ISO14001 the International Environmental Management Standard

This Standard is intended to help companies become aware of their environmental responsibilities and to encourage them to work towards reducing their impacts on the environment. The process involves carrying out an environmental aspect impact audit to identify the highest areas of impact and then setting meaningful, measurable and achievable targets for reducing these impacts.

There are 6 areas of risk to the environment which are;-

• 1 emissions to air
• 2 releases to water
• 3 production of waste materials
• 4 land contamination
• 5 use of raw materials and natural resources including energy and water
• 6 local community issues such as noise and light pollution

Companies should look at what forms of energy they use and then measure how much of each type they are using. Those who use significant quantities of water should measure the volume used. Then companies can set reduction targets for energy and water consumption. Typical ways of saving energy are planning to minimise travel in visiting customers; replacing traditional lighting with LED lighting; use of heat recovery for background office heating and recycling waste water.

Compliance with waste disposal regulations is another area of the Standard. Any type of waste has to be taken off site by a registered waste carrier who will have a licence to either recycle or dispose of the waste at a specified site.

Phil Brown

24/11/2021