Written in 1996 under the auspices of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ISO 14001 is an internationally agreed standard that maps out a framework that a company or organization can follow to set up, maintain and improve an effective environmental management system. This standard sets out obligations with respect to the identification of key environmental issues* for the organization and guides the implementation of a structure that allows it to control these issues and to reduce their impact on the environment. This environmental management system provides assurance to company management and employees as well as external stakeholders that environmental impact is being measured and continually improved over the years.

 

In practice, this requires PAMM to consistently comply with each of the requirements specified by the standard, by setting itself clear objectives and deadlines to comply with existing laws and by-laws and to continually improve its control over its key environmental issues.

 

As for the PGES certification, it is necessary that PAMM be audited every year in order to maintain its ISO 14001 certification. This audit is performed by an external ISO 14001 accredited auditor.

 

*The key environmental issues of an organization are defined as any element of its operations, products or services that has the potential to interact with the environment and has or can have an environmental impact, i.e. that can lead to a change in the environment, either positive or negative.