SusLive

SusLive

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Sustainability Live Well I had a busy few days at Sustainability Live recently.  SusLive is the leading UK exhibition for energy technologies and services, taking place over three days in April 2015 at the NEC.   I used the time to network with a variety of contacts – suppliers, clients and partners. It’s always good to catch up with people there in an informal setting.  Plus I was busy ‘on the stage’ so to speak. I gave two presentations and chaired a session in one of the Energy Efficiency theatres. These workshops and seminars were designed to offer practical guidance and advice about implementing sustainability and energy management initiatives.   ISO 50001 and 14001 – Making the Connection With ISO 50001 a route to compliance under ESOS, many companies are interested in putting in an Energy Management System to this standard, but don’t know where to start.   My first session covered the connections between this and ISO 14001. There are many links in how the systems work,...
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Case Study: ISO 14001 EMS – University of Kent

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Case Study: ISO 14001 EMS University of Kent The University of Kent, the UK’s European University, is one of the country’s most dynamic universities and is proud of its record of research-led teaching at Canterbury, Medway, Tonbridge and Brussels.   Eshcon helped implement an Environmental Management System (EMS) and the successful certification to ISO 14001.   The University has a history of good environmental management but wanted to gain ISO 14001 to co-ordinate its numerous functions and initiatives, to drive further improvements and to help progress up the Green League, an environmental performance table of all Universities.   Eshcon worked with the University’s Safety, Health & Environment (SHE) Unit, providing advice and guidance in implementing the EMS: Conducting initial Environmental Review, identifying aspects, impacts & legislation Running workshops to develop the EMS Programme, a series of action plans focussing on energy, waste, transport, biodiversity, materials and emissions Establishing groups (e.g. management team, auditors) and systems, setting targets and processes for collecting & monitoring data Leading audits...
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ISO 14001:2015

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What’s new with ISO 14001? ISO 14001 is the best known standard for environmental management. There are over 300,000 certificates issued across the world.   It has been 11 years since ISO 14001 was last reviewed and the new standard has just been released - an exciting time for the environmental management industry.   ISO14001 systems will need to: Cover not only your impact on the environment, but also how the environment (external conditions) affects you Be integrated into the business, not a standalone system or just a tick-box exercise Have more involvement from senior management, showing leadership Cover supply chain and products in use, as well as direct operations. Include the views of wider stakeholders Have higher quality data management and focus on environmental performance.   There will be a transition period of up to 3 years for organisations to certify to the new standard.   It is wise to start thinking about it now. It’ll make your transition smoother and you’ll see the benefits sooner.   I am working...
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Drivers for Sustainability

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Drivers for Sustainability In researching its latest International Business Report, Grant Thornton asked 2,500 businesses across 34 economies what is driving their corporate social responsibility activity, examples of CSR initiatives and how these are being reported. They also looked at the role integrated reporting can play in improving transparency and decision-making.   What drives companies to become more socially responsible? Businesses report an increase in drivers to move towards more environmentally and socially sustainable business practices. Globally, cost management is the main driver (67%), followed by customer demand (64%) and because it’s the ‘right thing to do’ (62%). How a business is perceived to be operating is also important in many countries (59%), especially China.   In the UK however, client / customer demand was the top answer (62%), with recruitment / staff retention next (49%).   Paul Raleigh, Global leader – strategic development and growth, Grant Thornton, says CSR could be the difference that beats the competition: “The leadership of dynamic businesses towards more socially responsible and transparent...
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The Value of ISO 14001

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The Value of ISO 14001 ISO 14001 Continual Improvement Survey In 2013 ISO conducted a survey of users of the international standard for Environmental Management Systems ISO 14001. With about 5000 participants, from 110 countries worldwide, the survey looked at their experiences in implementing ISO 14001 and the value of it to the organisation.   Value for environmental management Organisations had realised significant value from ISO 14001 for environmental management issues: meeting legal requirements, improving environmental performance, and enhancing management commitment and stakeholder engagement.   Value for business management ISO 14001 has provided considerable value for business management, most notably for meeting stakeholder requirements, improving public image, achieving strategic objectives, and integrating with business management systems. Factors influencing adoption These results correspond with reported motivations for adopting the Standard, including commitment to environmental protection/conservation, and reduction of risk of adverse environmental impact. Primary influences related to business management included customer requirements and public image. A more detailed summary of the survey can be found here. Return to Homepage Contact Us or Email Us    ...
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New ISO 14001

