ISO 14001 Certification | Bureau Veritas 

For companies, resource-saving and environmentally conscious actions are becoming increasingly relevant. Not only because all environmental protection measures can improve our living conditions, but also because the public increasingly expects progressive companies to operate in a sustainable, environmentally conscious and resource-saving manner. A certification according to the international standard ISO 14001 is an effective way to

• Sustainably improve your company's environmental performance
• Meet the requirements of the public, customers, authorities and environmental policy
• Conserve resources and save costs
• Improve one's own reputation and build a progressive image

ISO 14001 - THE GLOBALLY RECOGNIZED STANDARD FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Since the environmental standard was published in 1996, around 363,000 companies and organizations have been certified in compliance with ISO 14001. The newest version of the environmental management standard was published by ISO (International Organization for Standardization) in September 2015. The old ISO 14001:2004 certificates lost their validity on September 14, 2018. Therefore only certificates according to the new ISO 14001:2015 are valid.

WHY SHOULD MY COMPANY BE CERTIFIED ACCORDING TO ISO 14001?

For every company the customer is the focus of attention! In order to gain new customers or keep existing ones and satisfy them, the product or service must meet the customer's requirements exactly - ISO certifications support you in this.

THIS ISO 14001 CERTIFICATION OFFERS YOU THESE ADVANTAGES

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE  ISO 14001 CERTIFICATION (FAQ)

HOW EXACTLY CAN MY COMPANY BENEFIT FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM?

By being certified according to the new ISO standard, companies show that they are oriented towards the high demands of the market and customers and that they strive for high product and service quality. Environmentally relevant factors such as energy consumption, waste or pollutant emissions, use of recyclable materials or environmental compatibility of products are controlled and sustainably optimised.

WHAT IS ISO 14001?

ISO 14001 is an internationally recognized environmental management standard that defines the exact requirements for an environmental management system. Generally, it can be applied in any company that is striving for a significant and verifiable improvement in its environmental performance based on the PDCA cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act):

Plan: Planning and target setting with regard to environmental aspects, legal requirements and individual needs

Do: Execution and implementation of the planned processes within the entire organization

Check: Monitoring of environmentally relevant indicators such as energy consumption, waste or pollutant emissions and measurement of environmental performance

Act: reaction and possible correction of the processes introduced to achieve the environmental objectives

ISO 14001 thus enables continuous optimisation of resources as well as compliance with the general objectives set to reduce environmental impact.

For HOW LONG IS MY ISO 14001 CERTIFICATION VALID?

An ISO 14001 certification is valid for 3 years. In September 2015 the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) published the new version of the environmental management standard. As a result, since September 2018 all ISO 14001:2004 certificates are invalid and can only be maintained by a certification of the new ISO 14001:2015.

WHICH COMPANIES OR INDUSTRIES CAN BE CERTIFIED WITH ISO 14001?

The certification of ISO 14001 is possible for any size of company and industry - from small service providers to large industrial companies or governmental authorities.

WHAT REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET TO OBTAIN AN ISO 14001 CERTIFICATION?

In principle, the prerequisites for certification are independent of size, industry or organizational form. However, the company must commit itself to ensuring that the respective environmental management system to be certified functions and has been tested so that it complies with the ISO 14001 standard.

IS ISO 14001 COMPATIBLE WITH OTHER CERTIFICATIONS?

DIN EN ISO 14001 is compatible with other standards, such as OHSAS 18001 certification (occupational health and safety management), DIN EN ISO 9001 (quality management) and DIN EN ISO 5001 (energy management).

WHICH ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS ARE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT?

According to the ISO 14001 Revision 2015 standard, environmental aspects are part of the products or services of an organization that interact with the environment. Each one of those aspects can cause one or more environmentally relevant impacts. Therefore, when company-specific environmental aspects are identified and assessed, each company must determine the most appropriate and beneficial option. In addition, the management system should document how the environmental aspects with their associated impacts are to be identified and how the environmental impacts can be minimised by taking risks and opportunities into account.
 

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THE ISO 14001 CERTIFICATION AT A GLANCE

Environmental protection as an important competitive factor in the marketing of products and services is now just as important as quality, adherence to delivery dates or price. With the systematic introduction of an environmental management system and the associated certification according to ISO 14001, you confirm your environmental commitment and your conformity with environment-related legal requirements, thus securing business relations with other companies and increasing your competitiveness.