ISO 14000 standards and their specifics. International environmental management standards
- ISO has developed standards to help organizations take a proactive approach to environmental issues: ISO 14000 series of environmental management standards, which can be implemented in organizations of any type, in the public or private sector - from companies to administrative and utility organizations.
- ISO helps address climate change by setting standards for greenhouse gas emissions, emissions control and trading, and measuring the carbon footprint of products.
- ISO develops standards that facilitate the reconciliation of business and environmental interests by encouraging the inclusion of environmental performance in product design.
- ISO offers a comprehensive set of standards for sampling and research methods to address specific environmental issues. This organization has developed about 570 international standards for monitoring the situation in the field of air, water and soil quality, as well as noise, radiation, and control over the transport of dangerous goods. They also serve in a number of countries as the technical basis for environmental legislation.
Environmental protection and sustainability
Organizations around the world, and their stakeholders, are increasingly aware of the need for environmental management, socially responsible behavior, and sustainable growth and development.
Accordingly, as proactive environmental management merges with enterprise risk management, corporate governance, operational and financial practices and governance, international standards become particularly important for organizations working towards common and comparable environmental objectives within the organization's own sustainability agenda. , its products and services.
In addition, government and other regulatory bodies are increasingly looking to ISO standards to provide a basis for consistency and consistency at national and international levels.
ISO International Standards and associated normative documents provide consumers, regulators and organizations in the public and private sectors with environmental tools with the following characteristics:
- technical reliability- ISO standards accumulate the knowledge of a wide group of international specialists and stakeholders;
- meeting stakeholder needs- the ISO standards development process is based on international input and consensus;
- assistance in the development of uniform requirements - the process of developing ISO standards is based on the participation of all interested national institutions from all regions of the world;
- promoting efficiency- the same standards are implemented in different markets, sectors and/or areas;
- promoting legislative coherence- the standards used satisfy market and regulatory requirements;
- increasing investor confidence - standards can be used to assess conformity, for example audit, inspection or certification. This increases confidence in products, services and systems, as demonstrated by ISO certification and provides practical regulatory support.
Overview of ISO 14000 series standards
Accepted Standards
ISO 14001- an internationally recognized basis for building environmental management systems (EMS)- introduced from Argentina to Zimbabwe. Implementation of this standard helps organizations simultaneously best manage their environmental impact and demonstrate environmental stewardship.
ISO 14001 standard has been adopted as a national standard by more than half of ISO's 160 national members and its use is encouraged by governments around the world. Although certification of conformity to a standard is not a mandatory requirement of the ISO 14001 standard, at the end of 2007, at least 154,572 certificates had been issued in 148 countries.
Other environmental management tools developed by ISO/TC 207: ISO 14004, which complements ISO 14001 by providing additional manuals and useful explanations.
Environmental audits are important tools for assessing whether an EMS is properly implemented and maintained. Auditing Standard ISO 19011 equally useful for conducting quality management system and environmental management system audits. It regulates the principles of auditing, the management of audit programs, the conduct of audits and the requirements for the competence of auditors.
ISO 14031 provides guidance for organizations to assess environmental performance. The standard also addresses the selection of appropriate performance indicators, thereby allowing performance to be assessed based on criteria established by the organization's management. This information can be used as the basis for internal and external reporting on environmental performance.
Sharing information on the environmental aspects of products and services is an important way to use market forces to improve the environment. True and accurate information provides the basis for consumers to make informed purchasing decisions.
Standard series ISO 14020 aims to address a range of different approaches to environmental labeling and claims, including eco-labels (seal of approval), self-declaration of environmental conformity, and quantified environmental information about products and services.
ISO 14001 concerns not only the environmental aspects of the processes occurring in the organization, but also its products and services. ISO/TC 207 has therefore developed additional tools to assist in resolving such issues. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool for identifying and assessing the environmental performance of products and services from cradle to grave, from determining the input flow of resources to the end use of the product or its waste. Standard ISO 14040 Establishes guidelines for conducting life cycle studies that provide organizations with information on how to reduce the overall environmental impact of products and services.
