ISO DIS 14005:2018 pdf free download – Environmental management systems一Guidelines for a flexible approach to phased implementation.
Organizations face a growing number of challenges caused by a deteriorating state of the natural environment: pollution is affecting the use of water, air and land; raw materials and energy costs are becoming more volatile because of the inefficient use and scarcity of non-renweable resources; and the greenhouse gas induced rise of global temperatures and climate change lead to increased risks to infrastructures from storms, flooding and droughts.
These challenges are causing significant business impacts. As they spread across society, regulators, consumers, clients, local communities and other interested parties, want assurances from organizations that their interactions with the environment are being managed responsibly and that their activities, operations and products are not increasing the detrimental impacts.
A systematic approach to environmental management provides the means for management of business
risk, but also demonstrates a high level of environmental commitment. This enables organizations to respond positively to the needs and expectations of interested parties. Business benefits of adopting a formalized environmental management system (EMS) include more efficient use of resources, lower risk of pollution and other liabilities, and better customer relations.
Many organizations already benefit from having a formalized EMS. But there are many more organizations, particularly small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), that still lack a formal EMS and therefore do not reap all of the benefits that an increase in formality can bring. Formalizing, meaning to apply a systematic approach to environmental management, can help to build long term success and contribute to sustainable development. This includes protecting the environment, mitigating the potential adverse effects of environmental conditions on organizations, assisting in the fulfilment of compliance obligations, enhancing environmental performance, prevent environmental impacts from being unintentionally shifted elsewhere within the life cycle, achieving financial and operational benefits and supporting communication with relevant interested parties.
The full implementation of an EMS across the whole organisation at the same time, however, might prove difficult and often depends on availability of staff and other resources. Using a phased approach, as described in this standard, allows organizations the flexibility to develop their EMS over time depending on their specific circumstances.
A phased approach offers several advantages. Organizations can readily evaluate how the time and money put into an EMS provides a return. It can develop an EMS that meets its requirements, allowing it to implement the EMS at its own pace, depending on available human and financial resources. This approach can help organizations to see how environmental improvements can reduce costs, demonstrate legal compliance, improve community relations and live up to expectations of interested parties.
The purpose of this International Standard is to guide organizations on how to implement an EMS, using a phased approach which can be applied to ultimately meet the requirements of ISO 14001. In this International Standard each phase incorporates 6 incremental stages. The number of phases is flexible. This allows organizations to develop the scope, i.e. the activities, products and services included, and maturity, i.e. the quality, of their EMS in line with their objectives and available resources.
The phased approach, could for example, start with a project focussing on a specific environmental aspect, such as the use of energy or natural resources. A phase could also be used to address the needs of a certain interested party, such as a customer requirement, or to manage a specific environmental issue, such as demonstrating legal compliance. Over time the EMS can be expanded, going trough more phases covering a broader range of environmental aspects, or to systematically address all relevant needs and expectations of interested parties, or to improve environmental performance beyond legal compliance.
The maturity matrix provided in Annex A is a useful tool for measuring progress of EMS implementation. Measuring progress is useful to track achievements of an organization’s environmental objectives and associated benefits and to ensure efficient use of an organization’s resources (financial and human).