Environmental management The ISO 14000 family of International Standards ISO in brief ISO and the environment

ISO is the International Organization ISO has a multi-faceted approach to meet- for . It has a membership ing the needs of all stakeholders from busi- of 160 national standards institutes from ness, industry, governmental authorities and countries large and small, industrialized, nongovernmental organizations, as well as developing and in transition, in all regions of consumers, in the field of the environment. the world. ISO’s portfolio of more than 18 000 standards provides practical tools for all three 1. ISO has developed standards that dimensions of : help organizations to take a proactive economic, environmental and societal. approach to managing environmental ISO standards for business, government issues: the ISO 14000 family of and society as a whole make a positive environmental management standards contribution to the world we live in. which can be implemented in any They ensure vital features such as quality, type of organization in either public or ecology, safety, economy, reliability, private sectors – from companies to compatibility, interoperability, conformity, administrations to public utilities. efficiency and effectiveness. They 2. ISO is helping to meet the challenge facilitate trade, spread knowledge, and of climate change with standards for share technological advances and good greenhouse gas accounting, verification management practice. and emissions trading, and for measuring ISO develops only those standards that the carbon footprint of products. are required by the market. This work is 3. carried out by experts on loan from the ISO develops normative documents industrial, technical and business sectors to facilitate the fusion of business and which have asked for the standards, and environmental goals by encouraging the which subsequently put them to use. These inclusion of environmental aspects in experts may be joined by others with relevant product design. knowledge, such as representatives of 4. ISO offers a wide-ranging portfolio of government agencies, testing laboratories, standards for sampling and test methods consumer associations and academia, and to deal with specific environmental by nongovernmental or other challenges. It has developed some 570 organizations that have a specific interest in International Standards for the monitoring the issues addressed in the standards. of such aspects as the quality of air, water Published under the designation of and the soil, as well as noise, radiation, International Standards, ISO standards and for controlling the transport of represent an international consensus on the dangerous goods. They also serve in a state of the art in the technology or good number of countries as the technical basis practice concerned. for environmental regulations. Environmental management and sustainability

Organizations around the world, as well as ISO International Standards and related their stakeholders, are becoming increasingly normative documents provide consumers, aware of the need for environmental regulators and organizations in both public management, socially responsible behaviour, and private sectors with environmental tools and sustainable growth and development. with the following characteristics :

Accordingly, as the proactive management 99Technically credible as ISO standards of environmental aspects converges with represent the sum of knowledge of a enterprise , corporate broad pool of international expertise and governance, and sound operational and stakeholders financial practices and performance, International Standards are becoming 99Fulfil stakeholder needs as the ISO increasingly important for organizations to standards development process is based work towards common and comparable on international input and consensus environmental management practices 99Facilitate the development of to support the sustainability of their uniform requirements as the ISO organizations, products, and services. standards development process is built Furthermore, governments and regulatory on participation by its national member bodies are increasingly looking to ISO institutes from all regions of the world standards to provide a framework to ensure 99Promote efficiencies when the same alignment and consistency both nationally standards are implemented across and internationally. markets, sectors, and/or jurisdictions

99Support regulatory compliance when the standards are used to meet market and regulatory needs

99Enhance investor confidence because the standards can be used for conformity assessment such as by , 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.

Environmental Management 2009 – 3 ISO/TC 207, Environmental management

Origins Compatibility

ISO technical committee ISO/TC 207, From its beginning, it was recognized that Environmental management, is ISO/TC 207 should cooperate closely with responsible for developing and maintaining ISO/TC 176, and the ISO 14000 family of standards. quality assurance – the ISO technical The committee’s current portfolio consists committee responsible for the ISO 9000 of 21 published International Standards and family of quality management standards – in other types of normative document, with the areas of management systems, auditing another nine new or revised documents in and related terminology. preparation. Successful steps have been taken to ISO/TC 207 was established in 1993, as ensure compatibility of the ISO 14001 and a result of ISO’s commitment to respond ISO 9001 standards to facilitate their use by to the complex challenge of “sustainable organizations that wish to implement both development” articulated at the 1992 United environmental and quality management Nations Conference on Environment and systems to benefit themselves and their Development in Rio de Janeiro. customers and stakeholders. These steps include a common standard (ISO 19011) giving It also stemmed from an intensive guidelines for auditing environmental and/or consultation process, carried out within the quality management systems. framework of the ISO Strategic Advisory Group on Environment (SAGE). SAGE was established in 1991 and brought together Global participation representatives of a variety of countries and international organizations – a total of more Membership of ISO/TC 207 is among the than 100 environmental experts – who helped highest of any ISO technical committee and is to define how International Standards could both broad and diverse in representation, two support better environmental management. key indicators of the worldwide interest in the work of this technical committee. National dele- As a result, the ISO 14000 family of gations of environmental experts from over 100 standards for environmental management countries participate in ISO/TC 207, including was launched to provide a practical toolbox 27 developing countries. The leadership of the to assist in the implementation of actions committee is “ twinned ” between a developed supportive to sustainable development. and developing country (currently Canada and Brazil).

