ISO 14001: Certification of an Environmental Management System

Different organisations may engage in a wide variety of activities, but in one respect they are all the same: they use natural resources and, in one way or another, pollute or, at the very least, place a burden on their environment.

IAF CertSearch – A global database containing all accredited management system certificates

The IAF CertSearch database was created by the IAF (International Accreditation Forum). The purpose of IAF CertSearch is to provide accurate data on accredited (management system) certificates issued by certification bodies accredited by internationally recognised accreditation bodies that are signatories to the IAF MLA.

The database allows you to check whether:

whether their suppliers and partners hold certification,
whether the certificate(s) are valid,
whether the certification body issuing the certificate is accredited,
whether the certifying body is accredited to issue certificates in accordance with the relevant standard.

All certificates issued by IWS Certification can be found at https://iafcertsearch.org in the IAF CertSearch database, which is available via the link.

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Operation of an environmental management system

At the same time, society as a whole – including customers, consumers and owners – is paying increasing attention to the environmental impact of companies’ activities and of the products and services they use. It is a fundamental expectation that companies comply with environmental legislation and demonstrate their commitment to reducing negative environmental impacts in their day-to-day operations. This is both a challenge and an opportunity, as it allows a company to demonstrate its environmental responsibility, stand out from its competitors, and show its commitment to existing and potential customers.

As a result of its environmentally conscious approach and the effective operation of the Environmental Management System (EMS), the organisation strives to reduce its use of natural resources, prevent environmental pollution and minimise its environmental impact. By using resources more efficiently and in decreasing quantities, and by avoiding environmental fines, its costs are also reduced, enabling it to operate more efficiently.

The purpose of the Environmental Management System in accordance with the ISO 14001 standard

The aim of certification to the ISO 14001 standard is for the certified organisation to demonstrate its commitment to the environment through its operational environmental management system, and to prove that it is striving to reduce its environmental impact. Through certification, the organisation demonstrates its compliance with societal expectations, thereby improving the public perception of the business and its image.

The primary aim of the standard’s requirements is therefore to reconcile environmental protection and the prevention of environmental pollution with economic, social and regulatory requirements. Furthermore:

the certified organisation its efficiency and effectiveness are increasing, which contributes to business performance, thereby increasing the value of the company;
the organisation’s operations will become more transparent, and lines of responsibility and authority will be clarified;
helps to attract new business, as customers tend to have greater confidence in certified companies;
provides an opportunity to participate in tenders, in which, in most cases, certification by an accredited third party is a requirement;
a the certificate may be used for marketing purposes, helps to raise the profile of the certified company.

The ISO 14001 standard sets out the key requirements for establishing an effective environmental management system sector-neutral elements.These are as follows:

environmental policies;
design;
implementation and operation;
management review;
audit and corrective measures

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The purpose of the Environmental Management System in accordance with the ISO 14001 standard

The specific benefits and advantages of certification

The implementation of the ISO 14001 system encourages the organisation to give continuous consideration to environmental aspects. One of the major advantages and attractions of EMS is that it generates savings. It focuses on environmental protection and carries out production or service provision in harmony with the environment

The effective operation of a system established in accordance with ISO 14001 can yield a number of positive benefits:

Environmental impacts:

environmental risks are reduced (by assessing the likelihood of potential environmental incidents and preventing them);
can be prevented and environmental pollution and environmental impact can be reduced;
the likelihood of pollution-related incidents is reduced and thus avoid additional cleaning costs and/or enforcement measures imposed by the regulatory authorities.
the harmful effects on the environment are reduced, such as:
- emissions of harmful substances and pollutants (emissions);
- the volume of waste and wastewater;
- emissions of soil, water and air pollutants resulting from operations;

Economic efficiency

the more efficient use of resources, with increasing efficiency (i.e. decreasing resource consumption) results in cost savings;
keeping the consumption of raw materials (e.g. water) and energy to a minimum reduces operating costs;
improving profitability as a result of the cost reductions outlined above, thereby increasing customer satisfaction;
by making the entire production process environmentally friendly waste management costs are reduced;
an increase in corporate valuations among financial institutions and insurance companies;
through an effectively structured environmental management system new domestic and export markets become accessible, sustainable and continuously expandable;
an accredited ISO 14001 certificate in international tenders and local business development demonstrates a high level of environmental compliance;
A fundamental requirement for operating in accordance with ISO 14001 is often the public procurement, grant applications, supplier selection and customer orders award;
environmental costs will become more transparent;
reducing the risk of penalties, and avoiding environmental proceedings and fines.

External assessment and regulatory compliance:

there is a growing commitment to compliance with environmental legislation: By identifying legal requirements and actively monitoring changes to them, compliance with environmental legislation becomes a top priority, thereby reducing the risk of potential environmental fines or – in more serious cases – the suspension of business operations;
compliance with environmental legislation;
feasible minimising the risk associated with environmental liability;
a regular checks help to reduce due to a breach of the regulations the risk of legal consequences;
a compliance with the requirements of partners and the authorities (regulatory bodies);
the organisation an improvement in its social, community and market reputation.

