We at NPT Management Systems pride ourselves on being a green, environmentally-friendly business. After all, we help businesses throughout the South of England to implement environmental management systems and achieve ISO 14001 certification, so it wouldn't look good if we ourselves weren't committed to fulfilling our eco-obligations!

Here's just a single example. Earlier this week, our Principal Consultant Neil Peattie travelled to the Isle of Wight. Most people who make the journey from Southampton to the IoW do so by car, crossing the Solent on the car ferry service from Southampton to East Cowes. However, in order to cut down on fuel emissions, Neil decided to travel by train, ferry, and his own scooter - very environmentally-conscious!

Neil and his scooter at Venture Quays in East Cowes, home of the world's largest Union Jack!

Eco-friendly travel is just the tip of the iceberg. We do everything we can to minimise our organisation's impact on the world around us - if you'd like to make sure that your business is doing the same, contact us now to find out how we can help you to achieve ISO 14001 certification.

If your business is based in Southampton (or the surrounding area) and you want to achieve ISO 14001 certification, we at NPT Management Systems are the people to call. Our environmental management consultants will help you to:

• Design an ISO-compliant environmental management system that's perfectly suited to your business
• Implement this system throughout the entire company
• Measure the effectiveness of your environmental management system and make improvements
• Achieve ISO 14001 certification through a UKAS-accredited body

Our consultants have helped numerous businesses in Southampton and beyond to improve their environmental practices and achieve 'ISO 14001 certified' status. Whether you're looking to implement a brand new environmental management system or to review and improve an existing system, we can help - contact NPT Management systems today!

Feedback from our clients

"We have successfully passed the ISO 14001 audit and thank NPT Management Systems for their support over the past 12 months. Highly recommended." - Andrew Clements, Clemtech

"I cannot fault [NPT Founder and Principal Consultant] Neil Peattie's commitment to this project, and I am confident that I can rely on his continued support." - Neil Smith, Imperial Car Supermarkets

"Neil's professional, 'can do' approach is an asset to our company." - Terry Forster, Cellular Developments

Visit our Testimonials page for more feedback from our previous clients.

ISO 14001 - ISO's global standard for environmental management systems - was revised earlier this month. The updated version of the standard, dubbed ISO 14001:2015, places more emphasis on 'life cycle' thinking and company-wide communication whilst putting the onus on top-level managers to ensure that their EMS is properly implemented throughout the organisation.

But why were these changes necessary? What factors drove ISO to revise this (already highly successful) family of standards? This official video clip, starring ISO secretary-general Kevin McKinley, has the answer:

Here, in case you're unable to watch that video, are Mr McKinley's main points in summary:

• Oraganisations are under increasing pressure to meet the environmental requirements put in place by policymakers
  
  
• They also come under a lot of scrutiny from stakeholders who expect a certain degree of environmental consciousness from modern businesses
  
  
• 11 years have passed since the last ISO 14001 revision, and topics such as climate change and water/energy usage now form a far larger part of overall discourse

These were some of the changes that spurred ISO into action and necessitated a new version of the ISO 14001 standard.

To learn more about the ISO 14001 standard (and, more importantly, to find out how your business can get ISO 14001 certified), please visit our ISO 14001 page or click here to contact the NPT Management Systems team.

ISO 14001:2015 - the latest version of the international standard for environmental management systems - was launched this week. This is the first ISO 14001 update since 2004; here's a quick rundown of what's new:

• The revised version of ISO 14001 requires a greater commitment from top-level management, with company leaders becoming more accountable for environmental processes.
  
  
• ISO 14001:2015 also places a greater emphasis on communication, encouraging certified businesses to better communicate their environmental management systems throughout every level of the company hierarchy.
  
  
• Additionally, managers will need to think about the life cycle of what their company offers. It's important to consider the environmental impact of one's products and/or services at every stage (from initial development to "end-of-life"), and ISO 14001:2015 aims to ensure that this is done worldwide.
  
  
• To meet ISO 14001:2015 criteria, any environmental information supplied by businesses must be reliable and accurate.
  
  
• Finally, ISO 14001-compliant environmental management systems will now be expected to show alignment with the overall "strategic direction" of the parent company.

Businesses are already achieving ISO 14001:2015 certification throughout the UK. If you want your company to be among them, contact NPT Management Systems now, or click here to learn more about the ISO 14001 standard.

Environmental management is an important consideration for any business, large or small. Corporations can have a massive impact on the environment, and as a company owner, it's your responsibility to ensure that your business isn't damaging the planet.

So how can you minimise your impact on the world around you? The international standard for environmental management is ISO 14001, and implementing an ISO 14001-certified environmental management system (EMS) is a great way to make sure that your company is doing its environmental duty.

Every ISO-certified EMS revolves around the familiar Plan/Do/Check/Act cycle, and requires a comprehensive approach to environmental policy that ensures good communication and awareness at all levels. As with any other good management system, your EMS should continue to improve even after you've achieved ISO certification; remember, the ultimate goal is to keep your business as environmentally-friendly as possible at all times, and this cannot be achieved without constant planning and action.

With an ISO 14001 update due before the end of the year, now is the time to re-assess your environmental management system and ensure that your processes are as green as possible. If you need help achieving ISO 14001 certification, give NPT a call on 02380 659 867 - we've helped countless businesses to design and implement ISO-compliant management systems, and we'd be more than happy to assist you.