Overview

Achieving a balance between the environment, society and the economy is considered essential to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sustainable development as a goal is achieved by balancing the three pillars of sustainability. Societal expectations for sustainable development, transparency and accountability have evolved with increasingly stringent legislation, growing pressures on the environment from pollution, inefficient use of resources, improper waste management, climate change, degradation of ecosystems and loss of biodiversity. This has led organizations to adopt a systematic approach to environmental management by implementing environmental management systems with the aim of contributing to the environmental pillar of sustainability. The purpose of this International Standard is to provide organizations with a framework to protect the environment and respond to changing environmental conditions in balance with socioeconomic needs. It specifies requirements that enable an organization to achieve the intended outcomes it sets for its environmental management system. This International Standard helps an organization achieve the intended outcomes of its environmental management system, which provide value for the environment, the organization itself and interested parties. Consistent with the organization's environmental policy, the intended outcomes of an environmental management system include: - enhancement of environmental performance; - fulfilment of compliance obligations; - achievement of environmental objectives. This International Standard is applicable to any organization, regardless of size, type and nature, and applies to the environmental aspects of its activities, products and services that the organization determines it can either control or influence considering a life cycle perspective. This International Standard does not state specific environmental performance criteria. This International Standard can be used in whole or in part to systematically improve environmental management. Claims of conformity to this International Standard, however, are not acceptable unless all its requirements are incorporated into an organization's environmental management system and fulfilled without exclusion. This document (EN ISO 14001:2015) has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 207 "Environmental management", Subcommittee SC 1 "Environmental management systems" (secretariat: BSI, United Kingdom. The responsible German Committee is Working Committee NA 172-00-02 AA "Umweltmanagement/Umweltaudit" ("Environmental management/environmental audit") at NA 172 DIN Standards Committee Principles of Environmental Protection. This text was created using the basic structure for management system nouns introduced by ISO ("High Level Structure"). The basic structure described in Annex SL, Annex 2 of the ISO/IEC Directive, Part 1, consolidated ISO Supplement, 2014, contains, in addition to the structure, a uniform basic text, common terms and basic definitions for use in management system standards.

Document: references other documents

Document: referenced in other documents

Responsible national committee

NA 172-00-02 AA - Environmental management/Environmental audit  

Responsible european committee

CEN/BT - BT Technical Board  

Responsible international committee

ISO/TC 207/SC 1 - Environmental management systems