ISO 14001:2015

Your implementation guide

ISO 14001 reduces environmental
impacts and grows your organization
Updated in 2015 to make sure it reflects the needs At BSI we have the experience to help make sure
of modern day business, ISO 14001 is used by large that you get the most from ISO 14001, in fact it
and small organizations across the world to reduce was our experts who helped shape the standard
environmental impacts. Its an excellent framework in the first place. This guide shows you how to
to help implement an environmental management implement ISO 14001 in your business and get the
system (EMS) which helps organizations reduce most out of it for the long term. We also showcase
their impact while growing their business our additional support services which help you
ultimately achieving sustainable success. not only achieve certification but unlock further
Its suitable for businesses of all sizes, in any business improvements after certification.
industry, and its designed to be really flexible
so you can make it work for the needs of your
business, building resilience and commercial
success while reducing impact on the environment. The opportunity that the new
standard gives is ensuring
that the environmental
management system is part
of the overall strategy of the
organization. Alignment with
the corporate strategy makes a
massive difference in terms of
environmental impact.
Toby Robins, Sustainable Development Director,
Wiles Greenworld

Contents
B
enefits
ISO 14001:2015 clause by clause
Top tips from our clients
Your ISO 14001 journey
BSI Training Academy
BSI Business Improvement
Software

2
How ISO 14001 works and what it
delivers for you and your company
ISO 14001 is the business improvement tool that helps organizations implement a flexible and robust
environmental management system, making them more resilient and sustainable. It brings environmental
management into the heart of an organization, complementing business strategy and helping improve
environmental performance over time. Incorporating the latest environmental thinking including lifecycle
perspective it helps provide greater protection for the environment. Its a framework which helps you focus
on the increasing expectations of customers and other stakeholders, as well as regulatory requirements. Its
flexible and agile so you can make it work for your business. Thats how ISO 14001:2015 really adds value.

Benefits of ISO 14001*

Environmental improvements Risk avoidance Business growth

57% 48% 52%

Waste defect Protecting your Increasing your
reduction business competitive edge

76% 53% 60%

Regulatory and industry Reducing business Inspiring trust
compliance risk in your business

Source: 2015 BSI Benefits - BSI clients were asked which benefits they obtained from ISO 14001:2004.
3
How ISO 14001 works
ISO 14001 was revised in 2015 to bring it up to date with the needs of modern businesses and the latest
environmental thinking. Its based on Annex SL, the new high level structure (HLS) which is a common framework for
all ISO management systems.

This helps keep consistency, align

Organization and m ental Managemen
different management system standards, ron tS
its context (4)
E n vi yst
em
offer matching sub-clauses against the Support
top-level structure and apply common & Operation
(7, 8)
language across all standards. It makes
it easier for organizations to incorporate Plan Do
their environmental management
Performance Intended
system, into core business processes, Planning Leadership
evaluation Outcomes
make efficiencies, and get more (6) (5)
(9)
involvement from senior management.
Act Check
Based on Annex SL, this diagram shows
how the clauses of the new HLS could
also be applied to the Plan-Do-Check-Act Improvement
Needs and
(PDCA) cycle and to the environmental expectations of
management system as a whole. relevant interested
parties (4)

Some of the core concepts of ISO 14001:2015 are:

Concept Comment

Context of the The range of issues (see below) that can affect, positively or negatively, the way an
organization organization manages its environmental responsibilities.
Issues Issues can be internal or external, positive or negative and include environmental
conditions that either affect or are affected by the organization.
Interested parties Much more detail about considering their needs and expectations, then deciding
whether to adopt any of them as compliance obligations.
Leadership Requirements specific to top management who are defined as a person or group of
people who directs and controls an organization at the highest level.
Risk and opportunities Refined planning process replaces preventive action. Aspects and impacts now part of
risk model.
Communication There are explicit and more detailed requirements for both internal and external
communications.
Documented Replaces documents and records.
information
Operational planning Generally more detailed requirements, including a consideration of procurement,
and control design and the communication of environmental requirements consistent with a life
cycle perspective.
Performance evaluation Covers the measurement of EMS, operations that can have a significant environmental
impact, operational controls, compliance obligations and progress towards objectives.
Nonconformity and More detailed evaluation of both the nonconformities themselves and corrective
corrective action actions required.

