Top Management Commitment In ISO 9000 Standards

Top Management Commitment In ISO 9000 Standards

The top management (managing director or chief executive) should demonstrate a commitment and a determination to implement an ISO 9000 quality management system in the organization. Without top management commitment, no quality initiative can succeed. Top management must be convinced that registration and certification will enable the organization to demonstrate to its customers a visible commitment to quality. It should realize that a quality management system would improve overall business efficiency by elimination of wasteful duplication in management system.

The top management should provide evidence of its commitment to the development and implementation of the quality management system and continually improve its effectiveness by:

- Communicating to the organization the importance of meeting customer as well as statutory and regulatory requirements,

- Defining the organization’s quality policy and make this known to every employee,

- Ensuring that quality objectives are established at all levels and functions,

- Ensuring the availability of resources required for the development and

implementation of the quality management system,

system activities, and

- Appointing a management representative to coordinate quality management

- Conducting management review.

The top management should also consider actions such as:

a. Leading the organization by example,

b. Participating in improvement projects,

c. Creating an environment that encourages the involvement of people.

This type of top management commitment may be driven by:

a. Direct marketplace pressure: requirements of crucial customers or parent

conglomerates.

b. Indirect marketplace pressure: increased quality levels and visibility among

competitors.

c. Growth ambitions: desire to exploit market opportunities.

d. Personal belief in the value of quality as a goal and quality management systems as a means of reaching that goal.

The top management should identify the goals to be achieved through the quality

management system. Typical goals may be:

• Be more efficient and profitable

• Produce products and services that consistently meet customers’ needs and

expectations

• Achieve customers satisfaction

• Increase market share

• Improve communications and morale in the organization

• Reduce costs and liabilities

• Increase confidence in the production system

Conduct Initial Status Survey In ISO 9000 Standards

Conduct Initial Status Survey In ISO 9000 Standards

ISO 9000 does not require duplication of effort or redundant system. The goal of ISO 9000 is to create a quality management system that conforms to the standard. This does not preclude incorporating, adapting, and adding onto quality programs already in place. So the next step in the implementation process is to compare the organization’s existing quality management system, if there is one — with the requirements of the standard (ISO 9001:2008).

For this purpose, an organization flow chart showing how information actually flows (not what should be done) from order placement by the customer to delivery to this customer should be drawn up. From this over-all flow chart, a flow chart of activities in each department should be prepared.

With the aid of the flow charts, a record of existing quality management system should be established. A significant number of written procedures may already be in place.

Unless they are very much out of date, these documents should not be discarded.

Rather, they should be incorporated into the new quality management system.

Documents requiring modification or elaboration should be identified and listed. This exercise is some times referred to as ” gap analysis”. During these review processes, wide consultation with executives and representatives of various unions and associations within the organization is required to enlist their active cooperation.

In the review process, documents should be collected, studied and registered for

further use, possibly after they have been revised. Before developing new quality

management system documentation, you need to consider with which quality

requirements or department you should start. The best is to select an area where

processes are fairly well organized, running effectively and functioning satisfactorily.

The basic approach is to determine and record how a process is currently carried out.

We can do this by identifying the people involved and obtaining information from them during individual interviews. Unfortunately, it often happens that different people will give different, contradicting versions of a process. Each one may refer to oral instructions that are not accurate or clear. This is why the facts are often not described correctly the first time around, and have to be revised several times.

Once it has been agreed how to describe the current process, this process has to be adapted, supplemented and implemented according to the requirements of the quality standard (ISO 9001:2008). This requires organizational arrangements, the drawing up of additional documents and possible removal of existing documentation (e.g. procedures, inspection/test plans, inspection/test instructions) and records (e.g. inspection/test reports, inspection/test certificates).

In introducing a quality management system, the emphasis is on the improvement of the existing processes or the re-organization of processes.

In general, the steps to follow are the following:

a. Ascertain and establish the following:

What is the present operation/process? What already exists?

b. Analyze the relevant sections of the quality standard – ISO 9001:2008:

What is actually required?

c. If necessary, supplement and change operational arrangements in accordance

with the standard, develop documents and records, and describe operations/

processes:

What is the desired operation/process?

The gap analysis can be done internally, if the knowledge level is there. Or a formal pre-assessment can be obtained from any one of a large number of ISO 9000 consulting, implementing, and registration firms.