New ISO 14001

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What's new with ISO 14001? ISO 14001 is being reviewed, with the new version to be released mid-late 2015. The draft international standard (DIS) is currently out for consultation, allowing us a preview of what ISO 14001:2015 is expected to involve.   The key changes include: A stronger emphasis on truly embedding sustainability into the organisation and showing leadership Including environmental requirements in procurement, design & delivery of products & services Considering threats and opportunities of external environmental conditions (e.g. adapting to climate change, resource availability) Engaging with interested parties and other external communication An emphasis on data quality and assurance.   Here is a little more info of the new requirements (including clause numbers), of the 2015 standard:   Understand the organisation and its context - requirements to determine the environmental context of the organisation (clause 4.1), and the needs and expectations of interested parties (4.2). Leadership and strategy - increased focus on the role of top management, and aligning the environmental policy with the organisation's...
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Top Tips for Certification

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Top Tips to prepare for Certification ISO 14001 Certification - The Process You have implemented your Environmental Management System (EMS) and let it run to see that it works, is delivering continual improvement and your objectives. Now you’re ready to go for ISO 14001 certification but don’t know what that involves.   After selecting your certification body and agreeing the scope of your management system, the process of certification is as follows: From Stage 1 document review through to surveillance visits, click here for a rundown on what to expect of the certification process.   Top tips to prepare for certification audits Make sure your documentation is complete, up-to-date and relevant.   Ensure you’ve covered all the stages / activities required by ISO 14001 – including audits and the Management Review.   Brief key personnel so they know what to expect from the auditor’s visit, the sorts of things they’ll be asking about and what evidence they’ll want to see.   Get your staff involved, it’s a great opportunity to...
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ISO 14001 Success

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Another Successful ISO 14001 Client Environmental and carbon management consultancy ESHCon is pleased to announce that another of its clients has been successfully certified to ISO 14001, the international standard for Environmental Management Systems (EMS).   ESHCon has been working with Roband Electronics to develop and implement the EMS which will manage impacts, reduce risk, identify opportunities for cost savings and address customers’ needs.   Based in Charlwood near Gatwick Airport, Roband specialises in the design, development and manufacture of electronic power supplies, predominately for the defence and aerospace markets.   Andrew Gold, Managing Director of Roband, said: “We already had a history of good environmental management at Roband but, as our customers are increasingly demanding a more formalised approach to this activity, we decided to go for ISO 14001 certification. I am delighted with the team’s achievements.”   ESHCon’s Director Anya Ledwith said: “It’s been a pleasure working with Roband, seeing the EMS progress towards ISO 14001 certification. Reducing wastage, promoting efficiency and saving money - this is...
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University of Kent

University of Kent

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Testimonial from the University of Kent ESHCon recently helped the University of Kent implement their Environmental Management System. They kindly provided the following testimonial, after successful certification to ISO 14001.   “The University of Kent is the size of a small town in terms of its geographical size, population and operations, and contains a good deal more in the way of environmental features and risks.  Building an EMS was a daunting task – especially as the elaborate system which appeared necessary would have been unwieldy and doomed to failure.  Anya provided the perfect means to help us draw the many strands together into a really lean and manageable system which nevertheless covers all our requirements and really delivers.  Her vision of how this would take shape overall, her wide and detailed subject knowledge, and her highly personable manner were vital to driving the project forward, and getting numerous key players enthused.  We achieved accredited certification to ISO 14001 in just 14 months, which...
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Adding weight

Adding weight

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Adding weight: rating significance This article was published in IEMA's The Environmentalist magazine (Nov 12 issue) - click here   Anya Ledwith on the best ways to rate the significance of environmental aspects within an environment management system The foundation of a good quality environment management system (EMS) is an understanding of the organisation’s aspects and impacts. This information should be used to recognise the need for, and determine the type of, operational controls required. Developing a process to rank these aspects for significance ensures that the EMS is not overwhelmed from the start.   Avoiding confusion There is sometimes confusion in differentiating between environmental aspects and impacts. ISO 14001 defines aspects as activities, products or services that can interact with the environment, while impacts are any change to the environment (adverse or beneficial) resulting from an aspect. So, for example, consider business journeys by car: activity – driving a car aspect – use of diesel as fuel impact – resulting air pollution In its initial environmental review, the...
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