At Alpha Response we are fundamentally committed to practising sustainability and environmental efficiency. In order to ensure the achievement of these commitments, we have implemented an environmental management system which satisfies the requirements of ISO 14001. Here we will outline how exactly this is achieved; principally working from the notion that the standard helps organisations improve their environmental performance by establishing how they can more efficiently utilise their resources and reduce their waste, allowing them to gain a competitive advantage and establish greater trust from stakeholders.
Environmental management system
Environmental management systems are implemented to allow organisations to manage, identify, control, and monitor any environmental issues they might face in a comprehensive, integrated manner. Other ISO’s will focus on different types of management systems, such as ISO 45001 covering employee health and safety or ISO 9001 focusing on quality management.
ISO 14001 is favoured by organisations of all sizes and types, whether private or non-profit governmental organisations. The environmental management system is designed to force organisations to consider all the environmental issues that are relevant to the operations of that organisation, such as water, air and sewage pollution, contamination of soil, mitigation of climate change, waste management and effective use of resources.
14001 is unique because there is a desire for a continual and consistent improvement in the systems that an organisation employs to tackle its environmental considerations.
Key benefits
There are numerous key benefits for a business to consider before using the standards of ISO 14001. The strategy certainly helps demonstrate that a business is compliant with future and current regulatory and statutory requirements, which can have a substantial impact on stakeholder interest and brand image. Engaging employees on the central environmental issues a business might face has also been a positive we have seen here, which in turn improves involvement from leadership.
Achieving your strategic aims and objectives as a business by implementing environmental regulations and issues into the management of the organisation is also vitally important. This might also provide a financial and competitive advantage over rivals by reducing costs and improving the efficiency of the organisation. A knock-on effect can be achieved by encouraging improved environmental performance of your suppliers and integrating them into the standards you have already set out.
Improvements
ISO 14001 improves on previous iterations of the system in a variety of ways. The 2015 version requires that businesses implement an environmental management system that is prominent within the strategic direction of the organisation, with solid commitment from leadership as it relates to environmental issues. Implementing proactive initiatives such as mitigation of climate change and sustainable use of resources is another fundamental requirement of the scheme designed to protect the environment from degradation and harm.
A focus on stakeholder-specific communication strategy and life-cycle thinking is also required to ensure that there are considerations given to the full environmental picture, from development to end-of-life aspects.
Things to consider
Although an ISO 14001 accreditation is not a certified requirement, certification from a third-party source – by an independent body who audits your environmental practises against set standards – is a fantastic way to exemplify your commitments to customers, buyers, suppliers, and any other stakeholders that have been involved in implementing ISO 14001.
At Alpha Response, it’s important for us to know we are being held to account for the environmental practises we implement within our organisation. If you want to find out more about ISO 14001, click here.
Alpha Response are direct marketing specialists offering expert Printing, Mailing, and Integrated services in and around Gloucestershire.
If you’d like to know a bit more about how we can help you turn your transactional documentation into highly efficient marketing tools, then take a look at our website www.alpharesponse.ltd or give us a call on 03300 563 980 – we’d be happy to help!
