Smart Metering Systems : New ISO 14001 environmental management standard

New ISO 14001 environmental management standard
Date Created:06/01/2016

ISO 14001 is the most widely used internationally recognised standard that sets out how organisations can implement and operate an effective Environmental Management System (EMS). The standard is designed to address the fine balance between improving efficiencies, maintaining profitability, ensuring legal compliance and reducing environmental impact.

There are many benefits from having an effectively managed ISO 14001 certified Environmental Management System. These include (but certainly aren't limited to): lower operational costs; reduced waste and energy usage leading to an increase in efficiency; improved levels of compliance to environmental legislation; and increased customer and stakeholder confidence. However if implemented poorly your EMS can quickly become an administrative burden with few positive outputs!

If you fall into this category please get in touch so we can help bring your system back to a standard where it delivers value to your organisation. If you don't the outlook is not good as the latest version of the ISO 14001 standard makes it almost impossible for poorly operated systems to simply coast through surveillance audits.

The new ISO 14001:2015 standard considers broader strategic issues and places more emphasis on an integrated approach to environmental management that places sustainability at the heart of business. This is a positive leap forward but there are genuine concerns in the industry that many organisations don't have the skills to deliver or audit the new standard.

SMS Plc can help your business bridge any gaps in your existing system to ensure it meets the new standard and ensure that staff are competent to manage and audit it accordingly. SMS Plc was appointed by Santander in 2011 to deliver a complete EMS implementation package across the bank's 16 national head office sites.

After conducting a thorough system review, SMS Consultants developed new system documents, operational procedures and reporting functions. This involved completing environmental audits and reviews, at each site to establish aspects and impacts.

Analysis of operations and the surrounding environment was conducted to assess issues of pollution prevention, potential land and water course contamination, and the direct and in-direct impact the bank has on global issues like climate change and natural resource use.
The system provides a rigid framework that give stakeholders assurance that the bank is going above and beyond all necessary regulatory and legislative requirements in a bid to become more sustainable.

The EMS at the London Head Office successfully achieved the ISO 14001 Standard during its first third party audit and SMS continue to manage the systems to ensure performance continually improves. The EMS has played a fundamental role in the bank's wider sustainability and environmental strategy. Since its introduction overall energy usage has dropped by 10% and total waste generation has fallen by 15%.

If you would like to discuss how SMS can help your organisation achieve its sustainability and environmental objectives please email [e-mail] or call us on 02920 739 535 for further information.

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