Develop Quality Management System Documentation In ISO 9000 Standards

Develop Quality Management System Documentation In ISO 9000 Standards

Documentation is the most common area of non-conformance among organizations

wishing to implement ISO 9000 quality management systems. As one company

pointed out: “When we started our implementation, we found that documentation

was inadequate. Even absent, in some areas. Take calibration. Obviously it’s

necessary, and obviously we do it, but it wasn’t being documented. Another area

was inspection and testing. We inspect and test practically every item that leaves

here, but our documentation was inadequate”.

Documentation of the quality management system should include:

1. Documented statements of a quality policy and quality objectives,

2. A quality manual,

3. Documented procedures and records required by the standard ISO 9001:2008, and

4. Documents needed by the organization to ensure the effective planning, operation and control of its processes.

Quality documentation is generally prepared in the three levels indicated below that follows. Use ISO 10013:1995 for guidance in quality documentation.

Level A: Quality manual

States the scope of the quality management system, including exclusions and

details of their justification; and describes the processes of the quality

management system and their interaction. Generally gives an organization

profile; presents the organizational relationships and responsibilities of persons

whose work affects quality and outlines the main procedures. It may also

describe organization’s quality policy and quality objectives.

Level B: Quality management system procedures

Describes the activities of individual departments, how quality is controlled in

each department and the checks that are carried out.

Level C: Quality documents (forms, reports, work instructions, etc.)

1. Work instructions describe in detail how specific tasks are performed; include

drawing standards, methods of tests, customer’s specifications, etc.

2. Presents forms to be used for recording observations, etc.

ISO 14001 Standards – Control Of Forms

ISO 14001:2004, element 4.4.5, instructs an organization to control documents required by the EMS and the standard. While some companies often try to justify not controlled forms, let’s find out if forms are the same as “documents” and if they also should be controlled.

Organizations use forms and tables within their environmental, quality, H&S and other management systems. Often, instead of preparing a traditional instruction or a procedure with all the sections, such as scope, purpose and process description, a simple form can provide this information. Frequently registrars issue companies non-conformities for their not controlled forms of their EMS.

Repeatedly I discuss this issue with my clients. Regularly I hear the same answer “Why do I need control a form?” Honestly, I do not understand this! Why should a form be treated differently from any other document? How would one know that we need a form if it is not referenced in our ISO 14001 management system? If forms are not managed by your documentation system, and you decide to modify them, how can you be confident that you make changes to the latest revision? Anyway, what is a form? A short review will help answering this question. If we have a list of directions telling us to:

1 – prepare 2-column table

2 – note your organization’s name in the first column

3 – put your business’s URL into the 2-nd column

There is no doubt; most of us would call this three-line direction a procedure or an instruction. So, if this is an instruction, it shall be controlled per ISO 14001 Standard.

Now, what if we were given a two-column table where the first column was titled “You enterprise name” and the second column “Internet address”. We were asked to complete the form. Easy to imagine, we would enter our company’s name and our URL in the table. It means that we interpreted this table as an “instruction”. If it walks like duck it is a duck! OK, most like a duck

This example demonstrate that our first three-line instruction in English (that obviously needs to be controlled), serves the same function, producing the same result, as our form. Therefore, the form as an instruction and “shall” be controlled as well.

I suspect that the confusion regarding forms used in ISO 14001 environmental management systems is based on the fact that forms serve two purposes. Blank forms are brief instructions written in tabular language. The same form, after being completed, becomes a record. Since records are not required to have a number, I presume this transposes on the source document – our blank table. Let’s remember this and treat our blank forms as instructions letting the documentation control process govern them. There are a couple of easy tests you may take when you are tempted to use a form that has not been identified:

- If you created a form for ISO 14001:2004 EMS and found it was changed, would you like to know who did it and why?

- If you revised one of your ISO 14001 forms, would you like your users use the latest revision?

- If you are in Brazil on a business trip, would you like other employees to know where to find your form in your EMS?

If you answered, “yes” at least once, your form is a definite candidate for being a part of your formal ISO 14001 documentation management system.

Read more on ISO 9001 Standards at http://www.iso9001store.com

Global Warming & ISO 14001 Standards

It is not difficult to become a believer in global warming. According to the U.S. National Climatic Data Center 2001 was the second warmest year on record and it was the 23rd consecutive year of above normal temperatures. Perhaps most troubling is the fact that the rate of temperature increase is accelerating. Add to this the data just released from insurer Munich Re stating that deaths from natural disasters were more than double in 2001 versus 2000 and insured losses were up more than 50%.UNEP estimates that the extra economic costs of disasters attributable to global warming are running at more than $300 billion annually.