Sustainable development:

the use of materials and other resources becomes more efficient: the conscious use and planning of resources alongside cost savings, thereby helping to conserve natural resources;
Employees’ environmentally conscious behaviour is on the rise: Training and employee engagement help to increase staff satisfaction, boost motivation and foster an environmentally conscious mindset;
a clear definition of environmental responsibilities;
the continuous improvement of environmental performance;
improvements in waste reuse as a result, the organisation is moving towards sustainable development;
demonstrating the organisation’s commitment to the environment in accordance with the ISO 14001:2004 international standard;
improving the market situation through innovative, environmentally friendly products and services;
improving environmental performance, driven by senior management and aimed at sustainable development.

Operations certified to the ISO 14001 standard are therefore characterised by operational efficiency, reduced environmental impact, regulatory compliance and a commitment to sustainable development

Certification guarantees that the organisation has an environmental management system in place that comprehensively addresses the analysis and management of environmental impacts, and ensures that compliance with environmental legislation is taken into account at management level throughout the organisation’s operations.

Enjoy these benefits for yourself – put your trust in IWS’s expertise!

We offer a free consultation service on an ongoing basis, during which our safety management and occupational health and safety specialists share their expertise and answer any questions you may have about the system and its implementation.

Why not let us handle your ISO 14001 certification tasks?

Accreditation

IWS holds the internationally recognised accreditation required for its certification, issued by the National Accreditation Authority (NAH) under reference number NAH-4-0152/2022: https://www.nah.gov.hu/hu/szervezet/iws-solutions-kft-/. This ensures that the certificate issued by IWS is widely accepted by the certified organisation both domestically (in the case of public tenders and calls for proposals) and internationally.

About the standard in general

An environmental management system that complies with the requirements of the ISO 14001 standard and is certified by an accredited certification body is recognised and accepted worldwide. The ISO 14001 standard provides a framework enabling an organisation to identify, measure and control its environmental impacts and environmental risks. By reducing the latter and continuously improving its environmental performance, it contributes to the continuous improvement of its environment.

The relationship between ISO 14001 certification and other management system certifications

The standard is based on the principle of continuous improvement, just as in quality management (ISO 9001) or Occupational Health and Safety Management (ISO 45001, VCA), so its approach is closely linked to those.

In developed Western countries, there has been a trend for several years whereby companies that have already implemented a quality management system in accordance with the ISO 9001 standard and an occupational health and safety management system in accordance with ISO 45001 are continuing to build out their systems by implementing an environmental management system in accordance with ISO 14001.

IWS’s qualified environmental experts carry out certification audits of the systems required by the standard, in accordance with international accreditation, to meet our partners’ needs.

As part of the ISO 14001 certification process, organisations have the opportunity to conduct an integrated audit alongside their existing ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 systems, and to provide training for staff in line with the requirements of ISO 14001 (introduction to the ISO 14001 standard, ISO 14001 internal auditor training, etc.).

Who is it for?

Establishing and certifying an environmental management system in accordance with the ISO 14001 standard can be beneficial for both small and large companies, as well as manufacturers and service providers. For the organisation, this not only serves to demonstrate environmental awareness, but can also result in financial savings through, for example, the conscious management of resources. It is worth implementing for organisations that:

regulated environmental protection activities they would like to build;
integrated management system set themselves the goal of developing;
with a systems approach wish to address environmental issues;
environmental issues to prevent, to eliminate and mitigate existing problems, and thereby They strive to improve and refine their environmental performance.

ISO 14001 is of particular importance in industries that are most sensitive in terms of environmental protection and environmental impact. The implementation of the system is primarily beneficial for companies engaged in production, manufacturing, construction work or service provision, in particular:

construction and contracting sector
industrial and manufacturing companies (electronics, steel, metal and plastics processing sectors, automotive industry)
service sector (e.g. healthcare, freight forwarding and logistics companies)
food industry/FMCG sector
the gas, oil and chemical sectors, and raw materials extraction
public utilities sector (power stations, water, gas, electricity, waste management, etc.)

Why IWS?

We have auditors who speak both Hungarian and other languages, and we are able to conduct integrated audits of management systems compliant with ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001 and ISO/IEC 27001, even across multiple sites in different countries.
One an accredited certificate issued by an independent certification body demonstrates a commitment to all stakeholders (employees, customers, clients, owners, etc.) and provides reliable evidence of the existence of regulated environmental measures within the company.
The audit we have carried out also provides management with objective feedback on the operation of the system, and thus contributes to its development and the evaluation of its results.

IWS certification

Diana Seres

Head of Certification

Ágnes Aszódi

ISO Product Manager

ISO 9001, 14001, 27001, 45001, 50001

Eszter Tamás

Project Manager

VCA/SCC certification

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