ISO 14001 — Environmental Management
ISO 14001 is the international standard that sets out the requirements for an environmental management system. It certifies the organisation, not a product.
It is published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the current edition is from 2015. It follows the plan-do-check-act cycle. The organisation identifies its environmental aspects (water and energy consumption, waste, discharges, emissions, packaging, risk of spills) and the legal requirements that apply to it; sets objectives and operational controls; prepares to respond to emergencies; measures its performance; and reviews the system through internal audits and management review. The 2015 edition added the life-cycle perspective: taking into account the upstream and downstream impacts of the activity, to the extent that the organisation can influence them.
Certification is granted by an independent certification body after an audit and is maintained through surveillance and recertification audits. In Spain, these bodies are accredited by ENAC. It should not be confused with the EU Ecolabel: ISO 14001 refers to the company's management system, whereas the Ecolabel is awarded to a specific product that meets certain environmental criteria. Nor does it replace legal obligations, such as discharge permits or the management of hazardous waste.
At a chemical manufacturer, the system usually covers the management of waste and washing water, the prevention of spills in storage and manufacturing, energy and water consumption, and packaging.
Detervic, manufacturer of Instaquim products, is ISO 14001 certified.
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