For a long time, the benefits of implementing ISO 14001 have been somewhat overlooked, and we may still see this happening in many areas. In other words, many companies do not understand how environmental management systems work.
In most cases, misunderstanding can be attributed to the limited visibility of people with the ISO 14001 standard content. That is, they consider only one of the advantages of having a management system on the environment and sustainability.
In this article, we are going to look at some of the benefits of obtaining ISO 14001 and implementing ISO 14001. In the following, we will focus on 3 main aspects that affect the whole company and ultimately create a kind of domino effect that will help increase the positive results of the company.
1- Sustainability and reduction of environmental effects
Obviously, an environmental management system seeks to reduce the company’s environmental impact and thus promote greater sustainability for it. We will see that this goal serves as a goal that leads companies to achieve other benefits.
Reducing environmental impacts is often seen as an end in itself. For example, as something that only helps reduce emissions. Although this goal is really a great benefit and beneficial for everyone, reducing the environmental impact will only be the result of the company’s own environmental awareness.
Thus, it can be said that it will bring many more benefits such as better resource management, improving the image of the company and even more financial benefits for the organization.
2- Conscious use of company resources
This is where things get more interesting, and after that, the company is able to control the release of toxic gases. The company must be aware of how to use its resources.
By starting to monitor the waste that is dumped, the company is also beginning to find ways to reduce or reuse this waste. At the moment, it is not so difficult to understand that it will eventually lead to less resources or reuse of what the company may throw away today.
In doing so, other indicators that are not directly related to environmental management may also be positively affected. For example, the rate of revision can decrease, while the level of productivity and use of raw materials increases. All of this is the result of understanding how to make better use of resources and thus produce less waste.
3- The best image available in the market
It is no secret that the market is increasingly involved with social factors and environmental concerns. Therefore, one of the benefits of implementing ISO 14001 is the improvement of the company’s image.
Tragedies that have a negative impact on the environment affect companies. For example, the Bromadinho Dam disaster in Minas Gerais, Brazil. These catastrophes caused a lot of damage to the company’s reputation and greatly reduced the value of the company’s shares.
Therefore, worrying about having a good environmental management system can be very beneficial for your company in terms of image, financial and social impact.
Results
More financial benefits for the company
In general, companies only attribute costs to certifications such as ISO 14001. Therefore, at the end of the article, we will discuss how to turn these benefits into financial results.
From the beginning of the article, we talked about the conscious use of resources. We mentioned as an example the possibility of better use of raw materials. This means that we will spend less money on resources. That means less cost to produce.
Obviously, this depends on the size of your company and its resources; But think about it, how much more money would you have at the end of the month if you reduced your purchasing costs by 5%?
In addition, having a clear image in the market will lead to more sales. It is very common to see marketing campaigns aimed at brand sustainability. After all, we all know how important it is to take care of the planet we live on and the sustainability of the environment. This means more sales, which means more financial results.