially so when an EMS is first being
implemented. Creating a “training-needs” matrix based One important stakeholder, particularly in connection with 8.1 (Operational planning and The organization shall maintain documented information to the extent necessary to have confidence that
compliance obligations, are Regulators. If an organization control) the processes have been carried out as planned.
upon what competency or awareness is required amongst
organizations’ personnel will highlight when competency is heavily regulated and perhaps has a permit or discharge
8.2 (Emergency preparedness The organization shall maintain documented information to the extent necessary to have confidence that
has been achieved or is required. For example, if it has been consent then there may be a communications plan between and response) the process(es) is carried out as planned.
identified that there is a spill risk, then there needs to be organization and Regulator solely for the discharge of the
conditions – and to remain in compliance. 9.1.1 (Monitoring, measurement, The organization shall retain appropriate documented information as evidence of the monitoring,
appropriate competency and materials to deal with such analysis and evaluation – measurement, analysis and evaluation results.
a situation. General)
One area that is often forgotten is communication with
“persons doing work under the organization’s control”. 9.1.2 (Evaluation of compliance) The organization shall retain documented information as evidence of the compliance evaluation result(s).
As a “rule of thumb” it is advisable to treat contractors or
outsourced operations as if they were “direct” employees 9.2.2 (Internal audit programme) The organization shall retain documented information as evidence of the implementation of the audit
and communicate in a manner that is effective and so that programme and the audit results.
the communication is two-way. By adopting this philosophy it 9.3 (Management review) The organization shall retain documented information as evidence of the results of management reviews.
ensures that the “persons doing work under the organization’s
control” can contribute to continual improvement. 10.1 (Non-conformity and The organization shall retain documented information as evidence of:
corrective action) • the nature of the nonconformities and any subsequent actions taken;
• the results of any corrective action.

After these mandatory requirements, it is up to the organization to decide whether it requires further documentation. ISO
14001 says that the organization should determine appropriate documentation “as being necessary for the effectiveness of the
environmental management system”. Therefore, it is up to the organization to decide when and where they need documentation
and of course what form that should take, whether it be a procedure, flow chart or some other way of describing and managing the
way in which a particular process is carried out.

Where documented information is produced it needs to be created, updated and controlled consistently. An organization should
look to do this in as simple a way as they can as the greater degree of complexity - the more it can go wrong! As a minimum, a
version number, date and page numbers should be on each document.

22 ISO 14001:2015 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE ISO 14001:2015 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE 23
 SECTION 8:
OPERATION
One of the foundations of the Standard is mitigation, management and control of an
organization’s environmental impact and that is why designing, implementing and continually
improving the way in which processes or operations occur is essential to an effective EMS.

a) Operational planning and control

The Standard also states, in line with only having
The extent of operational control will be dependent on the appropriate and relevant documentation that:
organization’s activities, products and services and specific
compliance obligations. Also factored into this is the analysis “The organization shall maintain documented
described earlier to determine significant aspects. An information to the extent necessary to have
organization would want to look at controlling its significant confidence that the processes have been
aspects as a minimum so that they do not increase in magnitude carried out as planned.” This, in itself, is a
(or potentially cause pollution). This could be undertaken by judgement call for the organization but one that
writing a procedure and ensuring that people are competent. is important to make to ensure that an EMS is
not overloaded with ineffective “paperwork”.
Operational control and competency go hand in hand and
whatever form operational control takes the people operating in
that process should be able to carry it out effectively.
b) Emergency preparedness
and response
There are different types of operational Planning for unexpected events is a good all-round
control, including: organizational discipline. In ISO 14001, the aspects and impacts
• Electronic or mechanical technology to analysis will have highlighted potential emergency situations
reduce emissions where a negative environmental impact potentially could take
• Routine preventive maintenance programs to place. It is up to an organization, therefore, to determine the
reduce wear and breakdown of equipment plans that can be put in place in order to avoid or minimise
• Monitoring and observation of equipment environmental damage.
performance
• Procedures • Signs • Log Books Typical emergency preparedness includes having a good
• Check lists • Flow charts understanding of what may go wrong and then the measures
in place to mitigate the impacts. A good example is that within
the aspects and impacts analysis a particular activity may have
Operational control should also cover those activities that been identified as having the potential for spills. Emergency
are outsourced. The Standard acknowledges that in some preparedness knows what to do if there is a spill; people are
circumstances an organization will be able to control the competent (have the appropriate experience/training) in dealing
outsourced activities e.g. when say a contractor is working with a spill; there is the right equipment e.g. spill kits and that
directly on the organizations site but in some circumstances the there has been a test (where practicable) to ensure that the
influence of the organization will be limited. process will work! As best practice there should also be process
in place that if an emergency situation has taken place a post
When devising operational control, ISO 14001 states that an mortem occurs so that if appropriate the emergency process
organization should have a “life cycle perspective”. A life cycle can be improved.
perspective includes consideration of the environmental aspects
of an organization’s activities, products, and services that it Once again, the Standard, says that documented information
can control or influence. Typical stages in a life cycle include is required only to the extent necessary to have confidence
acquisition of raw materials, design, production, transportation/ that the emergency preparedness and response process is
delivery, use, end of life treatment, and final disposal. The carried out.
organization should consider those stages, from an operational
control perspective, in the life cycle over which it has the
greatest control or influence as these may offer the greatest
opportunity to reduce resource use and minimise pollution
or waste.

