Overwhelming uncertainty about the impact of the revisions to ISO 14001 has been revealed by a survey of environment professionals.
Cedrec, which provides advice on environmental and safety legislation, polled just over 200 practitioners on the revised international standard for environment management systems (EMS), which is due to published next year, and found that nearly two-thirds (62%) of respondents were unsure how the changes will have an impact on their organisations.
The results reveal that strategic management involvement, and leadership and lifecycle thinking are the two biggest areas of concern with 14001: 2015. The revised standard requires a better understanding of the context of the organisation when establishing the scope of the EMS, and a clearer definition of the role and responsibilities of top management.
Other revisions include new requirements to determine environmental risks and opportunities. IEMA has launched a new course to help practitioners implement the revised standard.
