Wednesday, October 28, 2020

What is ISO 14001?

What is ISO 14001?

Our ISO 14001 certification demonstrates our commitment to helping our environment.

What is ISO?

ISO certifications are awards given to organisations that meet international standards of best practice. They cover key areas such as quality management, information security, the environment and health and safety, and many more besides.

ISO standards are all about doing things the right way, every time. They ensure consistency and set minimum requirements in a range of areas across a business’s processes. That makes the business more efficient and improves the quality of its services and products, and gives its clients the reassurance of a robust third-party certification.

Businesses attain ISO certifications by developing their own policies and procedures in a particular area. Then, an external auditor visits to inspect their work and confirm that they meet the requirements of a standard, and they are awarded their certification. After that, the firm must undergo an triennial re-certification audit to confirm that they’re still compliant, during which they must show that they’re making continuous improvements.

What is ISO 14001?

ISO 14001 is the internationally recognised standard for an Environmental Management System (EMS). It sets out how an organisation will save energy, reduce waste and comply with all the relevant environmental legislation.

ISO 14001 is recognised worldwide as a sign that an organisation is committed to working in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way. As with all ISO standards, it provides us with a framework to follow, rather than setting performance targets.

The benefits of ISO 14001

The main benefit of ISO 14001 is that it helps us save energy, reduce waste and make better use of our resources. It also allows us to monitor the environmental impact of our operations, and to comply with regulations.

For our customers, ISO 14001 shows that we’re alert to environmental risks, and that we find effective ways to manage them. It means that we can offer them useful advice – for example, on how to recycle IT hardware at the end of its life. And it’s in line with our ambition to be a future-focused IT firm, always looking at how people will do business with technology in the years to come.

ISO 14001 also gives us an edge when tendering for business. It’s particularly relevant to our work with offshore facilities and renewable energy suppliers, who are always keen to work with suppliers who share their commitment to the environment. However, more and more firms in every sector are now adopting the principles of ethical procurement, mindful that every purchasing decision they make has some sort of wider effect on the environment. 

How ISO 14001 helps us

ISO 14001 has helped us adopt a greener mentality across the organisation. For example, we’ve ‘upped our game’ in terms of recycling to reduce how much we send to landfill. We may not be a factory churning out fumes, but even so, our team members are doing their bit by not using single-use cups.

We have provided additional training and communication for our staff to help limit overhead on natural resource, and we ask our suppliers to the same.

Looking for a green partner?

We don't believe in "green washing". If you care about the environment and want to work with an IT support provider who shares your values, call us on 01603 431200.

 

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