Environmental management systems - ISO 14005 makes maturity assessment and implementation easier

ISO 14005:2010, Environmental management systems – Guidelines for the phased implementation of an environmental management system.

Including the use of environmental performance evaluation, ISO 14005:2010 has been developed primarily to help organizations, and in particular small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), use a phased approach to implement or improve an environmental management system (EMS).

This International Standard is applicable to any organization regardless of its level of development, activities, or location.

Originally mandated by the European Commission (EC), the standard describes how an EMS can be set up in steps, whatever the starting point in the organization, to a level that can meet the requirements of ISO 14001 (environmental management systems).

Since the EC mandate also referred to the European Union Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) as an example of systems going beyond ISO 14001 in certain requirements, ISO 14005 includes EMAS-specific references to performance and communication oriented add-ons.
Applying ISO 14005

Several applications of ISO 14005:2010 already demonstrate its added value to different types of user, as described in the following examples :

    Application 1 : Assessing the maturity of an existing EMS to define a certification schedule

A large manufacturer with 90+ manufacturing and service facilities worldwide applies the same integrated business management system everywhere. However, depending on size, not all sites have applied for ISO 14001 certification. When the company decided to include its smaller facilities in future certifications, it also decided to use ISO 14005 to assess the maturity of each site in terms of meeting all ISO 14001 or EMAS requirements.

The steps in ISO 14005 corresponding to maturity levels, as defined in Table A.1 of the standard, were built into a self-assessment tool used by each non-certified facility, and a certification plan was developed based on the results. This plan will lead to completion of ISO 14001 certification in the next three years.

    Application 2 : Assessing the maturity of a supplier’s EMS

Assessment of EMS implementation along the supply chain is another example of using ISO 14005.

Globalization of the economy means globalization of worldwide production. The result is that products today contain an increasing number of parts from different suppliers. These suppliers are involved in virtually all the life cycle stages from production of raw materials to recycling and/or disposal of the end product, and have an influence on environmental performance from cradle to grave. This prompts the following questions :

    - Is an organization aware of all its supplier’s environmental risks and impacts?
    - Can an organization be sure that its suppliers comply with legal environmental obligations?
    - Is the supplier aware of its environmental impacts (e.g. carbon footprint) and its environmental risks (e.g. use of toxic substances), and is this information available to the organization or other stakeholders?

If the supplier operates an EMS in conformity with ISO 14001 then this demonstrates that the necessary prerequisites are in place to satisfy its customer’s requirements regarding legal compliance, performance improvement, and specifics such as a defined recyclability rate. While EMS implementation should be easier for suppliers with less complex environmental aspects, they may still be as reluctant to go for full ISO 14001 conformity compared to those with more complex environmental aspects. However, adherence to ISO 14001 requirements demonstrates a supplier’s commitment to fulfilling legal requirements, and to continually improving the environmental performance of the delivered product.

In conjunction with ISO 14005, there are further possibilities where an organization can help a supplier develop its EMS, for example by :

    - Supporting phased EMS implementation by upstream suppliers, ultimately leading to ISO 14001 conformity
    - Helping flexible EMS implementation along the supply chain in cases where the supplier has limited influence on the environmental aspects of the final product, by focusing initially only on critical issues.

ISO 14005 enables supply chain learning on implementing an ISO 14001-conforming EMS via smaller, more easily digested steps. It is advisable that suppliers with complex environmental aspects should be in full conformity with ISO 14001 first.

Companies with more simple environmental aspects may use ISO 14005 to reach full ISO 14001 maturity step-by-step over a longer period of time. That can reduce the amount of work involved in implementing ISO 14001, especially for an SME, as well as lessening the effort for the customer organization in controlling the overall process.

    Application 3 : Identifying gaps in less formal EMS approaches vis-à-vis

ISO 14001

Many SMEs have chosen not to implement ISO 14001 or EMAS, but to follow a so-called “low-level” environmental management approach instead. Several such approaches exist in Germany and elsewhere in Europe, and studies have been undertaken to determine their advantages and disadvantages, and if they provide suitable preparation for ISO 14001 certification.

To date, there has been a lack of objective criteria to facilitate such an assessment. However, in Germany alone several hundred companies have already successfully implemented one of these environmental management approaches. SMEs in particular seem to prefer the lower level route instead of going directly for ISO 14001. This highlights a need to adapt implementation of the International Standard to encourage more SMEs to follow the ISO 14001 approach.

ISO 14005 provides an effective tool by which to compare alternative management system approaches with ISO 14001 requirements. The German Environmental Verification Committee (www.uga.de ) recently assessed the five most widely used management approaches in Germany with respect to coverage of ISO 14001 criteria, using the maturity levels as defined in Annex A of ISO 14005.

ISO 14005 has already proven to be a very helpful addition to the ISO 14000 series of standards. It will definitely support the spreading of ISO 14001, in particular in the SME community.

Article & Image Credits: ISOorg