ISO 14064 parts 1, 2 and 3- standards for accounting and control of international greenhouse gases (GHGs), which establish a list of clear requirements for supporting organizations and initiators of projects to reduce GHG emissions.
ISO 14065 complements ISO 14064 with specific requirements for the accreditation or recognition of bodies that validate and verify GHG calculations using ISO 14064 or other relevant standards or technical documents.
ISO 14063- a guide to environmental communication with examples, helps companies make important connections with external stakeholders.
ISO 64 Guide serves as a guide for the reflection of environmental issues in product standards. Although this document is primarily aimed at standards developers, it is also useful for product developers and manufacturers.
Expected new standards
Sustainable development policies and practices have received significant attention and debate over the past 15 years. Our understanding and concerns about the environment and sustainable development have also evolved over time. Just as existing ISO 14000 series standards support organizations in addressing today's priorities, future standards will help address challenges that will become priorities in the future.
An integral part of an organization's environmental management system is a commitment to continuous improvement. ISO/TC 207 adheres to this principle as a core principle, and continually improves the process of identifying and responding to new standardization needs. The success of ISO/TC 207 comes from continuous work on relevant standards, as evidenced by the development of the following new standards:
ISO 14045- will establish principles and requirements for assessing environmental performance. Eco-efficiency is measured by the ratio of environmental performance to value created. The standard will establish an internationally standardized methodological framework for assessing environmental performance, thereby supporting the scope, clarity and transparency of environmental performance measurement.
ISO 14051 - will enable the development of general principles guidance and a material flow cost accounting (MFCA) framework. MFCA is a tool for managing the efficient use of resources, mainly in production and distribution, in order to reduce relative resource consumption and material costs.
MFCA measures the flow and stock of materials and energy resources within an organization, expressed in physical units (mass, power, volume, etc.) and values them according to production costs. This factor is usually overlooked in conventional cost accounting. MFCA is one of the main environmental management accounting (EMA) tools and is aimed at internal use within an organization.
ISO 14067, which regulates the measurement of the carbon footprint of products, provides requirements for the quantification and transfer of greenhouse gases (GHGs) associated with products. Each part of the standard regulates the following issues: quantification of carbon footprint (Part 1); harmonization methodology for sharing carbon footprint information, as well as guidance for such sharing (Part 2).
ISO 14069 will regulate the rules for calculating the carbon footprint of products, services and the entire supply chain.
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13. System of standards ISO 14000. General information. Directions of ISO 14000. Levels of ISO action on the environment.
ISO standards include the following sections:
ISO 14001 and 14004 - Environmental management system (EMS): specification and guidance for use, basic principles and methodology, published September 1996;
ISO 14010-14012 - guidelines for environmental auditing: fundamental principles, EMS audit, requirements for the qualification of auditors, published in October 1996;
ISO 14020-14025 - environmental labeling: basic principles and requirements for product certification, terms and definitions, practical program, certification procedure for products, reviewed in 1998;
ISO 14031 - assessment of environmental performance of PMS, draft submitted to the Technical Committee in 2000;
ISO 14040-14043 - life cycle assessment, draft submitted in 2000;
Environmental Management System(environmental management system) - part of the overall administrative management system, which includes the organizational structure, planning, responsibilities, methods, procedures, processes and resources necessary for the development, implementation, implementation, analysis and maintenance of environmental policy.
Environmental aspect(environmental aspect) - an element of an organization's activities, products or services that can interact with the environment. (Note - An environmental aspect is one that is significant if it has, or is likely to have, a significant impact on the environment.)
Environmental policy(environmental policy) - an organization's statement of its intentions and principles related to its overall environmental performance, which serves as the basis for action and the establishment of environmental targets and targets.
ISO 14000 standards are voluntary and can be used:
For the internal needs of the organization and external needs to demonstrate compliance with environmental standards to clients and investors.
ISO 14000 provides for reducing the impact of pollution on the environment at 3 levels:
Organizational level through improving the environmental behavior of the enterprise
National level through the creation of a significant addition to the national regulatory framework and a component of state environmental policy
International through improving the terms of international trade
14. GOST R ISO 14000
Certification of enterprise quality management systems for compliance with international standards ISO 9000 or ISO 14000, especially those related to the defense, chemical, petrochemical, engineering and food industries, has today become a necessary condition for exporting products, participating in joint projects with foreign partners, and obtaining government orders.
