1. Introduction
Industrialisation
and modernisation around the world have
brought with them adverse effects on the
environment and human health. In the light
of growing concern over the quality of the
environment, organisations are becoming
increasingly concerned about the potential
impact of their activities, processes,
products and services on the environment and
are taking a more proactive approach to
environmental management in their business
management plans.
Today, organisations address environmental
issues through what is called an
Environmental Management System (EMS). An
EMS provides the framework for organisations
to achieve continual environmental
improvement through the effective management
of environmental impacts. It examines issues
such as allocation of resources, assignment
of responsibilities, and systematic
evaluation of practices, procedures and
processes. The establishment of an EMS is
now seen as an essential part of an
organisation's strategy for environmental
management to bring about sustainable
development for the organisation.
2. The PSB ISO
14000 Certification Scheme
This scheme provides a structure for a
certifiable Environmental Management System.
The ISO 14001 international standard has
been widely accepted world-wide as a
recognised standard for EMS, and Singapore
is currently ranked among the top 25
countries in the world, with more than 230
certified organisation. PSB Certification is
the market leader in ISO 14001
certification, with than 50% of the market
share in Singapore, and over 10 companies in
the region, namely in Malaysia, Indonesia
and Thailand.
3. World-Class
Standard and Global Recognition for PSB ISO
14000 Certified Companies
The
scheme is accredited through stringent
requirements of the internationally
respected and renowned Dutch Council for
Accreditation (RvA), which ensures that ISO
14001 certification is conducted with high
professionalism and conformance to
international guidelines and standards.
4. The
Professionalism, Credibility and Competency
of PSB Auditors
Our
clients are assured the competency and
integrity of auditors, who have widespread
experience in the field of environmental
science, technology and management.
5. Benefits of ISO
14000 Certification
Organisations with EMS in place have
reported that they have benefited from
implementing EMS. Firstly, as stakeholders
are assured of the organisation's commitment
to environmental management, the image of
the organisation as being environmentally
responsible is enhanced. This helps to
maintain good public and community
relations.
In
addition to an enhanced image, there are
potential cost savings arising from improved
resource utilisation and waste minimisation.
For instance, a multinational company,
through the implementation of EMS, cut
pollution per unit of production by reducing
more than 600,000 tons of waste generated.
This, of course, also translates into
substantial cost savings for the company.
Another company saved more than S$1.4m a
year by reusing packing materials for their
manufactured products. Moreover, EMS also
improves the working environment and staff
morale.
The
structured EMS approach ensures legislative
compliance. Organisations with a good track
record of legislative compliance will have
less intervention from regulatory bodies and
less incidents that result in liabilities.
This also often results in lower insurance
premiums. Furthermore, industry-government
relations are improved.
All
in all, EMS helps organisations to achieve
continual improvement in cost and
environmental performance, reduce
environmental risks and potential
liabilities, and achieve enhanced corporate
image. Ultimately, it leads to higher
productivity and competitiveness.
