Nowadays, more and more businesses are deciding to obtain and achieve the prestigious ISO 14001 accreditation; the National Trust is among the organisations who have the award. Furthermore, a leading assessment company has recently stated that the number of companies with the certification has risen four-fold since 2008.
It is no wonder that companies are after the award. It renders them environmentally friendly and it is able to be gained by any sized institution, in any sector. By becoming more green, cost and waste is reduced and the accreditation has been proven to help win and retain business. The statistics alone show the effect that the authorization can have for an institutions success;
- 27% of businesses have had improved sales
- 33% have obtained green credentials
- 18% are now more successful due to the ISO 14001
As a result of a business gaining this award, the environment will be positively impacted. For example, the accreditation ensures that a business takes into account how much wastage is being generated, consciously keeping it as low as possible and also managing waste disposal. In addition, once a company has this certificate they are committed to regulating energy, guaranteeing that energy usage is not misused.
QMS, a company that issues the ISO 14001 certification, has explained the benefits for a corporation once they have obtained the award. They believe that the certificate can:
- Save your business money
- Clearly demonstrate your environmental commitment
- Allow you to expand into new sectors
- Protect yourself against future regulations
- Help improve your business reputation and brand
The RDM Group, a leading engineering solutions provider, has recently acquired the certificate in less than a year. The business, which employs 38 people, is now planning to reduce their energy usage by 20% per year, in addition to taking away £75,000 of waste from the operational and manufacturing process. The chairman of the RDM Group has commented that “we have always been committed to being ‘a green company’ and this was a way in which we could officially prove our credentials whilst also meeting customer expectations.”
He added that “ISO 14001 gave us a framework that formalised a lot of the existing systems we had in place. It took us less than a year to introduce and secure the standard.”
Furthermore, David Keene remarked, “it also provided us with some new ideas and ensured we got the full buy-in of all staff, from the directors through to the team leaders and workers on the shop floor. A real team effort you could say.”
Certification International have stated that, “in an increasingly competitive market place, to be seen as a trusted organisation is critical and a certification mark is valuable and distinctive.” Certification International also said it has seen further growth since the beginning of the year as companies treat meeting environmental and social responsibility requirements with increasing importance.
Having seen the evidence, it seems clear why more businesses are becoming environmentally friendly. There appears to be an endless amount of reasons for why a company should work towards gaining an ISO 14001 certificate; this is heavily supported by the vast amount of businesses that have already progressed onwards and upwards as a result of this.
A great post Katherine. To be certified means a lot as it also provides a guide to work alongside and ensures all staff are properly trained. This is the foundation of any business. Are a growing number of businesses working towards gaining an ISO 14001 certificate?