Some 180 countries are proceeding toward an expected ratification of the Kyoto Protocol by the end of this year. Of the six gases it will control CO2 is by far the largest contributing nearly 90% of the global warming impact. The primary source of CO2 is the burning of fossil fuels. Therefore the focus on energy will continue to increase.

Throughout the world different methods are being used to encourage reduced energy use. Japan has enacted the Energy Conservation Law in 1999 mandating huge efficiency improvements by 2004 for nearly all air conditioning products. The U.S. has revised ASHRAE Standard 90.1 for buildings to raise the minimum COP level for centrifugal chillers from the current value of 5.2 to 6.1 effective in October 2001. DOE and Green Seal have revised their recommended efficiency levels to an even higher level of 6.27.

Some countries use laws. Others use codes and standards. An increasing number of countries are using environmental costing which increases the price of energy thereby increasing the financial attractiveness of high efficiency products. European countries have been using such “carbon taxes” for more than a decade. However a rapidly growing trend in developing countries is the reduction of subsidies to energy industries “so prices more accurately reflect environmental impacts” according to OECD’s Environmental Strategy for the First Decade of the 21st Century.

China has shown leadership by reducing subsidies to the coal industry from $24.5 billion in 1990 to $10 billion in 1996 resulting in 7% emissions reduction while seeing a solid economic growth of 36%! China is now moving aggressively into environmental costing with the just announced (1/13/2002) 5-year environmental plan that commits 700 billion yuan ($84 billion) to help protect the environment. The government will provide the fist 65 billion yuan to initiate the project but will apply the “polluter pays” principle for the rest. The “environmental protection authorities will collect funds from the pollution-producing companies”. The impact on the price of energy is not known at this time. However it is clear that the addition of environmental costing will increase energy prices. According to a European Research Commission Report of July 2001 “The cost of producing electricity from coal or oil would double if costs such as damage to the environment and health were taken into account”.

The global movement to high efficiency is accelerating just like the rate of temperature increase. But this is not all that is changing. This second environmental threat of global warming is making it clear that we need to give combined consideration to ozone depletion and global warming. But more important is the need to focus on the real issue which is the total environmental impact not address each individual environmental threat in isolation. This includes the concept of environmental risk exposure, which recognizes that there are other environmental threats that are less well understood today. However, there are “no regrets” decisions we can make today (such as minimum refrigerant charge, minimum atmospheric life refrigerants, etc.) to minimize these risks.

Combined consideration would place more emphasis on reducing the use of CFCs, which are still being produced in developing countries until 2010 in accordance with the Montreal Protocol. Little attention is being given the large contribution to global warming from CFCs. Actions which cause confusion and delay the phaseout of CFCs cause increased environmental damage rather than lessening the environmental impact.

The other rapidly changing factor in the HVAC industry is the shift to becoming a hermetic industry, where refrigerant is contained throughout the life of a chiller and recycled for further use when the chiller is replaced. This simple understanding that “if it doesn’t get into the environment it does no harm” is a powerful argument, which will lead to the continued use of the most efficient refrigerants in such closed hermetic applications as chillers. In just 15 years annual refrigerants emissions from chillers have been reduced from 25% to well below 1% today. This defines a whole different world than that which existed when the Montreal Protocol was crafted some 15 years ago.

But perhaps the most important change coming to our industry is the realization that there are no new or “perfect” refrigerants waiting to be discovered. There are eight elements that can be combined for use in a vapor compression cycle. All feasible combinations of these eight have been evaluated. The reality is “what we have now is all there is”.

This recognition is why we are now seeing a shift from the search for a perfect refrigerant to a search for the right refrigerant(s) for the right application. Said another way, the highest efficiency refrigerants for the lowest emissions applications. Many in our industry call this “Responsible Use”.

