Environmental management - more than a standard

Dhat is the added value of the ISO 14001:2015 standard, compared to its already very complete predecessor? The first obvious added value is an evolved philosophy. The environmental management system (EMS) should not be exclusively interested in the internal processes, but also take into account the context with which it interacts. In this way, it becomes clear which risks can be prevented and which opportunities can be seized. Today, this proactive vision is undoubtedly a key factor for survival in our ever-changing economic world. In practice, however, SMEs often omit this phase from their strategic thinking or fail to implement it in a structured way, as they are too busy with day-to-day business and problems. This commitment can therefore be a positive driver that encourages managers to regularly ask themselves the right questions. Beyond the conventional issues (finance and markets), the links between business and the environment are hard to ignore - especially now that pressures on the environment and resources are at an all-time high. For example: it is undoubtedly in the interest of a very energy-intensive industrial company to focus on its dependence on certain energy sources or on the consequences of an increased CO2 levy for its costs. The shortage and impact of the depletion of certain raw materials could threaten the long-term supply of a producer of electrical components or of mechanical parts. Growing consumer concern about certain industries or harmful products may present a new opportunity for a producer, just as potential environmental accidents could have a fatal impact on a company's reputation.

Restructure own methods

These general considerations also involve identifying those involved in the company's activities and determining important data. The needs here are, of course, many and very individual: ensuring exchanges with neighbouring companies with whom one shares property drainage facilities or who might be interested in joint waste management, or with the nearby school that could be affected in the event of an accident; planning regular exchanges with the cantonal authorities prior to the implementation of new technology projects, in order to prevent blockages from occurring later, etc.

Obviously, such careful reflection also allows us to take a step back and better prepare for the future. There is considerable added value in this, especially if it is done at the same time as quality and environmental management. The same applies to an approach that is becoming increasingly indispensable in most companies: the determination of risks. This trend is, moreover, strongly reinforced by the mandatory assessment of global risks for boards of directors of public companies. So why not take advantage of the new standards to restructure or expand your own methods and thus ensure that all major risks, including environmental risks, are covered? Have we adopted the right measures in the right place to avoid risks or to reduce their severity? What are the business processes affected by these risks and what needs to be controlled? Should we include a risk-based approach in our projects?

Greater account is taken of value added

This inclusion of the internal and external context is also expressed in the ISO 14001 standard by taking greater account of the company's value chain. Thus, the life cycle perspective mentioned in the standard consists of looking at what happens before and after the company's internal operations. This opens up new and interesting perspectives from which the environment benefits, of course, but often also the company. The influence of a company on those outside its control

"links in the chain" often seems limited or even almost void. Yet in many cases it is precisely at these different levels that the environmental impact and future challenges are greatest. This is all the more relevant in view of today's very pronounced trend towards outsourcing non-core activities.

As a result, SMEs are confronted with new questions and equally new challenges, which each company addresses according to its own situation and its own possibilities: What is the impact associated with the availability of our raw materials? What about the distribution and use of the product or service? What happens to it after use? The answers give rise to numerous options available to the company.

Inquire about environmental aspects with suppliers

Particularly in purchasing, environmental criteria are becoming increasingly important in the selection of products, in addition to the usual criteria of price and quality. The same applies to the evaluation of suppliers and subcontractors. For the latter, this begins with the existence or non-existence of ISO14001 certification or an equivalent assessment. While it is not always possible to select suppliers or products on the basis of their environmental performance, especially if there is a strong dependency on one supplier, even inquiring about these aspects with its service providers is an important step that should not be underestimated! As far as subcontractors are concerned, environmental requirements and expectations can be set out in specifications depending on the activity entrusted to them.

The design of products and packaging also plays an important role in reducing environmental impacts along the value chain. It will be important to determine their actual influence on the positive or negative impacts and to see how environmental aspects can be integrated into the corresponding projects. In this phase, it will also be necessary to evaluate the main regulatory aspects. Many companies affected by the REACH regulation on chemicals, for example, know this all too well.

Finally, at the other end of the value chain, informing the distribution channel or consumers about environmentally conscious use may be important for certain types of products - to avoid pollution or energy consumption, or to maximise the recovery of waste.

Process instruction takes hold

The strengthening of this life cycle perspective has consequences that can already be observed today: Like a snowball effect, one sees more and more companies that have so far avoided certification but now find themselves forced to take this step due to pressure from their own customers' buyers. Such an expansion of environmental management systems would be a really positive and highly visible consequence of the current normative changes. Another striking evolution of the standard lies in the notion of procedure statement, already well known in the field of quality, which officially replaces most procedure requirements. This change is expected to result in the establishment of an organization and the realization of operating procedures that actually ensure the achievement of the desired results. However, the procedures alone, if they are neither known nor applied, and in this case do not constitute proof of an efficient management system, are useless and unnecessary. Of course, the already established, documented procedures should not simply be eliminated, but instead it should be determined which ones are useful and in which form they better help to achieve the expected result.

The definition of business processes is now inevitable to facilitate the integration of environmental performance requirements into real business activities. This is not a problem for those organisations that are already familiar with the process-oriented approach thanks to their quality management system. The situation is different for those companies with a single environmental management system, because for them the concept of business process itself may be completely new.

Finally, to conclude the list of changes introduced by these new standards, it is worth mentioning the precise requirements in terms of leadership and communication. The requirement to define a consistent communication concept, both internally and externally, offers the opportunity to rethink and strengthen the place of people at the heart of system management. Because, as experience often shows, in the end it is always the people who are the decisive factor in the success or failure of a system management.