| |
|
 |
Sustainable Business Management
Certifications :: |
(Creating value through sustainable business practices and services that focus on the environment and social responsibility)
 |
ISO 14001 (Environmental Management System
|
Controlling and improving an organization's environmental performance |
OVERVIEW |
ISO
14000 family is primarily concerned with "environmental management".
This means what the organization does to minimize harmful effects on
the environment caused by its activities, and continually improve its
environmental performance. Environmental Management can help
organizations to approach environmental issues systematically and to
integrate environmental care as a normal part of their operations and
business strategy. The standard is periodically reviewed and updated.
ISO14001:2004 is the latest version of the standard currently in use
worldwide.
ISO 14000 is for
the proactive managers with the breadth of vision to implementing an
environmental management system. In the long run, it will give rise to
protection of the environment and cost savings in environment related
measures. Implementing an ISO 14000-based system will give you far more
than just confidence that you are complying with legislation. |
Who is it relevant to? |
Environmental
impact is becoming an increasingly important issue across the globe,
with pressure to minimize that impact coming from a number of sources.
So ISO 14001 is relevant to every organization, including: |
 |
- Single site to large multi-national companies
- High risk companies to low risk service organizations
- Manufacturing, process and the service industries; including local governments
|
IQS STEP BY STEP APPROACH TO ISO 14001 CERTIFICATION |
 |
Obtain Management Commitment
Establishing Environmental Policy. Management Commitment and
Vision should be clear and Organization wide Awareness across the
organization. |
 |
BUILD EMS PROJECT TEAM
Appointment of Management Appointee and constituting Cross-Functional Team (CFT) to ensure that procedures are reasonable. |
 |
LEGAL REQUIREMNTS
Identification of Applicable Environmental Rules and Regulations & verifying its Compliance . |
 |
CONDUCT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS
Determination of Significant Environmental Aspects & their
Impacts for all the activities, processes & products within the
organization . |
 |
OPERATIONAL CONTROL PROCEDURES
Establishing Operational Control Procedures (OCPs) against identified significant aspects. |
 |
ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES/ TARGETS
establishing Environmental Objectives/ Targets. |
 |
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMMES
Establishing Environmental Management Programmes (EMPs) to achieve Objectives. |
 |
MONITORING & MEASURING
Monitoring & Measuring the Environment Performance at regular period. |
 |
Train Employees
in- house trainings for awareness & effective implementation of EMS at different functional level, |
 |
INTERNAL AUDIT
ConductingIn-house training
for Internal Auditing and then one Internal Audit with Qualified
Internal Auditors. Finding out the gaps (non conformances) provides the
opportunity to improve the system. Close the found non conformances. Corrective and preventive actions. |
 |
MANAGEMENT REVIEW MEETING
conducting management review meeting to strengthen a formal
system of reviewing results of internal audits and various
significant aspects of the EMS by top management |
 |
FINAL CERTIFICATION
Assistance in Certification Audit & Closing of Non conformances, if any |
 |
Guidance for preparing Subsidy Documents in case of SSI |
|
|
 |
SA 8000 (Social Accountability)
|
Demonstrating responsible business. |
| |
|
OVERVIEW |
SA8000,
or "Social Accountability 8000", was developed to promote socially
responsible business in all sectors around the globe. Rather than being
a "sweatshop code" for customers to enforce upon their suppliers,
SA8000 was developed to help socially responsible companies to measure
and differentiate themselves from other companies operating with less
than acceptable labor conditions. It sets out expectations regarding
health and safety, child labor, forced labor, freedom of association,
discrimination, disciplinary practices, working hours and compensation
together with the management systems to deliver them. SA8000 covers all
the major labor rights issues contained in International Labor
Organization (ILO) conventions, the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It also
acknowledges the importance of compliance with locally applicable laws.
First published in 1997 and revised in 2001, SA8000 has been widely
recognized as the most significant tool for bringing workers’ rights
business practices into line with the values of society - a vital
component of corporate reputation today. The standard is broadly
recognized by trade unions, government agencies and non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) as one of the strongest workplace standards.
Organizations that have recognized SA8000 include the US State
Department, the European Commission and Amnesty International. |
SA 8000 Includes |
The
SA8000 standard and verification system is a credible, comprehensive
and efficient tool for assuring humane workplaces because it includes:
-
A standard that covers all widely accepted international labor rights.
-
Independent, expert verification of compliance:
Certification of facilities by auditing bodies accredited by SAI. SAI
accreditation ensures that auditors have the procedures and resources
needed to conduct thorough and objective audits. There are currently
nine organizations accredited to do SA8000 certification.
-
Involvement by all stakeholders:
Participation by all key sectors, including workers and trade unions,
companies, socially responsible investors, nongovernmental
organizations and government, in the SA8000 system. Such participation
is required with the Advisory Board, drafting and revision of the
standard and auditing system, conferences, training, and the complaints
system.