It is not difficult to become a believer in global warming. According to the U.S. National Climatic Data Center 2001 was the second warmest year on record and it was the 23rd consecutive year of above normal temperatures. Perhaps most troubling is the fact that the rate of temperature increase is accelerating. Add to this the data just released from insurer Munich Re stating that deaths from natural disasters were more than double in 2001 versus 2000 and insured losses were up more than 50%.UNEP estimates that the extra economic costs of disasters attributable to global warming are running at more than $300 billion annually.
Some 180 countries are proceeding toward an expected ratification of the Kyoto Protocol by the end of this year. Of the six gases it will control CO2 is by far the largest contributing nearly 90% of the global warming impact. The primary source of CO2 is the burning of fossil fuels. Therefore the focus on energy will continue to increase.
Throughout the world different methods are being used to encourage reduced energy use. Japan has enacted the Energy Conservation Law in 1999 mandating huge efficiency improvements by 2004 for nearly all air conditioning products. The U.S. has revised ASHRAE Standard 90.1 for buildings to raise the minimum COP level for centrifugal chillers from the current value of 5.2 to 6.1 effective in October 2001. DOE and Green Seal have revised their recommended efficiency levels to an even higher level of 6.27.
Some countries use laws. Others use codes and standards. An increasing number of countries are using environmental costing which increases the price of energy thereby increasing the financial attractiveness of high efficiency products. European countries have been using such “carbon taxes” for more than a decade. However a rapidly growing trend in developing countries is the reduction of subsidies to energy industries “so prices more accurately reflect environmental impacts” according to OECD’s Environmental Strategy for the First Decade of the 21st Century.
China has shown leadership by reducing subsidies to the coal industry from $24.5 billion in 1990 to $10 billion in 1996 resulting in 7% emissions reduction while seeing a solid economic growth of 36%! China is now moving aggressively into environmental costing with the just announced (1/13/2002) 5-year environmental plan that commits 700 billion yuan ($84 billion) to help protect the environment. The government will provide the fist 65 billion yuan to initiate the project but will apply the “polluter pays” principle for the rest. The “environmental protection authorities will collect funds from the pollution-producing companies”. The impact on the price of energy is not known at this time. However it is clear that the addition of environmental costing will increase energy prices. According to a European Research Commission Report of July 2001 “The cost of producing electricity from coal or oil would double if costs such as damage to the environment and health were taken into account”.
The global movement to high efficiency is accelerating just like the rate of temperature increase. But this is not all that is changing. This second environmental threat of global warming is making it clear that we need to give combined consideration to ozone depletion and global warming. But more important is the need to focus on the real issue which is the total environmental impact not address each individual environmental threat in isolation. This includes the concept of environmental risk exposure, which recognizes that there are other environmental threats that are less well understood today. However, there are “no regrets” decisions we can make today (such as minimum refrigerant charge, minimum atmospheric life refrigerants, etc.) to minimize these risks.
Combined consideration would place more emphasis on reducing the use of CFCs, which are still being produced in developing countries until 2010 in accordance with the Montreal Protocol. Little attention is being given the large contribution to global warming from CFCs. Actions which cause confusion and delay the phaseout of CFCs cause increased environmental damage rather than lessening the environmental impact.
The other rapidly changing factor in the HVAC industry is the shift to becoming a hermetic industry, where refrigerant is contained throughout the life of a chiller and recycled for further use when the chiller is replaced. This simple understanding that “if it doesn’t get into the environment it does no harm” is a powerful argument, which will lead to the continued use of the most efficient refrigerants in such closed hermetic applications as chillers. In just 15 years annual refrigerants emissions from chillers have been reduced from 25% to well below 1% today. This defines a whole different world than that which existed when the Montreal Protocol was crafted some 15 years ago.
But perhaps the most important change coming to our industry is the realization that there are no new or “perfect” refrigerants waiting to be discovered. There are eight elements that can be combined for use in a vapor compression cycle. All feasible combinations of these eight have been evaluated. The reality is “what we have now is all there is”.
This recognition is why we are now seeing a shift from the search for a perfect refrigerant to a search for the right refrigerant(s) for the right application. Said another way, the highest efficiency refrigerants for the lowest emissions applications. Many in our industry call this “Responsible Use”.

Demographers now project that, in the near future, more people are going to live in cities than in rural areas, and this will be the first time in the history of the world that this has been the case. As a result, while there are many different levels of society and business where global warming needs to be dealt with, cities are going to take an ever expanding role. It’s easy for local governments to pass the buck to state, provincial, or national governments, but this isn’t a sustainable practice. If we’re going to successfully fend off the apocalyptic-scale global warming that many scientists now predict, cities are going to have to take the lead. As a start, here are some basic things that municipal governments can do.

