So you want to be environmentally responsible, but aren’t big enough to warrant (or afford) a full-blown ISO 14001 program yet?
There is a perfect stepping stone for the environmentally conscious – ISO 14001:2004. It’s an ideal Environmental Management System for self-determination. Your industry may not be subject to extensive requirements, but you have standards you’d like to maintain. ISO 14001:2004 allows you to set those standards for yourself. Here’s how ISO describes this program “It applies to those environmental aspects that the organization identifies as those which it can control and those which it can influence.”
Just like it’s big brother, this program requires you to Plan-Do-Check-Act. You set the guidelines, and measure performance against those. You have external accountability and audits. This program demonstrates that you are serious about your environmental responsibility, and enforce this.
In dealing with Suppliers, you can set standards for their environmental compliance as well. You can even establish and measure customer performance!
So if you ever thought that an ISO 14001 program was a great idea, but it just didn’t apply to you, ISO 14001:2004 means you can make it apply – and show the world that you care.
