ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System
A globally recognised framework enabling organisations to manage environmental responsibilities systematically, improve environmental performance, and demonstrate credible fulfilment of environmental obligations.
Everything you need to know about ISO 14001:2015
ISO 14001:2015 specifies requirements for an Environmental Management System (EMS). It provides a framework for organisations to enhance environmental performance, fulfil compliance obligations, and achieve environmental objectives. The standard requires organisations to identify environmental aspects — elements of activities, products, and services that interact with the environment — and systematically manage those with significant impact. The 2015 revision introduced a lifecycle perspective and strengthened alignment with ISO 9001 and ISO 45001.
ISO 14001:2015 is applicable to any organisation in any sector wishing to manage environmental responsibilities systematically. It is particularly relevant to manufacturing, construction, transport, energy, and organisations with significant environmental footprints. Organisations pursue ISO 14001 to meet customer requirements, satisfy regulatory expectations, reduce environmental risk, achieve cost savings through resource efficiency, or build credible sustainability credentials.
Certification follows Assurance International's standard four-stage process in conformance with ISO/IEC 17021-1. The Stage 1 audit reviews documentation including the environmental policy, register of aspects and impacts, legal register, and objectives. The Stage 2 audit assesses full implementation — including site inspections verifying that significant aspects are under effective operational control. View the full certification process.
ISO 14001:2015 certificates are valid for three years. Annual surveillance audits confirm continued environmental performance and legal compliance. Recertification after three years requires a comprehensive re-assessment of the EMS. Organisations that actively use their EMS to drive improvement in environmental performance get the most from their certification.