Green roofs: If you fly over any major metropolitan area, you’ll likely see a few patches of green where there are parks or tree-lined streets, but for the most part you will see nothing but bare rooftops dominating the landscape. When you think about it, that’s a lot of space that is simply going to waste. In the city of the future, we’re going to increasingly put all this excess space to use for green purposes. There are a few things we can do up there, including:

• Having solar and wind power stations on roof tops can help make buildings and cities in general cleaner and more energy efficient.

• Rooftop gardens can help residents grow their own produce rather than having to buy from energy-inefficient sources.

• Rooftop trees and greenhouses help balance out deforestation while cleansing smog-filled urban atmospheres.

Expanded public transit: When it comes to moving people around, the private automobile is the most energy-inefficient vehicle ever created. Things like buses and trains are not without emissions, but they have a much lower pollution-per-person ratio. Many cities throughout the developed world are decades behind in this respect and need to catch up fast in order to do their part. We need more rail-based transit systems, and many cities would do well to expand their bus networks.

Pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure: In many cities, it’s a sad state of affairs for pedestrians. If you want to travel on foot, you too often have to deal with landscapes that make walking very difficult, not to mention the culture of motorists who drive fast and aggressively and are not used to sharing the road. For a more sustainable future, we need more pedestrian-friendly landscapes, and it also doesn’t hurt to encourage people to take their bicycles.

Better recycling programs: We have come a long way in the realm of recycling, but too many cities are still stuck in the 90s with their recycling technology. We now have the ability to recycle a much broader spectrum of materials, including plastic bags and soiled containers, but many cities haven’t taken the steps necessary to implement these technologies. This investment, which is relatively small in the big picture, can have hugely positive effects in the long run.

Fuel-efficient fleets: Most cities rely on large fleets of vehicles to provide their basic services. From buses, to sanitary trucks, to road maintenance equipment, all of these vehicles can be made more efficient with new technology. Of course, it costs a lot of money to replace these vehicles, but all vehicles do need to be replaced with newer models sooner or later, and cities should use these opportunities to make their investments more efficient, rather than purchasing the same old polluting vehicles.

As individuals, each of us can contribute to the solution. As a start, we can choose to drive vehicles that are more fuel-efficient. We can plant more trees. We can recycle where practicable. We can take stock of our energy consumption practices and try to reduce them by some factor.

But, what steps can your organization take to help? The answers are varied, depending upon the size of the organization and the related environmental aspects and impacts. But no matter how simple or complex the business, each can benefit from the implementation of a management system based on ISO 14001:2004. This international standard has as its focus the prevention of pollution, accomplished by a teamwork approach to identifying those aspects of the organization’s processes that have the potential for harming the environment and the development of ways to reduce or prevent this harm. In the process, many organizations have found ways to reduce costs by elimination of scrap, changes to their waste disposal processes or reduced use of natural resources. It is the application of the system approach that has proven to be successful. And, once the system is in place, it is logical and beneficial to have that system certified and registered. This provides added assurance that the management system remains effective and also provides public recognition to numerous stakeholders that your organization is committed to the prevention of pollution.

Go to http://www.iso9001store.com for more information on ISO 14001 Standards.

ISO 14001 Standard

1. ISO 14000 Control of documents

ISO 14000 Control of documents

Control of environmental management system documents is important to ensure

2. Possible information sources for determining environmental aspects and environmental impacts

Possible information sources for determining environmental aspects and environmental impacts

3. Initial environmental review

An organization with no existing environmental management system should assess its current position with regard to the environment by means of a review. The aim of this review should be to consider the environmental aspects of the organization’s activities, products and services as a basis for establishing its environmental management system.

4. Methods of examining existing environmental management

Methods that can be used to examine existing environmental management practices and procedures include:

5. Environmental policy

An environmental policy establishes the principles of action for an organization. It sets the level of environmental responsibility and performance required of the organization, against which all subsequent actions will be judged. The policy should be appropriate to the environmental.

6. Prevention of pollution solutions

Prevention of pollution can be incorporated into the design and development of new products and services, as well as into the development of associated processes. Such strategies can, for example, help an organization to conserve resources and reduce waste and emissions associated with products and services.

7. Instructions of environmental policy

Instructions of environmental policy
The environmental policy should recognize that all activities, products and services within the defined scope of an organization’s environmental management system can cause impacts on the environment.

8. ISO 14000 Planning

Planning is critical to the fulfillment of an organization’s environmental policy and the establishment, implementation, and maintenance of its environmental managementsystem. An organization should have a planning process that includes the following elements:

9. Identifying environmental aspects

To identify and have an understanding of its environmental aspects, an organization should collect quantitative and/or qualitative data on the characteristics of its activities, products and services such as inputs and outputs of materials or energy, processes andtechnology used, facilities and locations, transportation methods and human factors.

