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ISO 14001:2015 Revision - Preparing for Change

The revision to ISO 14001:2015, the Environmental Management System standard, has experienced a delay in the process, though the publication for the revised standard is still anticipated to be September 2015.

Comments arising from the Draft International Standard (DIS) were evaluated in Tokyo in February 2015, but as time ran out a further meeting is now scheduled for April to complete this stage of the revision process. It is still unclear whether this will result in a Final Draft International Standard (FDIS).

Even though the ISO 14001:2015 revision process is ongoing, the changes to the standard and their associated implications are broadly obvious. Upon publication of ISO 14001:2015, organisations will have a three year period in which to ensure their compliance. It makes good business sense for organisations and auditors to familiarise themselves with the key changes and implications now, enabling them to evaluate and plan the necessary revisions to their environmental or integrated management system.

As the leading body representing the environmental and sustainability professions at all levels, the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) has been at the forefront of the international discussions formulating the revised standard.

Accordingly, IEMA has introduced an ISO 14001:2015 Transition Course to support organisations in the move from ISO 14001:2004 to ISO 14001:2015. This is being delivered by iemaSTS Registered Centres, of which BywaterExcel is one. The aim of the course is to assist organisations and auditors in understanding the changes to ISO 14001:2015 and their implications, of which the following are key:

• As well as being brought in line with the high level structure of Annex SL, ISO 14001:2015 is seen as contributing to the ‘environmental pillar’ of sustainability.
• The revised standard emphasises the importance of raising the profile of environmental management into the core business objectives and encourages organisations to move away from viewing EMS as simply a ‘bolt on’ to existing systems.
• It will require organisations to ensure risk is managed more effectively through the evaluation of threats and opportunities.
• There is also a shift to focus on improving the environmental performance of the organisation rather than the management system itself.

BywaterExcel is pleased to offer a 1-day IEMA Certified ISO 14001:2015 Transition Course: Making the Transition to ISO 14001:2015 – Understanding the requirements and implications of the new standard, covering the above key changes to the standard, and in addition, addressing the following topics:

• Requirements of ISO 14001 – changes from ISO 14001:2004 to ISO 14001:2015
• Organisational context and risk
• Implications for existing management systems and processes
• Application of the IEMA Gap Analysis Tool
• Planning the implementation of required changes

Lastly, BywaterExcel’s ISO 31000:2009 Fundamentals of Risk Management course, whilst being applicable to all management systems, is complimentary to Environmental Management Systems and will assist organisations in developing a general understanding of establishing organisational context and managing risk.

For further details of either of these training courses or to learn more about how BywaterExcel can support your organisation with the changes to ISO 14001, please contact our Training Team on 0333 123 9001 or email us at [email protected].