It is important that every company or organization should obtain ISO 14001

Certification.

ISO 14001 certification is a part of the ISO 14000 series. ISO 14001 sets out the
criteria for the Environmental Management System (EMS). Its main aim is to assist
companies to improve their environmental performance. According to IISD 2010, rather
than focusing on exact measures and goals of environmental performances, the standard
highlights what an organization needs to do to meet these goals. The new version of ISO
14001 is going to focus on the improvement of environmental performance rather than to
improve the management system itself. This system is based on PDCA cycle which
means Plan,Do,Act and Check cycle.

Since ISO 14001 is to assist companies, so there are many benefits that we can get if
the ISO 14001 certification can be adopt in the company. By minimizaing the risk of
regulatory and environmental liability fines and improving an organizaton efficiency
(Delmas, 2009), benefits can include reduction of waste, consumption of resources and
also operating costs. This ISO 14001 also can help to monitor the company if there are
achieving their target as they planned. In addition, ISO 14001 also help to maintain clean
and healthy environment while minimize impact of growing population and human
activities on resources of environment. Moreover, ISO 14001 provides a predictable
structure for managing, accessing and continuously improving the effeciency for
managing the environment. Most immediate benefits of approach is that is correct use
will lead to more effecient use of key energy types and materials. This ISO 14001 can
give the organization the mandate to control its environment aspects and impacts on its
own process,products and services. Also, it help to reduce risk of protection through poor
environment management practise. In addition, it also help to improve company
commitment to environmental issues and hopefully achieving high levels of environment
performance.

While implementing this ISO 14001 certification in the company, there are some
limitations and challenges that they will encounter. Firstly, the costs when implementing
ISO 14001 in the company will be really high if the company is just small or medium
sized enterprise. Next, resist change frequently occur within organization and presents
barrier to implementation. Furthermore, allowing self declaration may create wide
variation among system. Moreover, high liability is a potential through the subpoena of
EMS record.

The company also will have problem to communicate with the employees and to
train them about the ISO 14001 certification EMS . Some employees like to stay at
current comfortable condition. So they will have a problem while this ISO 14001 is
develop into the company. Company also will face the resistance from the employees.
High workload and changes in the way tasks are performed particularly with additional
documentation and procedure to follow which can be very bureaucrastic and unnessary at
times. At some country, the sample size is limited. For example, in Selangor, sample size
is limited to 98 companies only. So the data might be incorrect. In addition, application
for the permits from legal authorities also can be a challenge to the company.

There are also consequences if the company do not seek for ISO 14001 certification.
One of them is the company EMS will not certify to ISO 14001. Besides, they can not
identify the boundaries of the management system. Company also cannot have the exact
ways to reduce the raw materials, reduction cost of wate treatment and also reduction of
human health. Also, the company also cannot increase the corporate image.

The ISO 14001 certification should be adopt in the companies beacuse it really helps
the company to save costs and also to have strategies to increase the corporate image.
Besides, it also gives a competitive edge to the companys marketing. Instead of
increasing quality of the employees and enhanced their skill, the company can improved
working conditions and also working safety. The company also can attract new
customers and keep the old customer as a result of good environmental management
system. The company image is enhanced in the eyes of all the customers and also
stakeholders. According to Alberti et al (2000), a quantitative study are done among firms
from Italy and they suggest companies with a well adopted ISO 14001 certified EMS
gain both economic and non economic benefits All the limitation and challenging can be
encounter. The employees can be train and the company can spread the policy of the
standard in the office.
References

ISO 14001 revision, international organization for standardization.

http://www.iso.org/iso/iso14001-revision. retrieved on 30.11.2015

Delmas, M. Ivan. Montiel (2009). Greenings the supply chains : when is customer
pressure effective?. Journal of economics and management strategy. 18:171
 Assignment
Environmental Management
STK 3093

Name : Aizatul Aishah Bt Azman

Matric No : 40463
Lecturers name : Prof Dr Lau Seng