For many business leaders, the idea of gaining ‘green’ credentials always seems like a nice thing to have, but less of a priority in times when revenue, profit and, for some, mere business survival is key.
Naturally, these issues have to take priority, but what most fail to recognise is the real effect that ‘going green’ can have on sales and profitability. It is not a long term effect either, but one that start to happen just as soon as potential customers know of the fact.
Organisations in both the public and private sector are increasingly looking at, and happy to pay a premium for, suppliers with the right environmental procedures in place. It ticks the right boxes and sends out all the right messages about the ethics and standards of the company.
For thousands of businesses and non-profit making organisations the place to start is by gaining ISO 14001 accreditation, which is internationally recognised as a standard for environmental management systems in 2010 and beyond. In working towards ISO 14001 accreditation you will learn about the core standards used by flagship businesses for creating and implementing best practice environmental thinking into the workplace.
Clients that have received the ISO 14001 certification are living proof of the ‘green effect’ as environmentally conscious organisations increasingly looking to work with like-minded companies, even if it means paying a little more sometimes. In addition, though, they are seeing that by adopting green practices in work place, they are also saving on energy costs, using fewer materials, lowering distribution and waste management costs. Added together, the effect can be very surprising to a company’s financial health, as well as its image to the outside world.
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 other standards and guidelines in the family address specific environmental aspects, including: labeling, performance evaluation, life cycle analysis, communication and auditing.
There has been a push in the last decade by consumers, for companies to adopt stricter environmental regulations, making the incorporation of ISO 14001 a greater necessity for the long term viability of businesses.
