| It is a fundamental principle of ISO 14001, which governs environmental management systems, that organizations set their own goals, based on whatever considerations they wish to include, such as the demands of customers, regulators, communities, lenders or environmental groups. The ISO 14001 standard provides a framework within which to develop plans to meet those targets, and to produce information about whether or not the targets are met.
By the end of 2001, nearly 32,000 organizations worldwide had received ISO 14001 accreditation.
An important benefit of adopting ISO 14001 is to give stakeholders the reassurance they need that the organization's environmental claims are valid. |
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| The ISO 14001 standard is intended to be flexible, and to be of value in a wide variety of situations. However, it is applicable most readily to large companies that already have a formal management system in place, and which have the expertise and resources to incorporate environmental issues into that system.
However, the principles have been designed to apply also to smaller businesses, and to non-business organizations.
In general, conformance with one of the international standards can lead to the implementation of other standards. For example, once an organization has implemented ISO 14001, it is easier for it to satisfy the requirements of EMAS (the European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme).
Information accredited to BSI-Global. |
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