‘Eco-friendly,’ ‘sustainable’ and ‘net zero’ have become a part of most construction businesses daily vocabulary. The global ‘green’ issue will never truly go away. From modern technology we’re given more and more data to work with. We’re more informed regarding the impact we’re making on our planet, and we know we need to collectively work to reduce this impact and keep carbon levels from creeping up again.
Unsurprisingly, due to this, ISO 14001 standard is growing in popularity. Businesses are wanting to show their contributions to reducing their carbon footprint and what ideas they’ve got in the pipeline that continues with better practices.
Not only does this make the business’s actions look pretty good, but they also may require evidence of the official standard when tendering for contracts. Without this, doubts may arise from current or potential clients which may lose you work.
With the urgency to slam the breaks on climate change and meet a net zero target, ISO 14001 evidently tells others that the accredited company is actively assessing themselves on a regular basis to improve their processes and methodologies.
The standard doesn’t just apply to companies associated within the construction industry; any business can go through the process. It’s also not a necessity to have, but those without it already face a collection of huge disadvantages.
The ISO 14001 standard requires for you to document all the necessary information within your Environmental Management System, and to continue to do so through the annual audits. Some of this documentation includes outlining their environmental processes, monitoring of sites, equipment, products etc. and detailing the aspects of the businesses that the environmental control will be subjected to and has an influence on.
Because this is an audited standard, the certification body ensures that you meet all current legislation and challenges you to make greater environmental improvements year-on-year, in your office processes and on site.
ISO 14001 also helps you to make those initial changes in your business if you don’t know where to start or are unsure what else you can be doing to work more mindfully.
Arguably, every construction-related business should be working towards the accreditation, considering that the construction industry is the biggest source of waste and producer of embodied carbon in the UK. Every business should be acting towards reducing their environmental impact, accreditation, or no accreditation.