24 ISO 14001:2015 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE ISO 14001:2015 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE 25
 SECTION 9:
PERFORMANCE
EVALUATION
Performance evaluation comprises; measuring and evaluating an EMS to ensure that it is
effective and it helps continual improvement.

a) Monitoring, measurement, analysis In practice, this means referring to the list of compliance
obligations (see Section 6) and determining if compliance
and evaluation is being achieved. In many organizations this will entail “an
audit(s)”, perhaps annually or more depending upon the type
An organization should check, review, inspect and observe its
of organization to determine that the specific legal and other
planned activities to ensure that they are occurring as intended.
requirements are being met for each and every activity, product
An organization must make sure they have determined the
or service.
appropriate processes so that they can evaluate how well they
are performing. Monitoring generally indicates a process or The result of such an audit will establish the “compliance
processes that can check whether something is occurring as status”. If this can be translated into say a Pie chart, so that
intended or planned. an organization can see their percentage of compliance, this
can be very powerful in provoking change. This can lead to
For example, a monitoring process may comprise checks
prevention of prosecution due to breach of environmental law. b) Internal audit compliance obligations, where this is turned into percentage
for good housekeeping at a frequency of say once a week. compliance (with the Standard) this can be an effective way of
Measurement tends to mean that the size or magnitude of demonstrating performance and reporting upon it.
a particular process is measured i.e. calculated with the
A fundamental to continual improvement and a As explained previously, the principal of plan, do, check and
assignment of a numerical value. The type of measuring and
dynamic EMS is an effective internal audit process. act is inherent within ISO 14001. The same is true within
monitoring will differ from organization to organization. In high
The expectation of internal auditing by organizations this section. The Standard asks an organization to produce
energy use organizations, how much electricity and gas and
should be to determine whether the performance of the documented information as evidence of the implementation of
related carbon dioxide output may be critical to the business
organization conforms to the: an audit programme and audit results. An audit programme in
operation. In other organizations the amount of potable
process water used may be more appropriate. In administrative its simplest form sets out when and what is going to be carried
• organization’s own requirements
environments how much paper is consumed per person may be out over a period of time. Organizations may have programmes
• requirements of ISO 14001.
an appropriate indicator. It is up to the particular organization to which cover many years (or perhaps a certification cycle) but
decide. as a suggestion a minimum of a programme covering twelve
months should be produced.
Additionally, any equipment used to determine the Therefore, an organization needs to check “are we doing - what
measurement “indicator” should be calibrated so that a high we say we are doing?” To carry an internal audit out effectively The Standard also says that auditors should conduct audits to
level of confidence is gained that the numbers are indeed a true an auditor should use ISO 19011:2011 guidelines for auditing ensure objectivity and the impartiality of the audit process. This
representation of the facts. management systems as a framework. This sets the Standard is sometimes inherently difficult as internal auditors (by their
for carrying out an audit and should be part of the competency name) have a close relationship with the organization being
requirements of internal auditors. audited. However, sensible guidelines so that internal auditors
do not audit their own processes should be strived for.
The Standard also asks an organization to determine An audit should check that an organization is meeting the
a process to “evaluate the fulfilment of its compliance requirements of ISO 14001. Some organizations mistakenly When an audit has been carried out and the results of that
obligations”. In so doing, the organization has to: think that this can be carried out as part of certification activities audit produced (in a documented form e.g. an audit report) it is
that companies such as NQA carry out. This is not the case; important that they are efficiently communicated to appropriate
• determine the frequency that compliance will an organization should determine, through internal audit, stakeholders including appropriate management. Some of the
be evaluated; that they are meeting the requirements of the Standard (at a best performing organization ensures that the results (which can
• evaluate compliance and take action if suitable frequency). Many organizations undertake this kind of include non-conformities – see section 10 below) are fed also
needed; audit on a yearly basis and do so by turning the Standard into into “Top Management”. This can be important, especially where
• maintain knowledge and understanding of its a questionnaire and then systematically going through each an audit has found deficiencies within the system and resources
compliance status. part of the EMS to determine if particular requirement within are needed to rectify the situation.
the Standard is being met. In a similar way to evaluation of