4 – Environmental Management 2009 The national delegations are chosen by Scope of ISO/TC 207’s work the national standards institute concerned and they are required to bring to ISO/TC 207 Published documents and ongoing work of a national consensus on issues being ISO/TC 207 address the following areas : addressed by the technical committee. This 99Environmental management systems national consensus is derived from a process of consultation with interested parties and 99Environmental auditing and related stakeholders in each country. environmental investigations 99Environmental performance evaluation ISO/TC 207 continues to explore new and innovative ways to allow member countries 99Environmental labelling to contribute and participate in the standards 99Life cycle assessment development process without increasing their 99Environmental communication carbon footprint. 99Environmental aspects of product design ISO/TC 207 has relationships with over and development 30 international organizations that serve as 99Environmental aspects in product liaison members to the technical committee. standards These organizations include the following : 99Terms and definitions

99Asian Productivity Organization 99Greenhouse gas management and related 99Confederation of European Paper activities Industries 99Measuring the carbon footprint of products.

99European Commission The ISO 14000 family of standards reflects international consensus on good 99Environmental Defense Fund environmental and business practice that can 99Global Ecolabelling Network be applied by organizations all over the world in their specific context. 99International Aluminium Institute

99International Chamber of Commerce

99International Institute for Sustainable Development

99International Iron and Steel Institute

99Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

99Sierra Club

99United Nations Environment Programme

99World Business Council for Sustainable Development

99World Health Organization

99World Resources Institute

99World Trade Organization.

Environmental Management 2009 – 5 Overview of the ISO 14000 family of standards

Published standards Truthful and accurate information provides the basis on which consumers can make ISO 14001 is the world’s most recognized informed purchasing decisions. framework for environmental management systems (EMS) – The ISO 14020 series of standards implemented from Argentina to Zimbabwe addresses a range of different approaches – that helps organizations both to manage to environmental labels and better the impact of their activities on the declarations, including eco-labels (seals of environment and to demonstrate sound approval), self-declared environmental claims, environmental management. and quantified environmental information about products and services. ISO 14001 has been adopted as a national standard by more than half of the 160 national ISO 14001 addresses not only the members of ISO and its use is encouraged environmental aspects of an organization’s by governments around the world. Although processes, but also those of its products certification of conformity to the standard is and services. Therefore ISO/TC 207 has not a requirement of ISO 14001, at the end of developed additional tools to assist in 2007, at least 154 572 certificates had been addressing such aspects. Life-cycle issued in 148 countries and economies. assessment (LCA) is a tool for identifying Other environmental management and evaluating the environmental aspects tools developed by ISO/TC 207 include : of products and services from the “cradle to ISO 14004, which complements ISO 14001 by the grave” : from the extraction of resource providing additional guidance and useful inputs to the eventual disposal of the product explanations. or its waste. The ISO 14040 standards give guidelines on the principles and conduct of Environmental are important tools LCA studies that provide an organization with for assessing whether an EMS is properly information on how to reduce the overall implemented and maintained. The auditing environmental impact of its products and standard, ISO 19011, is equally useful for services. EMS and quality audits. It provides guidance on principles of auditing, ISO 14064 parts 1, 2 and 3 are international managing audit programmes, the conduct of greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting audits and on the competence of auditors. and verification standards which provide a set of clear and verifiable requirements to ISO 14031 provides guidance on support organizations and proponents of GHG how an organization can evaluate its emission reduction projects. environmental performance. The standard also addresses the selection of ISO 14065 complements ISO 14064 suitable performance indicators, so that by specifying requirements to accredit performance can be assessed against criteria or recognize organizational bodies that set by management. This information can undertake GHG validation or verification using be used as a basis for internal and external ISO 14064 or other relevant standards or reporting on environmental performance. specifications. Communication on the environmental ISO 14063, on environmental aspects of products and services is an communication guidelines and examples, important way to use market forces to helps companies to make the important link influence environmental improvement. to external stakeholders.

