SGS United Kingdom Ltd obtains UKAS accreditation to certify companies to ISO 14001:2015

SGS United Kingdom Ltd is one of the first certification bodies to achieve UKAS accreditation to certify companies to ISO 14001:2015, the Environmental Management Systems Standard. ISO 14001, the most internationally recognised standard for environmental management systems (EMS), provides a framework to help companies implement an EMS to optimise, control and monitor their environmental performance. Published in September 2015, the newly revised standard, ISO 14001:2015, has been updated to help organisations better integrate environmental thinking into corporate strategy. Organisations already certified to ISO 14001:2004 will have three years to transfer to ISO 14001:2015 so it remains in the best interest of companies to make the transition early. Colin Ward, UK Product Manager for ISO 14001:2015, believes that the environment is “increasingly becoming the forefront of society’s concern as highlighted by the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. It is therefore important for companies to demonstrate their ongoing commitment to sustainability. At SGS we encourage companies to make a prompt transition so that they may benefit from reduced resource costs, enhanced credibility and competitive advantage. The more a company can reduce its environmental impact, the more efficient they will become.” ISO 14001:2015 has adopted a High Level Structure – the Annex SL framework which contains common requirements, terms and definitions to ensure that all future and revised management system standards are aligned so that they are easier to integrate and maintain. The new standard also places emphasis on leadership, adopting a risk based approach and understanding the context of the organisation and the needs and expectations of interested parties by identifying external and internal issues that may affect business operations, products and services. “ISO 14001:2015 helps companies identify environmental aspects and compliance requirements, considering a life cycle perspective, so that they can set objectives to enhance their environmental performance, reduce their impact and save money,” said Mr Ward. “At SGS we endeavour to provide the highest quality services, training and resources best suited to the needs of our customers to ensure that they are continually improving their operations. We are proud to achieve accreditation to ISO 14001:2015 and we now strive to help our customers understand the changes to the standard and how to integrate these changes into their business to guide them through the transition process.” SGS experts can carry out a gap analysis against the requirements of ISO 14001:2015 to make the transition smooth and transparent. For information about ISO 14001:2015 training courses, audits or certification please visit: www.sgs.co.uk/iso14001. For information about the ISO 14001:2015 transition process, please visit: www.sgs.co.uk/iso14001-2015transition.

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