-
Harnessing consumer and investor concern:
The SA8000 Certification and Corporate Involvement Program help
consumers and investors to identify and support companies that are
committed to assuring human rights in the workplace SA8000 Standard
Elements.
|
|
|
 |
RC 14001 and RCMSฎ
|
An environmental, health, safety and security management system for the chemical industry. |
| |
|
Overview |
Responsible
Careฎ was launched in 1988 as the American Chemistry Council's (ACC)
comprehensive Environmental, Health, Safety and Security (EHS&S)
performance improvement initiative. It incorporates progressive
principles and flexible management practices which allow members and
partners to tailor the initiative to most effectively meet their needs.
The need for a structured process to implement and manage Responsible
Careฎ management principles resulted in the Responsible Care Management
Systemฎ (RCMSฎ) technical standard and RC14001ฎ technical standard.
The International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) has
established a framework for chemical manufacturing companies to adopt
and implement global Responsible Careฎ core principles. National
chemical industry associations are working with the ICCA to ensure the
continuous improvement of EHS&S in their countries.
European associations have pledged to adopt this framework and some
have drafted a national specification already, and certain of these
insist on their members seeking third-party verification of their
management systems. Over the coming years it is expected that the
remaining national associations in Europe and Asia will follow suit.
An RCMSฎ is based on benchmarked best practices of leading private
sector companies, initiatives developed through the Global
Environmental Management Initiative, International Standards
Organization and other bodies, and requirements of national regulatory
authorities |
Who is it relevant to? |
RC14001:2005
incorporates all of the requirements of ISO 14001:2004 as well as the
requirements of the Responsible Careฎ code. It is the ideal standard
for chemical manufacturing companies who want a certified system based
on an international standard that is accepted by all types of
organizations worldwide.
RC14001ฎ
aims for continual improvement and demonstrated product stewardship.
The third-party verification further provides credibility, ensuring
continuing conformance to all requirements and expected ES&S
performance. |
| |
 |
CDM(Clean Development Mechanism)
|
Validate your greenhouse gas emission reduction projects for UN approval |
| |
|
Overview |
The
CDM allows emission-reduction (or emission removal) projects in
developing countries to earn certified emission reduction (CER)
credits, each equivalent to one tonne of CO2. These CERs can be traded
and sold, and used by industrialized countries to a meet a part of
their emission reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol.
The mechanism stimulates sustainable development and emission
reductions, while giving industrialized countries some flexibility in
how they meet their emission reduction limitation targets. |
Who is it relevant to? |
If
a company emits lower than its allowed limit, it may sell its extra
allowance to other companies who are not meeting their targets. The
industries that have potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in
the atmosphere and these project worthwhile to pursue.
Some
sectors which have a very good potential are energy, metals, minerals,
waste recycling and pulp & paper.
The typical examples of some projects with approved methodologies are:
- Renewable Energy Projects like Biomass based power generation, Wind power generation and Hydro power generation
- Energy
/ Efficiency improvement projects like replacement of old boilers by
new boilers with higher efficiency, coal or oil fired power generation
by a combined cycle power plant and conversion from open cycle to
combined cycle power plant
- Energy
efficiency projects like waste heat recovery, energy efficiency through
steam generation process optimization and efficient utilization,
replacement of old production technology by new technology and
processes and change in product mix leading to lower consumption of
fossil fuel
- Fuel
switch like industrial fuel switching from coal and petroleum fuels to
natural gas and partial replacement of fossil fuels by biomass as an
alternative fuel
- Methane capture projects like collection and combustion of Methane in landfills to produce electricity
|
IQS STEP BY STEP APPROACH TO CDM |
| IQS services to project developers include working with project developers
throughout the credit creation process, starting from the initial
conceptualization and project assessment, continuing with the full
project documentation, undertaking the entire formal approval processes
and finally monitoring, verifying and successfully transacting the
Certified Emission Reductions (CERs). |
|
 |
|
Preliminary assessment to ensure that the project being considered would be eligible under international guidelines |
|
Detailed analyses to develop a Project Design Document (PDD) |
|
In India, National CDM authority clears projects usually within 60 days. |
|
Hire DOE’s (Designated Operation Entity) as an intermediary between the project developer and the UNFCCC Executive Board. |
|
Submits a request for registration to the UNFCCC Executive Board. |
|
Wait for Approval
from the UNFCCC Executive Board. The CDM Executive Board meets 4-5
times a year to give final approval or registration to projects. |
|
The DOE’s are called in second time after the project is registered for verification. Once the DOE is satisfied that the green house gas reductions that were set out have been achieved, those emission reductions are certified |
|
The
sale of carbon credits could be done directly to the buyer or through
an intermediary such as a broker or the consultants that helped prepare
the project. In the latter case a fee is usually paid and can be based
on a certain percentage of the value of the sale. |
| |
|
|
 |
Organic Certification
|
Ensuring crops, herbs and livestock production with organic production methods |
| |
|
OVERVIEW |
| Organic
agriculture is an environment friendly ecological production system
that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and
biological activities. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs
and management practices that restore maintain and enhance ecological
balance. Organic Agriculture is much more than simply chemical free.
Producing Organic is a commitment to a system which ensures that
healthy, nutritious food can be produced year after year without
environmental degradation. The primary goal of organic agriculture is
to optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities
of soil life, plants, animals and people. |
Who is it relevant to? |
| The
farmers, farmer’s societies/groups, state agencies, processors and
exporters who are into production and processing of organic agriculture
produce |
|
| |
|
|
|