4
Key requirements of
ISO 14001:2015

Clause 1: Scope An organization will also need to identify the

interested parties relevant to their EMS and
This clause relates to the scope or coverage of
their needs. These could include customers,
the standard to help organizations achieve the
communities, suppliers and non-government
intended outcomes of its EMS.
organizations and may change over time.
Clause 2: Normative reference Finally, the last requirement is to establish,
implement, maintain and continually improve the
There are no normative references, for example EMS in accordance with the requirements of the
other additional requirements in other standards, standard.
that have to be considered. The clause is retained
in order to maintain the same numbering scheme Clause 5: Leadership
as all the other management system standards.
This clause is all about the role of top
Clause 3: Terms and definitions management which is the person or group of
people who directs and controls the organization
At first sight, the listing of terms and definitions at the highest level. The purpose is to demonstrate
seems confusing as they are not in alphabetical leadership and commitment by integrating
order. Instead, the approach stipulated by ISO is environmental management into business
that terms and definitions are in the order that processes.
they appear in the standard. It may be easier to
use this listing in conjunction with the alphabetical Top management must demonstrate a greater
listing in Annex C. involvement in the management system and need
to establish the environmental policy, which can
Clause 4: Context of the organization include commitments specific to an organizations
context beyond those directly required, such as the
This is a new clause that establishes the context of protection of the environment.
the EMS and how the business strategy supports
this. Context of the organization is the clause There is greater focus on top management to
that underpins the rest of the standard. It gives commit to continual improvement of the EMS.
an organization the opportunity to identify and Communication is key and top management have a
understand the factors and parties that can affect, responsibility to ensure the EMS is made available,
either positively or negatively, the EMS. communicated, maintained and understood by all
parties.
Firstly, the organization will need to determine
external and internal issues that are relevant to Finally, top management need to assign relevant
its purpose i.e. what are the relevant issues, both responsibilities and authorities, highlighting two
inside and out, that have an impact on or affect its particular roles concerning EMS conformance to
ability to achieve the intended outcome(s) of the ISO 14001 and reporting on EMS performance.
EMS. Importantly, issues should include not only
environmental conditions that the organization
affects but also those that it is affected by.
5
Clause 6: Planning Clause 7: Support
This clause focuses on how an organization plans This clause is all about the execution of the plans
actions to address both risks and opportunities and processes that enable an organization to meet
which have been identified in Clause 4. It their EMS. Simply expressed, this is a very powerful
focuses the organization on the development requirement covering all EMS resource needs.
and use of a planning process, rather than a Organizations will need to determine the necessary
procedure to address both a range of factors competence of people doing work that, under its
and the risk associated with such factors. control, affects its environmental performance,
Consideration of risks needs to be proportionate its ability to fulfil its compliance obligations and
to the potential impact they may have, and ensure they receive the appropriate training.
opportunities could include substitute raw In addition, organizations need to ensure that
materials for example. For the first time, there is all people doing work under the organizations
an explicit reference to abnormal and emergency control are aware of the environmental
situations. Even more importantly, the reference policy, how their work may impact this and
to a consideration of a life cycle perspective and implications of not conforming with the
the clause notes highlights that significant aspects EMS. Finally, there are the requirements for
can give rise to risks that are both beneficial and documented information which relate to the
adverse. Another key area of this clause is the need creation, updating and control of specific data.
to establish measureable environmental objectives.
Finally this clause covers what is referred Clause 8: Operation
to as planning of changes. This has to be This clause deals with the execution of the plans
done in a systematic manner. Organizations and processes that enable the organization
should consider identifying who is involved, to meet their environmental objectives.
when changes are to take place and the
potential consequences of change. There are specific requirements that relate
to the control or influence exercised over
outsourced processes and the requirement
to consider certain operational aspects
consistent with a life cycle perspective. This
6 means giving serious consideration to how
actual or potential environmental impacts Clause 10: Improvement
happening upstream and downstream of
an organizations site-based operations are This clause requires organizations to determine
influenced or (where possible) controlled. and identify opportunities for continual
improvement of the EMS. The requirement for
Finally, the clause also covers the procurement continual improvement has been extended
of products and services, as well as controls to ensure that the suitability and adequacy
to ensure that environmental requirements of the EMSas well as its effectiveness
relating to design, delivery, use and end-of-life are considered in the light of enhanced
treatment of an organizations products and environmental performance. There are some
services are considered at an appropriate stage. actions that are required that cover handling of
corrective actions. Firstly organizations need to
Clause 9: Performance Evaluation react to the nonconformities and take action.
This is all about measuring and evaluating Secondly they need to identify whether similar
your EMS to ensure that it is effective and nonconformities exist or could potentially occur.
it helps you to continually improve. You will This clause requires organizations to determine
need to consider what should be measured, and identify opportunities for continual
the methods employed and when data should improvement of the EMS. There is a requirement
be analysed and reported on. As a general to actively look out for opportunities to improve
recommendation, organizations should determine processes, products or services; particularly
what information they need to evaluate with future customer requirements in mind.
environmental performance and effectiveness.
Internal audits will need to be carried
out, and there are certain audit criteria
that are defined to ensure that the results
of these audits are reported to relevant
management. Finally, management reviews
will need to be carried out and documented
information must be kept as evidence.
7
Top tips on making ISO 14001
effective for you
Every year we have interactions with tens of thousands of clients. Here are their top tips.