Currently, on the territory of the Russian Federation there is a system of GOSTs regulating the implementation and operation of the environmental management system - GOST R ISO 14000, which spells out all the principles of environmental management. For example, GOST R ISO 14001 provides guidance on the use of environmental management systems; GOST R ISO 14004 provides general guidance on the principles, systems and methods of environmental management systems; using GOST R ISO 14014, you can determine the “initial level” of environmental efficiency of an enterprise; GOSTs R ISO 14010, 14011, 14012 give an idea of an environmental audit and recommendations for its implementation; GOST R ISO 14020 describes the principles of environmental labeling of products, and GOST R ISO 14040 provides a methodology for assessing its “life cycle”.
This system, unlike most existing standards in the field of environmental protection, is aimed not at quantitative indicators and not at changes in production technology (although it does not exclude them), but at the management potential of the organization.
In recent years, business has been paying increasing attention to environmental issues. It is their solution that is the main task, for the optimal solution of which an EMS (environmental management) system is created and implemented at enterprises.
The requirements for its development and creation are formulated in a series of international standards and Russian analogues of the mentioned standards, which are united by a block of standards.
Your business will reach a new level of quality if you obtain a legitimate ISO Certificate with the help of experienced professionals.
What issues are regulated by the mentioned standards?
There are currently 29 active certificates in the ISO 14000 series. The most important of them are adapted to Russian legislation through the development and adoption of standards of the GOST R ISO standard 14000 series. The content of these regulatory documents is as authentic as possible to the originals.
Key ISO 14000 standards, widely used in Russia, address the following issues (see table).
Table No. 1
The only standard to which a company's EMS can be certified is ISO 14001:2015. The Russian analogue of this certificate is currently standard 14001-2007. This GOST R ISO is valid until 03/01/17, after which its updated version, adapted to the new international standard, registered under number 14001-2016, will come into force. This standard was adopted by Rosstandart on April 29, 2016 (see order No. 285-st).
Basic requirements, strict adherence to which legally confirms the presence of an ISO 14001 certificate.
The environmental direction of ISO (ISO) was implemented in the block of standards of the ISO 14000 series. The fact of receiving the appropriate EMS certificate indicates that the enterprise:
- Developed its own policy in the field of ecology and documented it in a list of principles and intentions of the organization, accompanied by a statement of the desire to achieve the fullest possible compliance with all requirements relating to environmental issues that apply on the territory of Russia;
- It develops and observes the necessary procedures that determine the significant impact of the enterprise on the natural environment;
- Environmental goals are defined and environmental objectives are formulated;
- An EM program has been developed;
- Sufficient funds and resources are allocated for the successful implementation of the EMS;
- Regular staff training is provided;
- The implementation of activities that may have a negative impact on the environment is monitored;
- An audit of the EMS is carried out;
- Periodically, adjustments are made to the current EMS, taking into account the effectiveness and adequacy of the latter to the current conditions.
The series of standards under consideration can be implemented by any company seeking to develop, implement and further maintain and periodically improve its EMS, regardless of the existing regulations and legislative framework on the issue mentioned.
What benefits does an organization that has been certified for compliance with the provisions of the ISO 14001-2007 (GOST R) standard receive?
The procedure for creating and implementing an EMS is quite labor-intensive, time-consuming and very expensive. The current legislation classifies it as voluntary.
What then is the benefit for business?
- The presence of ISO 14001 demonstrates to partners, potential clients and investors that the organization has an EMS that fully meets the requirements of today. This fact greatly simplifies the promotion of products in markets, especially in industrialized countries. Therefore, it is the desire to possess the appropriate certificate that becomes the main argument in favor of introducing an EMS. Because this gives a tangible increase in profits;
- Environmental certification helps improve the company's image;
- The presence of an EMS allows you to achieve real savings in resources and energy through optimization and increased management efficiency;
- Passed certification increases the estimated value of the enterprise (its fixed assets);
- The quality of the organization’s management system, etc., improves.