6 – Environmental Management 2009 MFCA measures the flow and stock of ma- terials and energy within an organization based on physical unit (weight, capacity, volume and ISO Guide 64 provides guidance for so on) and evaluates them according to manu- addressing environmental aspects facturing costs, a factor which is generally over- in product standards. Although looked by conventional cost accounting. MFCA primarily aimed at standards developers, is one of the major tools of environmental its guidance is also useful for designers management accounting (EMA) and is oriented and manufacturers. to internal use within an organization.

Upcoming new standards ISO 14067 on the carbon footprint of Sustainable development policy products will provide requirements for and practice has attracted considerable the quantification and communication of attention and debate in the past 15 years. greenhouse gases (GHGs) associated with Our understanding of and concerns about products. The purpose of each part will be to : environmental and sustainable development quantify the carbon footprint (Part 1) ; and har- issues have also evolved over time. Just as the monize methodologies for communicating the existing ISO 14000 standards play an important carbon footprint information and also provide role in helping organizations to address today’s guidance for this communication (Part 2). priorities, so too can future standards help to address future priorities. ISO 14069 will provide guidance for organi- zations to calculate the carbon foot- An integral part of an organization’s EMS is print of their products, services and supply the commitment to continual improvement. chain. ISO/TC 207 takes this principle to heart and is constantly improving its process to identify ISO 14005 will provide guidelines for the and respond to new standardization needs. phased implementation of an EMS to ISO/TC 207’s success in continuing to work facilitate the take-up of EMS by small and on relevant standards is evidenced by the medium-sized enterprises. It will include the development of the following new standards : use of environmental performance evaluation. ISO 14006 will provide guidelines on eco- ISO 14045 will provide principles and design. requirements for eco-efficiency assessment. Eco-efficiency relates ISO 14033 will provide guidelines and exam- environmental performance to value created. ples for compiling and communicating quan- The standard will establish an internationally titative environmental information. standardized methodological framework for eco-efficiency assessment, thus supporting Finally, ISO 14066 will specify competency a comprehensive, understandable and requirements for greenhouse gas valida- transparent presentation of eco-efficiency tors and verifiers. measures.

ISO 14051 will provide guidelines for general The development programme of principles and framework of material flow ISO/TC 207 is constantly evolving, driven by cost accounting (MFCA). MFCA is a man- market needs. Hence the above is a small agement tool to promote effective resource sample of areas where standards are currently utilization, mainly in manufacturing and distribu- in development. Please consult www.iso.org tion processes, in order to reduce the relative for an up-to-date programme of standards consumption of resources and material costs. under development by ISO/TC 207.

Environmental Management 2009 – 7 Environmental and economic benefits

The ISO 14000 family and the PDCA cycle Although the ISO 14000 standards are designed to be mutually supportive, they can also be used independently of each other to achieve environmental goals. The whole ISO 14000 family of standards provides The ISO 14000 family is designed to management tools for organizations to be implemented according to the same manage their environmental aspects and Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle underlying assess their environmental performance. all ISO management systems standards. The Together, these tools can provide significant following table classifies the standards mak- tangible economic benefits, including the ing up the ISO 14000 family according to their following : optimal place in the PDCA cycle.

99Reduced raw material/resource use

99Reduced energy consumption

99Improved process efficiency 99Reduced waste generation and disposal Plan costs

99Utilization of recoverable resources.

Of course, associated with each of these economic benefits are distinct environmental benefits too. This is the contribution Do that the ISO 14000 series makes to the environmental and economic components ISO 14000 of sustainable development and family of the . Act standards

Check

Acronyms : DIS (Draft International Standard) ; TR (Technical Report) ; TS (Technical Specification) AWI (Approved Work item) ; WD (Working Draft) ; CD (Committee Draft) .

8 – Environmental Management 2009 Plan Do Check Act Environmental management Conduct life cycle Conduct audits and Communicate and use system implementation assessment and manage evaluate environmental environmental declarations environmental aspects performance and claims

ISO 14050:2009 ISO 14040:2006 ISO 14015:2001 ISO 14020:2000 Environmental management – Environmental management Environmental management Environmental labels and Vocabulary – Life cycle assessment – – Environmental assessment declarations – General Principles and framework of sites and organizations principles (EASO)

ISO 14001:2004 ISO 14044:2006 ISO 14031:1999 ISO 14021:1999 Environmental management Environmental management Environmental management Environmental labels and systems – Requirements with – Life cycle assessment – – Environmental performance declarations – Self-declared guidance for use Requirements and guidelines evaluation – Guidelines environmental claims (Type II environmental labelling)

