ISO 14001:2015 standard concerns all companies aiming at improving their environmental performance. As concern for environmental protection becomes globally more intense day by day, more companies wish to prove their environmental awareness to their clients and interested parties by adopting and implementing an Environmental Management System. ISO 14001:2015 is a process standard. Therefore, it can be implemented by any company, regardless of its size or activity including product manufacturers or service providers.

ISO 14001:2015 applies to implemented Environmental Management System and sets the requirements for what the organization should do to manage processes that affect the impact of its activities to the environment. The core of the standard is to identify and control the environmental aspects and impacts of the organization. The Plan-Do-Check-Act principle also applies to this standard.  The expected outcome is the continual improvement of environmental performance by setting and achieving environmental targets and programmes. As in every management system, commitment by top management is a prerequisite and crucial.

The basic benefits from setting and implementing an Environmental System according to the requirements of ISO 14001:2015 are the following:

• Reduction of operational and environmental cost

• Acquirement of competitive advantage in the market

• Conformance with legal requirements and avoidance of authority environmental fines

• Energy saving

• Increase employees’ environmental awareness

• Improvement of external communication with local community and interested parties

• Address environmental concerns of customers and public

• Sustainable business

EUROCERT S A is a Greek Independent Certification Body accredited by Greek and International Accreditation Bodies with offices and activity in Greece and abroad. EUROCERT possesses highly-trained and educated auditors with great expertise, knowledge of local and global environmental legislation and experience in their field. In particular, EUROCERT has earned recognition in the field of environmental management system certification by conducting audits and awarding certificates globally according to ISO 14001, EMAS Regulation and Verification of Greenhouse Gas Emissions for many years.

Certification with EUROCERT means evaluation and acceptance by an accredited, well-known and well-respected third-party organization.

ISO 14001:2015 helps improve your company’s environmental performance and enhance your reputation in the market. Furthermore, in some companies, implementation of an Environmental Management System according to the requirements of ISO 14001:2015 or EMAS Regulation is an environmental condition stated in Permits or Licenses issued by the Ministry of Environment.

Typically 3-6 months, although this may depend on various factors. The main issue is that the company demonstrates that its management system is fully implemented and meets all the requirements of the standard. Top management and employees’ level of awareness is also a crucial point to determine the necessary time for gaining certification.

No. ISO 14001:2015 is a voluntary certification aiming at continual improvement and does not substitute for any public or official audit. It organizes the company however, so that it complies with all relevant applicable legislation and helps avoiding any unexpected problems or fines during these audits acting pre-cautiously.