Businesses of all sizes across all industry sectors can have a huge impact on the world around us - you don't have to be an oil company or a multinational fast food chain to damage the environment through waste, pollution, and general carelessness. As a business owner, it's your responsibility not only to ensure the profitability of your organisation but also to minimise the environmental impact of your day-to-day operations.

One of the best ways to make sure that your business is as green as possible is to plan and implement an environmental management system (EMS) within your organisation. A good EMS will control your energy consumption, your use of natural resources, and your handling of waste and refuse, all while helping you to keep your business running smoothly.

Here are just a few reasons to implement an environmental management system and get your company ISO 14001 certified:

• Minimise the environmental impact of your organisation
• Save money by driving down your energy usage and reducing waste
• Streamline the way you handle and dispose of waste
• Verify that your business complies with the latest environmental legislation

ISO 14001 certification can even make it easier to access insurance cover. If you'd like to find out how NPT Management Systems can help you to plan your EMS and gain ISO 14001 certification, please contact us today to discuss your requirements with an expert.

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In September 2015, ISO published ISO 14001:2015, a revised version of their standard for environmental management systems. The updated standard (which has supplanted the previous revision, ISO 14001:2004) is designed to better align with other standards such as ISO 9001; it also places more focus on the people at the top of the organisation, and on considering the entire environmental life cycle of products and services.

If your business is certified to the old ISO 14001:2004 standard, you will need to transition to ISO 14001:2015 within 3 years of the new standard's publication. This means that you have until September 2018 to transition, but it may be a good idea to make the change sooner rather than later - upgrading to the new, more streamlined standard should benefit the overall running of your business, and you don't want to risk losing your accreditation when the old standard expires.

Fortunately, the transition to ISO 14001:2015 is easy with the help of NPT Management Systems. Our expert ISO consultants will help you to identify and implement any necessary changes in your environmental management system; we can also assist with getting re-certified by a UKAS-accredited body.

If you need help transitioning to ISO 14001:2015, please contact NPT Management Systems today.