What is the ISO 14001 EMS specification document and what does it include?
The ISO 14001 standard specifies the requirements for an Environmental Management System. Like the ISO 9001standard for Quality Management and Assurance, ISO 14001 is a prescriptive document designed to provide organizations with the elements of an effective EMS, enabling them to achieve environmental goals consistently and reliably. ISO 14001 has been written to apply to organizations of all types and sizes. An organization developing an ISO 14001 EMS is first required to state its overall intentions and commitment to environmental performance in a defined environmental policy. The environmental policy is the foundation for establishing environmental objectives and targets. The next step is for the organization to define the “environmental aspects” or impacts that are associated with its activities, products, and services, and then to determine which of these impacts are significant. The final step is to then develop and implement a documented management system for meeting stated goal
