Contents Of ISO 14001 Standards

The ISO 14000 family addresses various aspects of environmental management. The very first two standards, ISO 14001:2004 and ISO 14004:2004 deal with environmental management systems (EMS). ISO
14001:2004 provides the requirements for an EMS and ISO 14004:2004 gives general EMS guidelines.

The newly revised ISO 14001:2004 specifies the requirements for an environmental management system (EMS), which provides a framework for an organization to control the environmental impacts of its activities, products
and services, and to continually improve its environmental performance. It applies to those environmental aspects which the organization can control and over which it can be expected to have an influence. It does not itself state
specific environmental performance criteria.

ISO 14001:2004 is applicable to any organization that wishes to:
• implement, maintain and improve an environmental management system
• assure itself of its conformance with its stated environmental policy
• demonstrate such conformance to others
• seek certification/registration of its environmental management system by an external organization
• make a self-determination and self-declaration of conformance with this international standard.

All the requirements in this standard can be incorporated into any environmental management system. Having been revised, the improved ISO 14001 is now expected to bring the benefits of implementing an EMS to more businesses than ever. The standard is now easier to understand and use and has more detailed checklists for inputs and outputs from the management review and has increased compatibility to ISO 9001.

Key Elements Of ISO 14001:2004
• Environmental policy
Develop a statement of your organizations commitment to the environment. Use this policy as a framework for planning and action.
An environmental policy is top managements declaration of its commitment to the environment. This policy should serve as the foundation for your EMS and provide a unifying vision of environmental concern by the entire organization. Given its importance, your policy should be more than just flowery prose.

Since it serves as the framework for setting environmental objectives and targets, the policy should be brought to life in your plans and deeds. Everyone in the organization should understand the policy and what is expected of them in order to achieve the organizations objectives and targets.
Your policy should reflect three key commitments, including a commitment to continual improvement. While this does not mean that you must improve in all areas at once, the policy should drive your organizations efforts to continually improve environmental management (and the improved performance that results from these efforts).