The emergence of ISO 14000 - a series of international standards for environmental management systems in enterprises and companies - is called one of the most significant international environmental initiatives.
WHAT IS ISO 14000
The ISO 14000 series of standards, unlike many other environmental standards, are not focused on quantitative parameters (volume of emissions, concentration of substances, etc.) or on fulfilling the requirement to use the “best available technology”. The main subject of ISO 14000 is the environmental management system, EMS. Typical provisions of these standards are that certain procedures must be established and followed within the organization, certain documents must be prepared, and a person must be assigned responsibility for a certain area. The main document of the series - ISO 14001 - does not contain any absolute requirements for an organization's impact on the environment, however, the organization in a special document undertakes to comply with national standards.
This nature of the standards is due, on the one hand, to the fact that ISO 14000, as international standards, should not interfere with the scope of national regulations. On the other hand, the predecessor of ISO are “organizational” approaches to product quality (for example, the concept of “global quality management” - total quality management), according to which the key to achieving quality is building an appropriate organizational structure and distributing responsibility for product quality.
The decision to develop ISO 14000 was a result of the Uruguay Round of World Trade Agreement negotiations and the Rio de Janeiro Summit on Environment and Development in 1992. ISO 14000 standards are developed by Technical Committee 207 (TC 207) of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The standards are modeled after the British Standards BS 7750, published in 1992, to which around 500 companies now voluntarily participate. The ISO 14000 standards system also used the proven model of international standards for product quality systems (ISO 9000), to which more than 70,000 enterprises and companies around the world are currently certified. The first standards in the ISO 14000 series were officially adopted and published at the end of 1996.
The system of standards should ensure the reduction of adverse environmental impacts at three levels:
- Organizational - through improving the environmental “behavior” of corporations.
- National - through the creation of a significant addition to the national regulatory framework and a component of state environmental policy.
- International - through improving the terms of international trade.
ISO 14000 SYSTEM OF STANDARDS
Documents included in the system can be divided into three main groups:
- principles of creation and use of environmental management systems (EMS);
- environmental monitoring and assessment tools;
- product-oriented standards.
In the three named areas, the following documents have been developed and are being developed:
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Principles of environmental management |
Accepted |
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ISO 14001 |
Environmental Management Systems (EMS) - Specifications and Guidance for Use |
+ |
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ISO 14004 |
EMS - General Guide to Principles, Systems and Techniques |
+ |
|
ISO 14014 |
A guide to determining the “entry level” of a business’s environmental performance. Should be used before establishing a formal environmental management system |
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|
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Tools |
||
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ISO 14010 |
Environmental Auditing Guidelines - General Principles of Environmental Auditing |
+ |
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ISO 14011/1 |
Environmental Auditing Guide - Audit Procedures - Audit of Environmental Management Systems |
+ |
|
ISO 14012 |
Environmental Auditing Guidelines - Qualification Criteria for Environmental Auditors |
+ |
|
ISO 14031 |
Guidelines for assessing the environmental performance of an organization |
|
|
Product-specific standards |
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ISO 14020 (Document Series) |
Principles of eco-labeling of products |
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ISO 14040 (Document Series) |
“Life cycle assessment” methodology—assessing the environmental impacts associated with a product at all stages of its life cycle |
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|
ISO 14050 |
Glossary |
+ |
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ISO 14060 |
Guidance on integrating environmental aspects into product standards |
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM – Environmental Management Systems
A key concept of the ISO 14000 series is the concept of an environmental management system in an organization (enterprise or company). Therefore, the central document of the standard is ISO 14001 - “Specifications and guidance for the use of environmental management systems.” Unlike other documents, all of its requirements are “auditable” - it is assumed that compliance or non-compliance with a specific organization can be established with a high degree of certainty. It is compliance with the ISO 14001 standard that is the subject of formal certification.
All other documents are considered as supporting documents - for example, ISO 14004 contains more detailed guidance on creating an environmental management system, the 14010 series of documents defines the principles of EMS auditing. The 14040 series defines a “life cycle assessment” methodology that can be used to assess the environmental impacts associated with an organization's products (as required by ISO 14001).
