New ISO 14000 environmental standards
The ISO 14000 Series of Environmental Management Standards have recently been published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). These environment standards were developed as a result of increasing public, environmental action groups and governmental concern over the impact of industrial operations on the world's environment. It is strongly felt that businesses must start to take responsibility for their environmental effects.
The ISO 14000 Environmental Management Standards enable organizations to manage the impact of their activities on the environment and demonstrate a commitment to environmental protection. The standards include a broad range of environmental disciplines, including basic environmental management systems (EMS), auditing, environmental performance evaluations, labeling, life cycle assessments, and environmental aspects within product standards.
The first two standards published were ISO 14001 and ISO 14004. ISO 14001 is the core of the environment series. It lays out the specific elements of an environment management system that an organization must have in place in order for the system to be certified. ISO 14004 provides guidelines which can be used by either a large organization trying to improve an existing environmental management system, or small and medium sized enterprises beginning to establish an environmental management system. It contains examples, descriptions and options to aid in the implementation and integration of the system into the overall management of the organization.
Companies stand to gain considerable benefits from implementing
an environmental management system:-
¥ the enhanced profits in the market for "green"
products
¥ a heighten corporate image in the area of environmental
performance and compliance with regulatory requirements
¥ pollution prevention and energy/resource savings
¥ insurance companies' unwillingness to issue coverage
for pollution incidents unless the firm requesting coverage has
a proven environmental system in place.
¥ improved internal management methods
The ISO 14000 environmental management standards foster international trade growth by eliminating the barriers that result from conflicting national and regional environmental management standards. Governments no longer need to rely on legislative measures or command and control mechanisms, to ensure companies' compliance. We can now operate on the basis of international environmental standards that were developed by worldwide consensus.
The Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards will consider adopting
the ISO 14000 Standards within the national framework.
Need to know more about the ISO 14000 Standards? Contact the TTBS
at +(809) 663-4835. FAX: +(809) 663-4335.
Executive Time "Online" also has a printed version which is available throughout the Caribbean and some selected North American cities.