26 ISO 14001:2015 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE ISO 14001:2015 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE 27
 c) Management Review Following the review, the Standard asks for the following “outputs”:
The most wide ranging and strategic evaluation of performance is the management review process. The management review must
be carried out by Top Management and should essentially be based upon factual input (generated by the system) in order to make
recommendations and improvements going forward (outputs). The outputs of the management review shall include:
The Standard is helpful in providing a framework of what a management review should entail and it is suggested that these headings
are used in the documented information that is produced by an organization: - conclusions on the continuing suitability, adequacy and This should be a wide ranging appraisal whether the EMS
effectiveness of the environmental management system; is suitable, adequate and effective.
Note: comments on each section have been included to provide guidance when carrying out the Management Review.

- decisions related to continual improvement opportunities; This can include changes to the EMS in its entirety, or
specific parts of the EMS.
Excerpt from 9.3 of ISO 14001 Comment
a) the status of actions from This should be a summary to what extent previous management review actions have been - decisions related to any need for changes to the environmental From the appraisal above it should be obvious what
previous management reviews; carried out or not carried out and the reasons why. Some organizations produce a comparative management system, including resources; decisions need taking.
table.

b) changes in:
- actions, if needed, when environmental objectives have not Where environmental objectives have not been met,
been achieved; decisions whether they were too hard, or whether they
1) external and internal issues that This is a review of the context review detailed in section 4. Changes in relation to external and
could not be achieved for specific legitimate reasons need
are relevant to the environmental internal issues should be explained.
to be brought out where appropriate.
management system;

2) the needs and expectations of Again, this is a review of the context review detailed in section 4. Changes in relation to the
needs and expectations of interested parties, including compliance obligations will need to be - opportunities to improve integration of the environmental This should be an appraisal as to whether the EMS is
interested parties, including integrated within the organization or whether further
noted. management system with other business processes, if needed;
compliance obligations; integration is required. To be an effective EMS the closer
the integration is to the organization and its processes the
3) its significant environmental If there have been any changes to significant aspect they should be explained. This will of more environmental benefit is likely to be achieved.
aspects; course depend realistically if there have been any changes to processes.

4) risks and opportunities; If there are any different or changes to the risks within the EMS these should be noted and - any implications for the strategic direction of the organization. Finally, really as a “catch-all” an organization should
explained. Any opportunities should also be brought out although this can be brought out in g) provide whether there are any implications as to the
below. strategic direction. This can be far ranging in realigning
the business say for greater environmental protection
c) the extent to which environmental Reviewing whether environmental objectives have been achieved needs to be carried out. It is or perhaps removing a process which is say particularly
objectives have been achieved; suggested that the formulation of a table to show the extent of objective realisation is included environmental damaging.
within the Management Review. This will allow a review of performance and the extent of
continual improvement achieved.

d) information on the organization’s

environmental performance,
including trends in:

1) nonconformities and corrective This should be a review of the non-conformities and corrective actions that have taken place
actions; since the last management review. If there have been particular trends in either corrective
actions or non-conformities they should be brought out as there may be decisions needed to be
taken to mitigate there occurrence.

2) monitoring and measurement As detailed earlier in this section, a depiction should be created to determine whether the
results; monitoring and measurement that is carried out is meeting the expectations of the organization.
Where the information that is provided shows underperformance then the Management Review
process can provoke change.

