ISO 14001 | Supply Chain Imperative, The: How to Ensure Ethical Behavior in Your Global Suppliers

The ISO 14000 series of standards is rapidly becoming the leading international standard for environmental performance. The full 14000 series includes an Environmental Management System (ISO 14001), as well as various other standards for auditing (ISO 14010 “ 14012), performance evaluation (ISO 14031), environmental labeling (ISO 14024), and life-cycle assessment (ISO 14040). As with SA 8000 in the social arena, the 14000 series is a framework that helps companies organize their environmental management systems, providing instructions on how to create an EMS process, how to collect and retain documentation, and how to communicate the process and train employees .

The 14001 series has become extremely popular, particularly in Japan and Europe, where since it was first published in 1996, some 10,000 companies have received certification. As with any ISO framework, the 14000 series is based on the idea that only a worldwide standard can provide the combination of consistency and comparability that are so important for investors, consumers, and NGOs anxious to understand how companies are managing the environment through their extended supply chain. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, the International Organization for Standardization is a nongovernmental organization that has been developing technical standards particularly related to manufacturing, quality assurance, and the supply chain since its establishment in 1947. In developing the ISO 14000 environmental standards, the ISO works with representatives from member countries , which in turn enlist the advice of corporations and government agencies (such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the U.S. Technical Advisory Group).

Similar in many ways to the EU s Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) and the British Standards Institute s BS 7750, the ISO 14001 EMS standard is probably the most highly developed among the many emerging environmental standards, and much like Baldrige s 18 subsection items, contains 17 key requirements of a company:

Environmental Policy. Develop a statement of the organization s commitment to the environment.
Environmental Aspects and Impacts. Identify environmental attributes of products, activities, and services and their effects on the environment.
Legal and Other Requirements. Identify and ensure access to relevant laws and regulations.
Objectives and Targets. Set environmental goals for the organization.
Environmental Management Program. Plan actions to achieve objectives and targets.
Structure and Responsibility. Establish roles and responsibilities within the organization.
Training, Awareness and Competence. Ensure that employees are aware of and capable of dealing with their environmental responsibilities.
Communication. Develop processes for internal and external communication on environmental management issues.
EMS Documentation. Maintain information about the EMS and related documents.
Document Control. Ensure effective management of procedures and other documents.
Operational Control. Identify, plan, and manage the organization s operations and activities in line with the policy, objectives, and targets.
Emergency Preparedness and Response. Develop procedures for preventing and responding to potential emergencies.
Monitoring and Measuring. Monitor key activities and track performance.
Nonconformance and Corrective and Preventative Action. Identify and correct problems and prevent recurrences.
Records. Keep adequate records of EMS performance.
EMS Audit. Periodically verify that the EMS is effective and achieving objectives and targets.
Management Review. Requires top management to periodically review the EMS for effectiveness in achieving the intent of the environmental policy and identify the need for changes to the system. ^{[11 ]}

^{[11 ]} See www.p2pays.org/iso/emsisofaq.asp or for a full description of the ISO 14000 platform see www.iso.ch/iso/en/iso9000-4000/basics/general/basics/.html.