The ISO group working to update ISO 14001 has agreed a new draft for consultation
A second committee draft (CD) of the revised international environment management systems standard was agreed at the latest ISO working group meeting in Bogata, Columbia last week and will be published on 21 October for a three-month consultation period.
The new text takes in amendments proposed in feedback to the first CD, which was published at the beginning of 2013 and revealed a new structure and a series of changes aimed at ensuring organisations consider environment management at the strategic level.
Martin Baxter, IEMA’s executive director of policy and one of the UK’s representatives on the working group, confirmed that good progress was being made on revising 14001 and that it is on track to be published in the first half of 2015.
“The latest working group meeting bought significant progress on addressing risks and opportunities, including those relating to external environmental conditions that can impact on organisations,” he said.
“Requirements relating to control and influence across the value chain were also further developed”.
Key changes in the revised draft standard include:
- a greater focus on improving environmental performance across the value chain;
- strengthened requirements on the involvement of senior management and the integration of environment management into core business processes and corporate strategy; and
- greater clarity on external communication, including emphasis on the quality of data.
IEMA will be asking its members’ feedback on the new CD before the end of the year.
All comments received on the new draft will be discussed at the ISO working group’s next meeting in Padua, Italy at the end of February 2014.