The main requirements that ISO 14001 imposes on an organization, and compliance with which means that the organization has an environmental management system that complies with this standard, are as follows:
1. The organization should develop an environmental policy- a specific document of the organization's intentions and principles, which should serve as the basis for the organization's actions and the definition of environmental goals and objectives (see below). Environmental policies must be appropriate to the size, nature and environmental impacts created by the company's activities, products and services. Environmental policies should include, among other things, statements of commitment to regulatory compliance, as well as "continuous improvement" of the environmental management system and "pollution prevention". The document must be communicated to all employees of the organization and be available to the public.
2. The organization should develop and follow procedures to determine significant environmental impacts(Note that here and elsewhere the standard talks about impacts associated not only with the organization's activities directly, but also with its products and services). The organization must also systematically consider all legal requirements related to the environmental aspects of its activities, products and services, as well as other requirements (for example, industry codes).
3. Taking into account significant environmental impacts, legal and other requirements, the organization should develop environmental goals and objectives. Goals and objectives should be as possible quantitative. They should be based on environmental policy (“including an awareness of the need or commitment to prevent pollution”), and defined for each function (area) and level of the organization. Their formulation should also take into account the views of “stakeholders” (by which we mean any groups and citizens whose interests are affected by, or concerned about, the environmental aspects of the enterprise’s activities).
4. To achieve its goals, the organization must develop an environmental management program. The program should determine responsibilities, means and deadlines to achieve goals and objectives.
5. The organization must have an appropriate responsibility structure. Sufficient human, technological and financial resources must be allocated to ensure the operation of this system. There should be a designated person responsible for the operation of the environmental management system at the organization level, whose responsibility should be to periodically report to management on the performance of the EMS.
6. A number of requirements must be met staff training, as well as preparation for emergency situations.
7. The organization must implement monitoring or measuring key parameters activities that may have a significant impact on the environment. Procedures should be established to periodically verify compliance with applicable legal and other requirements.
8. Periodic environmental management system audit to determine whether it meets the criteria set by the organization, as well as the requirements of ISO 14001, is implemented and operates properly. The audit can be carried out either by the company itself or by an external party. The audit results are reported to the company's management.
9. The management of the organization should periodically review the operation of the environmental management system from the point of view of its adequacy and effectiveness. Necessary changes to environmental policy, objectives and other elements of the EMS must be considered. This should take into account the results of the audit, changing circumstances and the desire for continuous improvement of the system. In general, the requirements of the standard are based on the open cycle “plan - implementation - verification - revision of the plan.”
10. All procedures, their results, monitoring data, etc. must be documented.
The standard implies that the environmental management system is integrated with the overall management system of the organization. The standard does not require that those responsible for EMS operations have no other responsibilities, or that documents related to environmental management be separated into a separate document management system.
WHY DO ENTERPRISES NEED ISO 14000 STANDARDS?
ISO 14000 standards are “voluntary”. They do not replace legal requirements, but provide a system for determining how a company affects the environment and how legal requirements are met.
An organization may use ISO 14000 standards internally, for example as an EMS model or an environmental management system internal audit format. It is assumed that the creation of such a system provides an organization with an effective tool with which it can manage the totality of its environmental impacts and bring its activities into line with various requirements.
Standards can also be used externally to demonstrate to clients and the public compliance of the environmental management system modern requirements. Finally, an organization can obtain formal certification from a third (independent) party.
Despite the voluntary standards, according to the chairman of ISO/TC 207 (the technical commission that develops ISO) Jim Dixon, within 10 years, 90 to 100 percent of large companies, including multinational companies, will be certified in accordance with ISO 14000, that is, they will receive “third party” certification ” that certain aspects of their activities comply with these standards. Businesses may want to obtain ISO 14000 certification primarily because such certification (or registration in ISO terminology) will be one of the essential conditions for marketing products in international markets(for example, the EEC recently announced its intention to allow only ISO-certified companies into the Commonwealth market).
Other reasons why a business may need EMS certification or implementation include:
- improving the company's image in the field of compliance with environmental requirements (including environmental legislation);
- saving energy and resources, including those allocated to environmental protection measures, through more efficient management of them;
- increase in the estimated value of the enterprise's fixed assets;
- desire to conquer markets for “green” products;
- improvement of the enterprise management system;
- interest in attracting highly qualified labor.