3) fulfilment of its compliance Whether an organization is meeting its compliance obligations is fundamental to an EMS. To
obligations; satisfy this part of the Standard, it can be as simple as saying that the organization is “meeting
its compliance obligations”. However, if an organization has decided to depict (as detailed
above) a pie chart to show its “compliance status” then inserting this into the documented
information will meet this requirement. On a practical level, if a particular compliance obligation
is proving tricky to comply with then this should be highlighted too.

4) audit results; The results of audits carried out since the last Management Review should be appraised. To
cover this comprehensively it should include both internal and external audits. The depth to
which this is carried out will differ from organization to organization and the quantity of audits
carried out.

e) adequacy of resources; A review as to whether resources are adequate to run the EMS broadly or resources to carry out
individual process should be appraised. Very often “Top Management” need to informed about
inadequacy of resources (in whatever form) so that change can be provoked.

f) relevant communication(s) from There may have been comments, complaints or other communications from interested parties.
interested parties, including By reviewing them this may give an external perspective as to how well the EMS is performing.
complaints; If there is a particular issue that needs resolving that has been highlighted by an interested party
“Top Managements” assistance to resolve it may be required.

g) opportunities for continual Opportunities for continual improvement may have been brought out of other sections of the
improvement. Management Review although any other opportunities for improved environmental performance
should be reflected upon.

28 ISO 14001:2015 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE ISO 14001:2015 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE 29
 SECTION 10:
IMPROVEMENT
• Implement any action needed;

This section draws together • Review the effectiveness of any corrective action taken;
the fundamentals for achieving • Make changes to the environmental management system,
continual improvement i.e.: if necessary”.
• Those items within section 9 in relation to the results The Standard says that this process should be documented.
from analysis and evaluation of environmental There are various ways to achieve this but usually this
performance, evaluation of compliance, internal audits comprises a “Corrective Action Request” (CAR) for each
and management review. corrective action and a “log” which is essential to record and
manage the CAR’s. This is especially useful where numerous
• Non conformity and corrective action. corrective actions are raised.

The “log” can be as simple as:

If the EMS has been designed well, continuous improvement
opportunities should arise, be captured and actioned in
a timely manner. Key to this is pulling into an appropriate Audit
Non
When Action
Date non
conformity Responsibility: conformity
location those actions that provide continual improvement. date: due: taken:
description: closed:
Some organizations use their environmental programme
framework to keep their continual improvement actions
managed and so that they can be reviewed as part of
this process.

a) Non conformity and corrective action More complex systems can “code” different types of non-
conformity. This can then be used to generate trend data that
The audit process, whilst evaluating the performance of an can be useful in on-going performance appraisal of the EMS
organization, can bring about non conformities and resulting and the Management Review process.
correction actions.

A non-conformity can occur in an organization at any time

b) Continual Improvement
whilst undertaking its processes. A methodology to capture, The Standard says that:
manage and resolve needs to be undertaken and the Standard
asks for the following:

• React to the nonconformity and, as applicable: “The organization shall continually

1) take action to control and correct it; improve the suitability, adequacy and
2) deal with the consequences, including mitigating effectiveness of the environmental
adverse environmental impacts;
management system to enhance
• Evaluate the need for action to eliminate the causes of environmental performance.”
the nonconformity, in order that it does not recur or occur
elsewhere, by:

1) reviewing the nonconformity; In practice, if all the above sections are established and
2) determining the causes of the nonconformity; implemented then continual improvement will occur.
3) determining if similar nonconformities exist, or
could potentially occur;

30 ISO 14001:2015 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE ISO 14001:2015 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE 31
 GET THE MOST AQUATERRA
FROM YOUR ENERGY CASE
MANAGEMENT STUDY
SYSTEMS
From seabed to surface, Aquaterra Energy is the oil and gas industry’s first choice for
offshore products, systems, and projects around the world. Swift, flexible, and responsive,
Aquaterra Energy’s engineers and analysts create the solutions that customers need, while
delivering operational improvements and efficiency gains.