10. Determining significant environmental aspects

Significance is a relative concept; it cannot be defined in absolute terms. What is significant for one organization may not be significant for another. Evaluating significance involves applying both technical analysis and judgment by the organization.

11. Legal requirements

Legal requirements of ISO 14000
Legal requirements refer broadly to any requirement or authorization that is related to an organization’s environmental aspects as issued by a governmental authority (including international, national, state/provincial and local authorities) and has legal force.

12. Other requirements

Depending on its circumstances and needs, an organization may subscribe voluntarily to requirements, other than legal requirements, that apply to the environmental aspects of its activities, products and services. Such other environmental requirements, if applicable, can include

13. Setting objectives and targets

In setting objectives and targets, an organization should consider several inputs.

14. Performance indicators

Performance indicators of ISO 14000 (KPIs)
Progress towards an objective can generally be measured using environmental performance indicators.

15. Environmental responsibilities of management levels

1. Establish overall direction
2. Develop environmental policy
3. Develop environmental objectives, targets and programs
4. Monitor overall environmental management system performance
5. Assure compliance with applicable legal
6. requirements and other requirements to which the organization subscribes

16. ISO 14000 communication

1. General guidance — Communication
An organization should establish, implement and maintain procedures for communicating internally and externally on its environmental policy, performance or other information, based on its own needs and the needs of interested parties.

17. Environmental training

Types of training include raising awareness of the importance of environmental management.

18. ISO 14000 Documentation

a) statements of policy, objectives and targets,
b) description of the scope of the environmental management system,
c) descriptions of programs and responsibilities,
d) information on significant environmental aspects,
e) procedures,

19. Operational control of ISO 14000

An organization needs to apply some type of operational controls to meet its environmental policy commitments, achieve its objectives and targets, comply with applicable legal requirements and other requirements to which the organization subscribes and manage its significant environmental aspects.

20. Emergency preparedness and response

It is the responsibility of each organization to establish (an) emergency preparedness and response procedure(s) that suits its own particular needs.

21. Monitoring and measurement

An organization should have a systematic approach for measuring and monitoring its environmental performance on a regular basis. Monitoring involves collecting information, such as measurements or observations, over time. Measurements can be either quantitative or qualitative.

22. Evaluation of compliance

ISO 14000 Evaluation of compliance
An organization should establish, implement and maintain a procedure for periodically evaluating its compliance with the legal requirements that are applicable to its environmental aspects, as part of its commitment to compliance. The organization should record the results of this evaluation.

23. Control of records

Records provide evidence of the ongoing operation and results of the environmental management system. A
key characteristic of records is that they are permanent and are, typically, not revised.

24. Review of the environmental management system

An organization’s top management should, at intervals that it determines, conduct a review of its environmental management system to evaluate the system’s continuing suitability, adequacy and effectiveness. This review should cover the environmental aspects of activities, products and services that are within the scope of the environmental management system.

25. ISO 14000 Opportunities for improvement

An organization should continually evaluate its environmental performance and the performance of its environmental management system processes to identify opportunities for improvement. Top management should be involved directly in this evaluation through the management review process

ISO 14000 & Environment

International ISO standards facilitate trade, spread knowledge, and share technological advances and good management practices.

Published under the designation of International Standards, ISO standards represent an international consensus on the state of the art in the technology or good practice concerned.

ISO has a multi-faceted approach to meeting the needs of all stakeholders from business, industry, governmental authorities and nongovernmental organizations, as well as consumers, in the field of the environment. ISO has developed:

1. Standards that help organizations to take a proactive approach to managing environmental issues: the ISO 14000 family of environmental management standards which can be implemented in any type of organization in either public or private sectors – from companies to administrations to public utilities.

2. ISO is helping to meet the challenges of climate change with standards for greenhouse gas accounting, verification and emissions trading, and for measuring the carbon footprint of products.

3. ISO develops normative documents to facilitate the fusion of business and environmental goals by encouraging the inclusion of environmental aspects in product design.

4. ISO offers a wide-ranging portfolio of standards for sampling and test methods to deal with specific environmental challenges. It has developed some 570 International Standards for the monitoring of such aspects as the quality of air, water and the soil, as well as noise, radiation, and for controlling the transport of dangerous goods. They also serve in a number of countries as the technical basis for environmental regulations.