According to ISO, the certification system should be created at the national level. Judging by the experience of countries such as Canada, the leading role in the process of creating a national certification infrastructure is played by national standardization agencies, such as Gosstandart, as well as chambers of commerce and industry, business unions, etc.
The standard registration process is expected to take 12 to 18 months, approximately the same time as it takes to implement an environmental management system at an enterprise.
Since the requirements of ISO 14000 largely overlap with ISO 9000, simplified certification of enterprises that already have ISO 9000 is possible. In the future, the possibility of “double” certification is expected to reduce the overall cost.
SITUATION IN RUSSIA
An environmental management system is part of an organization's overall management system, designed to help the organization formulate an environmental policy. In our country, the certificate according to the ISO 14000 series standard corresponds to GOST R ISO 14001 - 2007.
Obtaining certification in the ISO 14000 system may be necessary for Russian enterprises operating or planning to sell products in foreign markets. Since the national certification infrastructure is currently at an early stage of development, such enterprises tend to invite foreign auditors. In addition to the high cost of the services provided, foreign auditors are often unfamiliar with the requirements of Russian environmental legislation.
Therefore, in the near future it seems advisable to take the following steps:
- popularization of ISO 14000, including through the publication of the Russian-language text of the standards;
- popularization of the basic principles of environmental audit of industrial enterprises;
- training of specialist auditors;
- development of the regulatory framework for environmental audit;
- the introduction of a national system of environmental certification and product labeling, and as a first step, the official recognition of certain environmental labeling systems for imported products.
The introduction of an environmental management system improves the environmental situation by moving from eliminating the consequences of emergency situations to their prevention. Thus, an ISO 14000 certificate improves economic performance by reducing the financial costs of paying penalties. Also ISO 14000 helps the organization monitor and implement measurement procedures, which allow monitoring of direct or indirect environmental impacts.
ISO 14000 ISSUES
While companies working in the field of environmental auditing and consulting unanimously welcomed the adoption of ISO 14000 standards, the reaction of other stakeholders was not so clear. ISO 14000 is the subject of intense debate involving the business community, government agencies and public organizations. On the one hand, ISO 14000 certification creates a common basis for comparing the environmental policies of companies from different countries at the international level. On the other hand, there are concerns that the standards create favorable conditions for the “export of pollution” - the transfer of hazardous industries to developing countries. A company can be certified in a developing country, meeting much more lenient national regulations. Certification in these countries can be facilitated by positive attitudes towards large foreign investors, as well as widespread corruption.
Supporters of ISO 14000 consider its flexibility to be an important advantage of the standard - the organization itself sets its own goals in the field of environmental protection. Moreover, in their view, the implication of the “continuous improvement” and “pollution prevention” provisions is that even a company already meeting national standards must continue to improve its environmental management system and reduce pollution.
Their opponents believe that this flexibility is excessive - a polluting enterprise can, while reducing its emissions by an insignificant amount, nevertheless formally comply with the requirements of the standard. It is sometimes argued that ISO 14000, with its complete lack of quantitative requirements, cannot be considered a standard at all.
The subject of controversy is the relationship of ISO 14000 with the national regulatory framework. Some conservative politicians in the United States believe that ISO, with its voluntary certification system, should become the only instrument of environmental regulation at the national level, replacing “command” regulatory methods. Thus, the head of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection stated that “a company that has received ISO 14000 certification should no longer have to deal with regulatory authorities.” This announcement caused a wave of indignation among the state's environmental community, and after some time the Department was forced to issue an official statement that it considered ISO 14000 as an addition to existing regulatory methods.
Another topic of discussion is whether the degree of enterprise openness required by the standard is sufficient. According to ISO 14001, The environmental policy of the organization must be available to the public, and the goals and objectives of the organization are set taking into account the opinions of “stakeholders”. On the other hand, it is noted that the environmental policy, being the only document available to the public, is of a very general nature. There are also proposals to include in the standards certain mechanisms of public participation in making environmentally significant decisions. To this end, for example, the American non-governmental organizations ECOLOGIA and Green Seal are participating in the development of ISO 14031 (“Guidelines for assessing environmental aspects of activities”).