Top tips to get the most out of your health and safety
management system:
Simon Hatson, Aquaterra Energy’s Head of QHSE
& Business Improvement explains the benefits for
1. To have an effective EMS ensure that 7. Use the ISO 14001 Standard implementing their management systems and gaining
“Top Management” is committed to as a means to design certification within their company:
its establishment, implementation and your EMS.
Many of the team involved use the
continual improvement.
process as a genuine opportunity
to review how we are performing
8. Have a robust methodology for against our own requirements as
2. Use the Standard to help bring assessment of aspects, impacts, risks well as identifying opportunities to
environmental management to and opportunities as this underpins improve. We like to keep the wider
the boardroom. the EMS. team involved to show that audits
are not something to be afraid of,
but rather an opportunity to share
3. Use “Context” to understand the 9. Ensure you have a good process what we are doing.
environmental impacts affecting the in place to determine and assess
organization and how the organization your compliance obligations. Operating across the UK, Egypt and Norway, the company
affects the environment on a
currently employs 67 full-time members of staff, along with an
established team of on and offshore contractors that support
NQA AND AQUATERRA
macro level. the delivery of projects as required. ENERGY GROW TOGETHER
10. Use the EMS to provide a
sustainable approach to Working in highly volatile marine environments, Aquaterra “It has been a long-standing commitment of the business to
Energy’s customers understandably demand the highest ensure our systems and provisions have been checked and
4. Integrate the EMS into your work organizational work processes.
Standards in safety, quality, project delivery and responsive verified by a credible body. When considering the platforms,
processes so that it is not another
customer service. This is why they turned to NQA to audit riser systems and associated systems that we supply to the
thing to do – it’s just what you do! and provide them with ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management offshore industry, a UKAS accredited NQA certificate provides
11. See audits as a measure and System), ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management assurance to our clients that our systems enable us to provide
means in which to improve System) and OHSAS 18001:2007 (Health & Safety to the highest level of quality.”
5. Be prepared to be flexible in performance. Management System) certifications.
Aquaterra Energy achieved certification to ISO 9001 in 2006,
approach to achieve the outcomes
and followed this shortly with ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001.
of your EMS. Their expert in-house teams of analysts, designers and Their integrated system, as well as their relationship with NQA
engineers cover:
12. Use management review is longstanding and has enabled them to develop and improve
to provide strategic direction. • Design: conceptual, FEED, analysis, their operations as the business has evolved and grown.
6. Use the data that is captured 3D modelling.
Interested in creating a case study for your certification
through your EMS to see if you • Procurement: specification, manufacturing, inspection,
achievements, get in touch: marketing@nqa.com
are improving. construction, FAT/SIT.
• Installation: procedures, supervision, commissioning,
testing, handover.

32 ISO 14001:2015 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE ISO 14001:2015 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE 33
 NEXT STEPS ONCE ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPLEMENTED MANAGEMENT
AWARENESS TRAINING
• Your organization should raise awareness about
various Standards covered under IMS.
INTERNAL AUDIT
• A robust internal audit system for the organization is
essential. Internal Auditor Training is recommended
and NQA can provide Internal Auditor Training for the
TRAINING
1 • You should hold separate training meetings for top
management, middle management and junior level
management, which will help to create a motivating
6 Standard(s) that you are implementing.
• It is important to implement corrective actions for
Using ISO 14001:2015 as a framework, learn how to implement, audit and improve your
environment, ready for implementation. improvements, in each of the audited documents, in environmental management system and reduce impacts. Our courses suit the needs of
order to bridge gaps and ensure effectiveness of IMS.
new environmental managers implementing ISO 14001 for the first time through to auditors
and professionals.
POLICY AND OBJECTIVES ORGANISE A MANAGEMENT ‘SYSTEM’
REVIEW MEETING COURSE DETAILS LVL. DURATION PRICE
• Your organization should develop an Integrated
Quality Policy/Environment Policy/Health & Safety • Top level management must review various official
Policy/Information Security Policy and relevant business aspects of the organization, which are
NQA ISO 14001:2015 EMS (Environmental) E-Learning Introduction Training 1 0.5 Days £170.00
2 objectives to help meet the requirements.
• By working with top level management your company
7 relevant to the Standards being implemented.
• Review the policy, objectives, results of internal FREE TO NQA CLIENTS
should hold workshops with all levels of management audit, results of process performance, results of
staff to outline the integrated objectives. complaints/feedback/legal compliance, results of risk
assessment/incidents and develop an action plan NQA ISO 14001:2015 EMS (Environmental) Introduction Training 1 1 Day £425.00
following the meeting - which must be minuted.
NQA ISO 14001:2015 EMS (Environmental) Implementation Training 2 1 Days £425.00
INTERNAL GAP ANALYSIS THOROUGH GAP ANALYSIS OF
IMPLEMENTED SYSTEMS NQA ISO 14001:2015 EMS (Environmental) Internal Auditor Training 2 1 Days £425.00
• Your organization should identify and compare the
level of compliance of existing systems against • A formal pre-certification gap analysis should be
requirements of the Standards under your new IMS. conducted to assess effectiveness and compliance of CQI and IRCA ISO 14001:2015 EMS (Environmental) Internal Auditor 2 2 Days £750.00
3 • Relevant staff should all understand the operations of
the organization and develop a process map for the
8 system implementation in the organization.
Training (A1644)
• This final gap analysis will prepare your organization
activities within the business. for the final certification audit.
CQI and IRCA ISO 14001 EMS (Environmental) 2 3 Days £950.00
Lead Auditor Conversion Training (A1883)