ISO 14004:2004 ISO/TR 14047:2003 ISO 19011:2002 ISO 14024:1999 Environmental management Environmental management – Guidelines for quality and/or Environmental labels systems – General guidelines Life cycle impact assessment environmental management and declarations – Type I on principles, systems and – Examples of application of systems auditing environmental labelling – support techniques ISO 14042 Principles and procedures

ISO/DIS 14005 ISO/TS 14048:2002 ISO 14025:2006 Environmental management Environmental management – Environmental labels and systems – Guidelines for the Life cycle assessment – Data declarations – Type III phased implementation of an documentation format environmental declarations – environmental management Principles and procedures system, including the use of environmental performance evaluation

ISO/AWI 14033 Environmental management – Quantitative environmental information – Guidelines and examples

Address environmental Evaluate greenhouse gas aspects in products and performance product standards

ISO Guide 64:2008 ISO/TR 14049:2000 ISO 14064-3:2006 ISO 14063:2006 Guide for addressing Environmental management Greenhouse gases – Part 3 : Environmental management environmental issues in – Life cycle assessment – Specification with guidance – Environmental product standards Examples of application of for the validation and communication – Guidelines ISO 14041 to goal and scope verification of greenhouse and examples definition and inventory gas assertions analysis

Environmental Management 2009 – 9 Plan Do Check Act ISO/CD 14006 ISO/CD 14051 ISO 14065:2007 Environmental management Environmental management – Greenhouse gases – systems – Guidelines on eco- Material flow cost accounting Requirements for greenhouse design – General principles and gas validation and framework verification bodies for use in accreditation or other forms of recognition

ISO/WD 14045 Eco-efficiency assessment – Principles and requirements

Manage greenhouse gases

ISO/TR 14062:2002 ISO 14064-1:2006 ISO/CD 14066 Environmental management Greenhouse gases – Part 1: Greenhouse gases – – Integrating environmental Specification with guidance Competency requirements aspects into product design at the organization level for for greenhouse gas validators and development quantification and reporting and verifiers document of greenhouse gas emissions and removals

ISO 14064-2:2006 Greenhouse gases – Part 2 : Specification with guidance at the project level for quantification, monitoring and reporting of greenhouse gas emission reductions or removal enhancements

ISO/WD 14067-1 Carbon footprint of products – Part 1: Quantification

ISO/WD 14067-2 Carbon footprint of products – Part 2: Communication

ISO/AWI 14069 GHG – Quantification and reporting of GHG emissions for organizations (Carbon footprint of organization) – Guidance for the application of ISO 14064-1

10 – Environmental Management 2009 Plan Do Check Act For further information ISO/CD 14006 ISO/CD 14051 ISO 14065:2007 Environmental management Environmental management – Greenhouse gases – Web sites systems – Guidelines on eco- Material flow cost accounting Requirements for greenhouse design – General principles and gas validation and ISO : framework verification bodies for use in www.iso.org accreditation or other forms of recognition ISO/TC 207 : www.tc207.org ISO/WD 14045 Eco-efficiency assessment – Principles and requirements Information on the ISO 14000 standards is also available from ISO’s national Manage greenhouse gases member bodies – www.iso.org/isomembers –

ISO/TR 14062:2002 ISO 14064-1:2006 ISO/CD 14066 and from the ISO Web site Environmental management Greenhouse gases – Part 1: Greenhouse gases – – www.iso.org/managementstandards – Integrating environmental Specification with guidance Competency requirements Sales enquiries should be directed to aspects into product design at the organization level for for greenhouse gas validators the ISO members or to the ISO Central and development quantification and reporting and verifiers document Secretariat sales department of greenhouse gas emissions – [email protected] and removals ISO publishes ISO Focus+ magazine ISO 14064-2:2006 (launched in January 2010) – www.iso.org/ Greenhouse gases – isofocus+ – which gives an overview of Part 2 : Specification with ISO and its standards and also includes guidance at the project level articles on its management standards. for quantification, monitoring It is published 10 times a year in English and reporting of greenhouse and French editions. gas emission reductions or removal enhancements

ISO/WD 14067-1 Carbon footprint of products – Part 1: Quantification

ISO/WD 14067-2 Carbon footprint of products – Part 2: Communication

ISO/AWI 14069 GHG – Quantification and reporting of GHG emissions for organizations (Carbon footprint of organization) – Guidance for the application of ISO 14064-1

Environmental Management 2009 – 11 ISO Central Secretariat 1, chemin de la Voie-Creuse Case postale 56 CH - 1211 Genève 20 Switzerland E-mail [email protected] Web www.iso.org

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