The implementation of an environmental management system allows:
- reduce: costs of energy, water, resources; risk of environmental disasters; waste;
- improve: economic indicators; products as a result of changes in the technological process; the company's image, both in the eyes of clients and customers;
- optimize the control system;
- increase trust in the company.
The requirements of the ISO 14000 standard are fully compatible with the requirements of the ISO 9000 and OHSAS 18000 standards.
Certificate according to ISO 14000 standards is issued for a period of 3 years. Upon request, the certification center carries out an audit, during which the degree of compliance with the applicable quality system standards is determined.
Environmental management is currently one of the most important priorities in the field of environmental protection.
The ISO 14000 series of international standards (IS), which appeared in 1996, is a reflection of one of the society's significant international environmental initiatives.
What are the ISO 14000 standards for?
ISO International Standards are intended to provide organizations with the elements of an effective environmental management system that can be combined with other elements of management management to achieve environmental and economic objectives.
An environmental management system is part of an overall administrative management system that includes the organizational structure, planning, responsibilities, methods, procedures, processes and resources necessary to develop, implement, implement, review and maintain environmental policies.
How does the ISO 14000 standard system differ from other documents developed in the field of environmental protection?
Unlike many others, the MS ISO 14000 system is focused not on quantitative parameters (volume of emissions, concentrations of harmful substances, etc.) and not on technology (the requirement to use this or that equipment), but on an environmental management system.
The typical provision of this system is that each organization must have:
1. Certain environmental procedures have been introduced;
2. Measures have been taken to strictly comply with them;
3. Document packages have been prepared;
4. Responsible persons for certain areas of environmental activities have been appointed.
What documents are included in the ISO 14000 series of standards?
Documents of the ISO 14000 system can be divided into three main groups:
· documents describing the principles of creating and using environmental management systems (EMS);
· environmental monitoring and assessment tools;
· product-oriented standards.
The key concept of the ISO 14000 series is the EMS (environmental management system) in an organization. Therefore, MS 14001 EMS is considered the central document of the series. Specifications and instructions for use." MS ISO 14001 establishes requirements for an environmental management system. We have translated it as GOST of the Russian Federation “Environmental quality management systems. General requirements and recommendations for use." Unlike other documents, all of its requirements are “verifiable”. ISO 14001 contains only those requirements that can be objectively audited for certification and/or self-declaration purposes. It is assumed that compliance or non-compliance with a particular organization can be determined with a high degree of certainty. It is compliance with the ISO 14001 standard that is the subject of formal certification.
All other documents are considered as supporting documents. For example, standard 14004 contains extensive guidance on creating an EMS. The 14010 series defines audit principles and 14040 defines a “life cycle assessment” methodology that can be used to assess environmental impacts during product development.
How can ISO 14000 be used to reduce adverse environmental impacts?
The ISO 14000 series MSs are developed taking into account the already proven ISO 9000 series MSs.
It is expected that the new system of standards will reduce adverse environmental impacts at three levels:
1. Organizational - through improving the environmental “behavior” of companies;
2. National - through the creation of state environmental policy;
3. International - through improving the terms of international trade.
What determines the success of implementing ISO 14000 standards?
Of course, adoption of the ISO 14000 series of MS standards does not in itself guarantee optimal environmental results. To achieve environmental performance targets, the environmental management system should encourage organizations to consider adopting best available technology where feasible and economically feasible. In addition, the environmental efficiency of such technology should be fully taken into account.
The success of the system depends on the commitment made at all levels and by all parts of the organization, especially senior management. The system enables the organization to establish procedures (and evaluate their effectiveness) to formulate its environmental policy and environmental performance targets, ensure that its operations comply with those policies, and demonstrate that compliance to others.
The same general management system principles apply to ISO 14001 as the ISO 9000 series of quality system standards. Organizations may select an existing management system consistent with the ISO 9000 series as the basis for their environmental management system.
All requirements contained in ISO 140001 can be included in any environmental management system. The extent to which they apply will depend on factors such as the organization's environmental policy, the nature of its activities and the conditions in which it operates.
