ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

ISO-INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR STANDARDIZATION ISO standards for business, government and society as a whole make a positive contribution to the world we live in. They insure vital features such as quality, ecology, safety, economy, reliability, compatibility, interoperability, conformity, efficiency and effectiveness They facilitate trade, spread knowledge, and share technological advances and good management practice

ISO Standards are designed to cover: Environmental management systems Environmental auditing Environmental performance evaluation Environmental labelling Life-cycle assessment Environmental aspect in product standards

ISO Addresses various aspects of environmental management It provides practical tools for companies and organizations looking to identify and control their environmental impact and constantly improve their environmental performance It is designed to cover the whole area of environmental issues for organizations in the global marketplace.

What are the reasons to implement ISO ISO increases the use of voluntary standards, reduces the requirement for duplicate or multiple certifications/inspections, creates a de-facto requirement, is amenable to government adoption, satisfies stakeholder interests, lower insurance rates, and allows better access to capitol, focuses on pollution prevention, which is less expensive than compliance and undertakes the first steps toward environmental excellence.

ISO Standards are designed to cover: Environmental management systems Environmental auditing Environmental performance evaluation Environmental labelling Life-cycle assessment Environmental aspect in product standards

Why have these standards? A set of international standards brings a world- wide focus to the environment, encouraging a cleaner, safer, healthier world for us all. The existence of the standards allows organizations to focus environmental efforts against an internationally accepted criteria.

Who do the standards apply to? The standard applies to all types and sizes of organizations and are designed to diverse geographical, cultural and social conditions

How does ISO encourage environmental improvement? ISO regulates the policies set by companies, which requires that there be a commitment to compliance, that they exercise pollution prevention, and that the system for doing so is continually improving itself

What are the guidelines on policy audited in ISO Commitment to compliance Pollution prevention Continual improvement

What are the pros and cons of the ISO approach to environmental improvement? Pros: an effective management system can help a company measure and improve the environmental aspect of its operations, which will lead to more efficient compliance with mandatory and voluntary environmental requirements. Cons: the only assurance is that the stated corporate environmental policy is being met. There are no policy itself, which may actually discourage pollution prevention. Additionally, the resulting policy-making bureaucracy can lead to higher expenditures and wasted paperwork time that results in less actual environmental improvement