Top management commitment is key to ...ensure that your top management team
making this a success. really understands the importance of
leadership in the new standard. Liz Collett,
Overbury, UK Fit-out and Refurbishment business

Keep staff informed of whats going on, create When we decided to implement the new
a team or assign a champion, as this will standard, we assigned an internal champion of
increase motivation. This could include a well the standard inside the organization.
communicated plan of activities and timescales. Ronald Tse, Ribose, Hong Kong cloud service provider

Think about how different departments all of our employees now understand the
work together to avoid silos. Make sure the key metrics and the success factors.
organization works as a team for the benefit of Maxime Clerk, Vortex Conseils, Canadian consultancy
customers and the organization. business

Review systems, policies, procedures and Theres a requirement in the new standard
processes you have in place you may already to document your EMS and that really
do much of whats in the standard and make it encouraged us to document processes that
work for your business. have been in place for many years. This
enabled the whole business to see, kind of,
how the EMS fits together and the part they
play in it. Liz Collett, Overbury , UK fit-out and
refurbishment business

Speak to your customers and suppliers. They we had a brainstorming session and
may be able to suggest improvements and give absolutely went through everything we could
feedback on your service. think of, pulling everyones ideas in and then
relating them to the business.
Toby Robins, Wiles Greenworld, UK sustainable office
supply and stationary provider

Train your staff to carry out internal audits. This course complemented my current
This can help with their understanding, but it knowledge very well. Emphasis on
could also provide valuable feedback on potential requirements of ISO 14001 was very useful and
problems or opportunities for improvement. will undoubtedly help with implementation.
Stephanie Baker, PH Medisavers Ltd, UK medical glove
manufacturer
And finally, when you gain certification
celebrate your achievement and use the BSI
Assurance Mark on your literature, website
and promotional material.

8
Your ISO 14001 Journey
Whether youre new to environmental management or looking to enhance your current system, we
have the right resources and training courses to help you understand and implement ISO 14001. But our
support doesnt stop there. We can help make sure your system delivers the best for your business and the
environment.

You We
need to: help you:
B uy the standard and read it; understand the D iscover information on our website, including
and prepare
Understand

content, your requirements and how it will case studies, whitepapers and webinars
improve your business visit bsigroup.com
Contact us, we can propose a solution tailored BSI ISO 14001:2015 Requirements training course
to your organizations needs

ISO 14001 self-assessment checklist

ready you are

E
nsure your organization understands the
See how

principles of ISO 14001 and the roles individuals B

SI ISO 14001:2015 Implementation training
will need to play, and review your activities and course
processes against the standard BSI Business Improvement Software helps
ISO 14001 implementation
Book a BSI gap assessment to see where you are
Review and get

Contact us to book your certification BSI ISO 14001:2015 Internal and Lead Auditor
assessment
certified

training
Ensure all the right people are available and
Your BSI certification assessment
prepared for the audit visit(s)
BSI Business Improvement Software helps
This is a two-step process, the length varies you effectively manage your system
based on the size of your organizations

Continually improve and make excellence a habit

Your journey doesnt stop with certification. We can help you to fine-tune your organization so it performs at its best.
C elebrate and promote your success B
SI Business Improvement Software will help
download and use the BSI Assurance Mark to you to manage systems and drive performance.
show you are certified.
Your BSI Client Manager will visit you regularly
Your BSI Excellerator Report will benchmark to make sure you remain compliant and
the performance of your business and support your continual improvement.
highlight where you can improve.
BSI IRCA certified ISO 14001:2015 Lead Auditor
training - make your business lean and boost
customer satisfaction.
9
BSI Training Academy
The BSI Training Academy is a world leader in helping clients develop the knowledge and skills they
need to embed excellence in their organizations. We offer a range of ISO 14001 training solutions that
can be tailored to your needs. Our training courses are developed by experts in their fields who have
been directly involved in the development of ISO 14001 so when you train with us youll benefit from
their expertise.