What are the main requirements of the ISO 14000 series for an environmental management system?
The MS ISO 14000 series standards contain five basic requirements for an environmental management system:
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY - An organization's statement of its intentions and principles related to its overall environmental performance, which serves as a basis for action and the establishment of targets and targets.
PLANNING includes the following aspects:
1. Environmental aspects - an element of an organization's activities, products or services that may interact with the environment. An important environmental aspect is one that has, or is likely to have, a significant impact on the environment. This process should consider normal operating conditions, shutdown and start-up conditions, and actual and potential impacts associated with reasonably foreseeable or emergency situations.
2. Legal and other requirements. The organization shall establish and maintain a procedure for identifying legal and other requirements and obtaining access to those requirements to which the organization agrees and which apply to the environmental aspects of its activities.
3. Target and planned environmental indicators. The organization must establish and maintain documented environmental targets and targets for each department. Their establishment should take into account legal and other requirements, significant environmental aspects, financial and operational needs, and the views of interested parties. All indicators must be consistent with environmental policy, including a commitment to prevent pollution.
4. Environmental management program(s). The organization shall develop and maintain a program(s) to achieve its environmental targets and targets. Such a program should include: — distribution of responsibility for achieving target and planned environmental indicators for each relevant department and organization; - the means and time frames within which they must be achieved.
IMPLEMENTATION AND OPERATION includes the following aspects:
1. Structure and responsibility. Duties, responsibilities and authorities must be defined, documented and communicated to all concerned in order to promote effective environmental management. It cannot be assumed that only the environmental service bears responsibility for environmental protection.
2. Training, awareness and competence. The organization shall develop and maintain procedures for identifying personnel training needs. Personnel performing work that may have a significant impact on the environment must have the competence resulting from appropriate education, training and/or practical experience. Personnel performing work that may have a significant impact on the environment must have the competence resulting from appropriate education, training and/or practical experience.
3. Communication. In the field of environmental aspects and environmental management system, the organization must establish and maintain procedures for: - internal communication between different levels and divisions of the company; — Receiving, documenting and responding to appropriate communications from external interested parties.
4. Documentation of the environmental management system. The organization should identify and maintain up-to-date information on paper or electronic media to: — describe the main elements of the administrative management system and their interaction; — indications of related documentation.
5. Documentation management. The organization shall establish and maintain procedures for the control of all records required by this International Standard so that: — they can be found; — they are periodically reviewed, revised as necessary and approved for adequacy by authorized personnel; — current editions of relevant documents are available at all locations where work important to the effective functioning of the environmental management system is carried out; - outdated documents were immediately removed from all distribution and application points, or their unintentional use was prevented in some other way; - any outdated documents retained for legal purposes and/or to preserve records are properly identified.
6. Operations management. The organization shall identify those operations and activities that have identified significant environmental aspects that are consistent with its policies, targets and plans. The organization shall plan these activities, including maintenance, to ensure that they are carried out under specified conditions.
7. Emergency preparedness and response. The organization shall establish and maintain procedures for identifying and responding to the possibility of disasters and emergency situations, and for preventing and mitigating environmental impacts that may be associated with these situations.
INSPECTIONS AND CORRECTIVE ACTIONS INCLUDE:
1. Monitoring and measurement. The organization shall establish and maintain documented procedures for regularly monitoring and measuring the essential characteristics of its operations and activities that may have a significant impact on the environment. This should include recording information to monitor execution, appropriate operational controls and compliance with the organization's targets and plans.
2. Non-conformity and corrective and preventive actions. The organization shall establish and maintain procedures for defining responsibilities and authorities for identifying and investigating nonconformities, taking action to mitigate any resulting impacts, and initiating and taking corrective and preventive actions.
3. Registered data. The organization shall establish and maintain procedures for identifying, maintaining and disposing of environmental records.
4. Audit of the environmental management system. Here, audit refers to a systematic and documented process of examining objectively obtained and evaluated data to determine whether an organization's environmental management system meets the organization's audit criteria for such a system, and to communicate the results obtained therefrom. process, management.
MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS. The organization's top management should review the environmental management system at intervals it determines to ensure its continued suitability, adequacy and effectiveness.
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