ISO 14001 certification involves several stages, each with its associated costs.
Preparation stage
Organisations should do several things to prepare for the ISO 14001 certification audit.
After purchasing the ISO 14001 standard and familiarising yourself with its requirements, the next step is to conduct a gap analysis to assess your organisation’s current environmental practices against them. Identify any areas of non-compliance or areas that require improvement.
The findings of this analysis will help develop a comprehensive project that outlines timelines, responsibilities and the resources needed for implementation.
Training and development programs should be established to equip employees with the necessary skills and knowledge. Raising awareness of ISO 14001 across the organisation is crucial for helping to foster a culture of environmental responsibility. This also ensures that everyone understands their role in achieving certification and enhances environmental performance. Training may incur additional costs, so it can be a good idea to allocate resourcing from internal L&D budgets.
Documentation review and internal audit (Stage 1)
This phase could require the most investment of time, money and resources.
Before performing the internal audit, your organisation will need to create, review and update all the documentation required for ISO 14001 certification. This includes the scope of the EMS, its objectives, resources and responsibilities and risk assessments.
The internal audit involves an auditor reviewing the EMS and identifying any areas of non-compliance or opportunities for improvement. It is an essential step in the successful certification process. Hiring a consultant at this stage could be beneficial if your organisation lacks internal expertise. This expertise can provide an unbiased assessment of your system but will contribute to costs.
Other costs at this stage could include any tools or resources you need to make changes identified in the internal audit.
Certification audit (Stage 2)
The certification audit is the final stage of the certification process, conducted by an accredited certification body. An auditor will rigorously evaluate your EMS’s compliance with ISO 14001 requirements and then certify your organisation if all requirements are met.
At this stage, associated costs could include using certification logos and branding, although these costs can vary depending on your chosen certification body.
Read our beginner’s guide to ISO 14001.