Every organization interacts with the environment in one way or another. It is the source of all the resources an organization needs – land, energy, raw materials – and presents various business threats and opportunities.
This interaction is governed by ISO 14001 compliance obligations, which require organizations to establish an environmental policy and implement environmental management systems to address non-compliance effectively.
Any organization that becomes ISO 14001 certified not only benefits the environment with a commitment to sustainable practices but also benefits itself by improving its performance and gaining a competitive advantage.
So, even before you identify critical environmental aspects, it is important to understand the ISO 14001 regulations and legislative updates to ensure compliance.
ISO 14001 Environmental Legislation Compliance
ISO 14001 specifies that an organization's top management should define an environmental policy. This environmental policy must define the organization's commitment to complying with applicable legal requirements, as well as any other requirements related to the environmental aspects to which the company subscribes.
It requires that organizations determine the various compliance obligations that affect it, including mandatory requirements like legal regulations and voluntary requirements such as those included in codes of practice as compliance obligations.
For an organization, implementing an environment management system software requires understanding the regulatory requirements and ensuring compliance.
However, as ISO 14001 is an international standard, the language defining environmental legislation compliance is open-ended to give you the flexibility to identify the compliance requirements.
At the same time, as legislation differs between countries and even regions, it can become difficult for the EMS representative to define the company's compliance requirements depending on the industry in which it operates.
How to Identify Legislation Requirements?
Managing environmental legislation can be challenging since the requirements differ for various regions and industries. While many might believe that maintaining an environmental legal register and updating it frequently is enough, the requirements are a bit more vast than that.
As a result, it will be more valuable for your company to strengthen the organization's environmental performance by acquiring knowledge of the local legal requirements first-hand instead of taking assistance from a third party.
For this, you can start by maintaining a Register for Environmental Legislation for your company that lists the various regulations applicable to your organization and other crucial details, such as
- Key requirements and environmental aspects that must be clarified
- A reference to the legislation along with informational source
- Environmental controls to be implemented
- Records of responsibilities assigned
- A compliance summary highlighting whether your organization complies with legislation or not
- A future date/period when the legislation compliance will be checked
Once you have completed your register, you can determine which legislation applies to your company. Since there are many different types of environmental legislation – from the disposal of hazardous substances to the kinds of gases allowed for use in the cooling system in an office, it can be a good idea to determine which requirements similar organizations are following to ensure you've thought of everything that may be required.
Within ISO 14001, the application of legislation is extensive. Here, your industry knowledge will allow you to evaluate and reject many parts of the legislation that do not apply. Further, local government agencies established in many regions can also provide nationwide or local resources to make applicable legislation available.
Identifying ISO 14001 Legislations- Factors to Consider
A legal register includes all the environmental laws and regulations that apply to a particular organization, which are based on several factors, such as
1. Location
Your business' operational location determines the legal documents you need to maintain for ISO 14001 compliance. For instance, construction businesses in a particular country will have different document requirements than warehouses. In fact, the legislation requirements for certain activities, such as waste management or security of personal data, can differ based on the location.
2. Operations
Various legislations and regulations will impact your business operation and vary based on the business operations you're engaged in — for instance, laws governing manufacturing operations for handling hazardous materials.
3. Organizational Structure
This considers factors such as the size and industry of your organization, business turnover, staffing level, and more. For instance, certain environmental legislations may only apply to big corporations or SMEs.
How to Ensure Compliance Management?
Once the legislation register has been updated with applicable laws, you must identify the environmental aspects that can affect the business.
For this, you must stay up to date with the legislative updates by conducting regular monthly sessions to research and document the recent regulatory changes that can impact the business. This will allow you to act upon the changes immediately to address non-compliance.
Further, staying current with the changing laws will allow you to show auditors a record detailing any changes, how you acted upon them, and how those actions were communicated internally in your organization.
ISO 14001 Legislation Compliance- Why Should You Do it on Your Own?
As mentioned before, it can be beneficial for your organization to establish the EMS regulatory requirements yourself. It will allow you to learn about current legislation, even if it does not necessarily apply to your organization.
Further, ISO 14001 accreditation and compliance will require you to improve environmental aspects and impact of your products and services. With your newly acquired knowledge, you can make sure that the company's supply chain sustainability is also managed for compliance
Establishing your organization's legislative compliance requirements on your own will prepare you to meet the challenges of offering excellent products or services to customers and minimizing your environmental impact.
