What are the ISO 14001 requirements

 ISO 14001:2015 specifies the requirements for an environmental management system that an organization can use to enhance its environmental performance. ISO 14001:2015 is intended for use by an organization seeking to manage its environmental responsibilities in a systematic manner that contributes to the environmental pillar of sustainability.

What documents do you need for ISO 14001?

Although there are clear requirements as to what kind of documentation you must provide, how you operate, and how you record your evidence is not dictated by the standard. Within the standard, there are numerous elements of ISO 14001 that are required to be met by organizations seeking formal recognition for their EMS. General requirements include:-

• Environmental Policy

The Environmental Policy should outline your organization’s goal to operate in an environmentally sound manner, to comply with any legal regulations, to prevent pollution, and to continually improve. This document should demonstrate your organization’s commitment to any requirements or actions that will reduce its environmental impact.

• Planning

The section on planning emphasizes the need to identify and plan to address risks and opportunities of the EMS, and how the processes of the organization interact with the environment (these are called environmental aspects), as well as how the company will keep up to date with legal requirements. The requirements also address the setting of objectives and planning to achieve them within the EMS.

• Competence records

Introducing an EMS often introduces new practices or requirements, and so can often lead to additional training. Recording the training and competence levels of every member of your organization will make it easier to track any required upskilling. It will also help demonstrate that everyone in your organization is competent when it comes to their environmental responsibilities.

•   Performance evaluation

This second-largest section deals with how you will monitor, measure, analyze, and evaluate your EMS processes, including how you will evaluate compliance with legal requirements. A system of internal audits is mandated to make sure you audit your system performance to identify problems and apply corrections for these problems. Finally, there are requirements on how management will review the EMS to ensure it is working and improving.