Organizations around the world, as well as their stakeholders, are becoming increasingly aware of the need for environmental management, socially responsible behavior, and sustainable growth and development.

Accordingly, as the proactive management of environmental aspects converges with enterprise risk management, corporate governance, and sound operational and financial practices and performance, International Standards are becoming increasingly important for organizations to work towards common and comparable environmental management practices to support the sustainability of their organizations, products, and services.

Furthermore, governments and regulatory bodies are increasingly looking to ISO standards to provide a framework to ensure alignment and consistency both nationally and internationally.

ISO International Standards and related normative documents provide consumers, regulators and organizations in both public and private sectors with environmental tools with the following characteristics:

- Technically credible as ISO standards represent the sum of knowledge of a broad pool of international expertise and stakeholders

- Fulfill stakeholder needs as the ISO standards development process is based on international input and consensus

- Facilitate the development of uniform requirements as the ISO standards development process is built on participation by its national member institutes from all regions of the world

- Promote efficiencies when the same standards are implemented across markets, sectors, and/or jurisdictions

- Support regulatory compliance when the standards are used to meet market and regulatory needs

- Enhance investor confidence because the standards can be used for conformity assessment such as by audit, inspection or certification. This enhances confidence in products, services and systems that can be demonstrated to conform to ISO standards and provides practical support for regulation.

ISO standards developed for Environmental Management covers the following areas:

• Environmental management systems

• Environmental auditing and related environmental investigations

• Environmental performance evaluation

• Environmental labelling

• Life cycle assessment

• Environmental communication

• Environmental aspects of product design and development

• Environmental aspects in product standards

• Terms and definitions

• Greenhouse gas management and related activities

• Measuring the carbon footprint of products.

The ISO 14000 family of standards reflects international consensus on good environmental and business practice that can be applied by organizations all over the world in their specific context. The ISO family of standards includes:

- ISO 14001 is the world’s most recognized framework for environmental management systems (EMS) -that helps organizations to manage better the impact of their activities on the environment and to demonstrate sound environmental management. ISO 14001 has been adopted as a national standard by more than half of the 160 national members of ISO and its use is encouraged by governments around the world.

- ISO 14004, which complements ISO 14001 by providing additional guidance and useful explanations.

- Environmental audits are important tools for assessing whether an EMS is properly implemented and maintained. The auditing standard, ISO 19011, is equally useful for EMS and quality management system audits. It provides guidance on principles of auditing, managing audit programmes, the conduct of audits and on the competence of auditors.

- ISO 14031 provides guidance on how an organization can evaluate its environmental performance. The standard also addresses the selection of suitable performance indicators, so that performance can be assessed against criteria set by management. This information can be used as a basis for internal and external reporting on environmental performance.

- The ISO 14020 series of standards addresses a range of different approaches to environmental labels and declarations, including eco-labels (seals of approval), self-declared environmental claims, and quantified environmental information about products and services.

- ISO 14001 addresses not only the environmental aspects of an organization’s processes, but also those of its products and services. Therefore ISO has developed additional tools to assist in addressing such aspects. Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool for identifying and evaluating the environmental aspects of products and services from the “cradle to the grave”: from the extraction of resource inputs to the eventual disposal of the product or its waste. The ISO 14040 standards give guidelines on the principles and conduct of LCA studies that provide an organization with information on how to reduce the overall environmental impact of its products and services.

- ISO 14064 part 1, 2 and 3 are international greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting and verification standards which provide a set of clear and verifiable requirements to support organizations and proponents of GHG emission reduction projects.

- ISO 14065 complements ISO 14064 by specifying requirements to accredit or recognize organizational bodies that undertake GHG validation or verification using ISO 14064 or other relevant standards or specifications.

- ISO 14063 addresses environmental communication guidelines and examples, helps companies to make the important link to external stakeholders.