DOCUMENTATION / PROCESS DESIGN CORRECTIVE ACTIONS CQI and IRCA ISO 14001 EMS (Environmental) 3 5 Days £1375.00
Lead Auditor Training (A18211)
• The organization should create documentation • Organization should be ready for final certification
of the processes as per requirements of relevant audit, providing that the gap analysis audit conducted
Standard(s). in the last step and all the non-conformities (NC)
4 • You should write and implement a manual, functional
procedures booklet, work instructions, system
9 have been assigned corrective actions.
• Check that all the significant NCs are closed and the
procedures and provide associated terms. organization is ready for the final certification audit.
NEXT STEPS FOR
FURTHER ACCREDITATION
DOCUMENTATION / PROCESS FINAL CERTIFICATION AUDIT
IMPLEMENTATION
• Processes / Documents developed in step 4, should
• Once completed, your organization is hopefully
recommended for registration to
ISO 14001 ISO 5001 PAS 2060
be implemented across the organization covering all ISO 9001/14001/ISO 45001.
5 the departments and activities. 10 • CONGRATULATIONS!
• The organization should hold a workshop on the Once you hold certification to ISO 14001, the ‘basic framework’ is already there and the benefits
implementation as per applicable for the ISO
Standard requirements. of ISO 50001 are also within reach. Including compliance to ESOS in the UK. PAS 2060 has been
designed to help organisations address their sustainability and carbon output.

34 ISO 14001:2015 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE ISO 14001:2015 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE 35
 NQA ASSOCIATE
PARTNER PROGRAMME
NOTES
If you are looking for a
consultant to assist you
with a new or existing
management system,
NQA can help!
Our APP has consultants from all over
the country enlisted on it. The register is
designed to help you find experienced
consultants who can help.

We have been The professionalism Since being certified

using JMT Quality and work-ethic Clark to ISO 9001 and ISO
Consultants as our ISO from CBO Associates 14001 we have relied
external auditor for the showed during our on Martin Giddens
past couple of years ISO 9001 process from Morton Hodson
and I wish that we had was excellent. Clark for support with our
done so much earlier! is a professional annual process auditing.
We have found them in his delivery, a Martin understands our
to be very professional, knowledgeable person business and always
providing not only a that offers a high advises us of which
comprehensive audit level of service which changes to guidance
report but additional makes him an ideal and regulations apply
ideas for improvement QHSE Consultant. and what we need to
and contacts for our His ideas and do to implement them.
company that we delivery are both Martin’s expertise
could additionally creative and effective. ensure that staying
benefit from. CLARK-IT,
compliant is simple.
ABERDEENSHIRE LONSDALE DIRECT
SAFETYBOSS
SOLUTIONS

To find a consultant to support you through ST

E D G LO B
A
U

your certification journey contact us on:

LL
TR

0800 052 2424 (option 2) or email sales@nqa.com YE A RS

SI
•

NC 8 8
E 19 0015

36 ISO 14001:2015 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE ISO 14001:2015 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE 37
 USEFUL LINKS
IEMA – Transforming the world sustainability
https://www.iema.net/

edie.net
https://www.edie.net/

Environmental Management Training

https://www.nqa.com/en-gb/training/environmental-management

ISO - International Organization for Standardization

https://www.iso.org/home.html

Authored on behalf of NQA by: Andrew C Fletcher

www.nqa.com