Using the latest research, our accelerated learning approach is proven to fast-track learning and
improve knowledge retention. Our experienced tutors can help you get to grips with the matters that
concern you and your organization directly, whether delivered in-house or as part of an open course
where other delegates can share their experience.

Courses that help you understand ISO 14001 include:

ISO 14001:2015 Senior Management ISO 14001:2015 Internal Auditor

Briefing Two-day classroom-based training course
Two-hour face-to-face session L earn how to initiate an audit, prepare and
U
nderstand the purpose of ISO 14001:2015 and conduct audit activities, compile and distribute
the leadership responsibilities outlined in the audit reports and complete follow-up activities
standard Ideal for anyone involved in auditing,
Important for top management of organizations maintaining or supervising an ISO 14001:2015
implementing to ISO 14001:2015 EMS

ISO 14001:2015 Requirements IRCA Certified ISO 14001:2015 Lead Auditor

One-day classroom-based training course Five-day classroom-based training
L earn about the structure and key requirements G
ain the knowledge and skills required to
of ISO 14001:2015 undertake and lead a successful management
system audit
E ssential for anyone involved in the planning,
implementing, maintaining, supervising or R
ecommended for anyone involved in auditing,
auditing of an ISO 14001:2015 EMS maintaining or supervising an ISO 14001:2015
EMS
ISO 14001:2015 Implementation
ISO 14001:2015 Best Practice Programme
Two-day classroom-based training course
Six-day in-house programme
D
iscover how to apply a typical framework for
Understand, implement and audit the
implementing ISO 14001:2015 following the
PDCA cycle and using the handy resources requirements of the standard with
contained in the good practice toolkit additional gap assessment
R
ecommended for anyone involved in the R
ecommended for any organization wanting a
planning, implementing, maintaining, supervising flexible tailored solution to embed ISO 14001,
or auditing of an ISO 14001:2015 EMS retain knowledge in-house and add real value

10
BSI Business Improvement
Software
Accelerate implementation time and It can help you to:
deliver continual improvements Accelerate implementation time by up to 50%
The decision to implement a new management Manage your document control effectively
system standard is a huge opportunity to drive P
rovide company-wide visibility on
business improvement, but initiating, implementing, implementation of the standard so you know
and maintaining this can also be a challenge. exactly where you are at any one time
Ensuring you get the most from your investment
is a key driver to your future success. BSI business Y
ou can easily and accurately input actions related
improvement software provides a solution that to audits, incidents/events, risk and performance
can significantly reduce the cost and effort to an T hrough its customizable dashboards and
effective management system such as ISO 14001. reporting tools it gives you early insight into
It can be configured to the requirements of ISO trends that help you make business decisions
14001 and provide your organization with the tools early on and drive improvement
necessary to manage essential elements of ISO
14001 across your organization. The start of your
ISO 14001 journey is an ideal time to implement BSI
business improvement software to support your
EMS.

The savings are the costs you

avoid because you could not see
what was happening at
the facility level.

11
Why BSI?
BSI has been at the forefront of ISO 14001 since the start. And it was originally based on BS 7750,
the first environmental management system standard which was developed by BSI in 1992, the
year of the first Earth Summit in Rio. And weve been part of its development ever since, evolving
ISO 14001 to where it is today. Thats why were best placed to help you understand, implement
and benefit from the standard.
At BSI we create excellence by driving the success of our clients through standards. We help
organizations to embed resilience, helping them to grow sustainably, adapt to change, and
prosper for the long term. We make excellence a habit.
For over a century our experts have been challenging mediocrity and complacency to help
embed excellence into the way people and products work. With 80,000 clients in 182
countries, BSI is an organization whose standards inspire excellence across the globe.

Our products and services

We provide a unique combination of complementary products and services, managed through our three
business streams; Knowledge, Assurance and Compliance.

Knowledge Assurance Compliance

The core of our business centres Independent assessment of To experience real, long-term
on the knowledge that we the conformity of a process benefits, our clients need to
create and impart to our clients. or product to a particular ensure ongoing compliance to
In the standards arena we standard ensures that our clients a regulation, market need or
continue to build our reputation perform to a high level of standard so that it becomes
as an expert body, bringing excellence. We train our clients an embedded habit. We
together experts from industry in world-class implementation provide a range of services and
to shape standards at local, and auditing techniques to differentiated management
regional and international levels. ensure they maximize the tools which help facilitate this
In fact, BSI originally created benefits of standards. process.
eight of the worlds top 10
management system standards.
BSI/UK/828/SC/0416/EN/GRP

Find out more

Call: +44 (0)345 086 9001
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