International ISO standards facilitate trade, spread knowledge, and share technological advances and good management practices.Published under the designation of International Standards, ISO standards represent an international consensus on the state of the art in the technology or good practice concerned.ISO has a multi-faceted approach to meeting the needs of all stakeholders from business, industry, governmental authorities and nongovernmental organizations, as well as consumers, in the field of the environment. ISO has developed:1. Standards that help organizations to take a proactive approach to managing environmental issues: the ISO 14000 family of environmental management standards which can be implemented in any type of organization in either public or private sectors – from companies to administrations to public utilities.2. ISO is helping to meet the challenges of climate change with standards for greenhouse gas accounting, verification and emissions trading, and for measuring the carbon footprint of products.3. ISO develops normative documents to facilitate the fusion of business and environmental goals by encouraging the inclusion of environmental aspects in product design.4. ISO offers a wide-ranging portfolio of standards for sampling and test methods to deal with specific environmental challenges. It has developed some 570 International Standards for the monitoring of such aspects as the quality of air, water and the soil, as well as noise, radiation, and for controlling the transport of dangerous goods. They also serve in a number of countries as the technical basis for environmental regulations.Organizations around the world, as well as their stakeholders, are becoming increasingly aware of the need for environmental management, socially responsible behavior, and sustainable growth and development.Accordingly, as the proactive management of environmental aspects converges with enterprise risk management, corporate governance, and sound operational and financial practices and performance, International Standards are becoming increasingly important for organizations to work towards common and comparable environmental management practices to support the sustainability of their organizations, products, and services.Furthermore, governments and regulatory bodies are increasingly looking to ISO standards to provide a framework to ensure alignment and consistency both nationally and internationally.ISO International Standards and related normative documents provide consumers, regulators and organizations in both public and private sectors with environmental tools with the following characteristics:- Technically credible as ISO standards represent the sum of knowledge of a broad pool of international expertise and stakeholders- Fulfill stakeholder needs as the ISO standards development process is based on international input and consensus- Facilitate the development of uniform requirements as the ISO standards development process is built on participation by its national member institutes from all regions of the world- Promote efficiencies when the same standards are implemented across markets, sectors, and/or jurisdictions- Support regulatory compliance when the standards are used to meet market and regulatory needs- Enhance investor confidence because the standards can be used for conformity assessment such as by audit, inspection or certification. This enhances confidence in products, services and systems that can be demonstrated to conform to ISO standards and provides practical support for regulation.ISO standards developed for Environmental Management covers the following areas:• Environmental management systems• Environmental auditing and related environmental investigations• Environmental performance evaluation• Environmental labelling• Life cycle assessment• Environmental communication• Environmental aspects of product design and development• Environmental aspects in product standards• Terms and definitions• Greenhouse gas management and related activities• Measuring the carbon footprint of products.The ISO 14000 family of standards reflects international consensus on good environmental and business practice that can be applied by organizations all over the world in their specific context. The ISO family of standards includes:- ISO 14001 is the world’s most recognized framework for environmental management systems (EMS) -that helps organizations to manage better the impact of their activities on the environment and to demonstrate sound environmental management. ISO 14001 has been adopted as a national standard by more than half of the 160 national members of ISO and its use is encouraged by governments around the world.- ISO 14004, which complements ISO 14001 by providing additional guidance and useful explanations.- Environmental audits are important tools for assessing whether an EMS is properly implemented and maintained. The auditing standard, ISO 19011, is equally useful for EMS and quality management system audits. It provides guidance on principles of auditing, managing audit programmes, the conduct of audits and on the competence of auditors.- ISO 14031 provides guidance on how an organization can evaluate its environmental performance. The standard also addresses the selection of suitable performance indicators, so that performance can be assessed against criteria set by management. This information can be used as a basis for internal and external reporting on environmental performance.- The ISO 14020 series of standards addresses a range of different approaches to environmental labels and declarations, including eco-labels (seals of approval), self-declared environmental claims, and quantified environmental information about products and services.- ISO 14001 addresses not only the environmental aspects of an organization’s processes, but also those of its products and services. Therefore ISO has developed additional tools to assist in addressing such aspects. Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool for identifying and evaluating the environmental aspects of products and services from the “cradle to the grave”: from the extraction of resource inputs to the eventual disposal of the product or its waste. The ISO 14040 standards give guidelines on the principles and conduct of LCA studies that provide an organization with information on how to reduce the overall environmental impact of its products and services.- ISO 14064 part 1, 2 and 3 are international greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting and verification standards which provide a set of clear and verifiable requirements to support organizations and proponents of GHG emission reduction projects.- ISO 14065 complements ISO 14064 by specifying requirements to accredit or recognize organizational bodies that undertake GHG validation or verification using ISO 14064 or other relevant standards or specifications.- ISO 14063 addresses environmental communication guidelines and examples, helps companies to make the important link to external stakeholders.