Sustainability and Environmental Impact

ISO 14001 is a global standard that sets out Environmental Management Systems (EMS) requirements. Although this standard is relatively new (1996), discussions on environmental issues date back hundreds of years, including laws passed by parliament to reduce the smell from the River Thames in the 14^th century, responses to public anger about smoke from coal-burning factories, and the introduction and rapid expansion of public transport. In the last 50 years, we have seen significant changes in practices at all levels of society and increased public awareness of the damages and consequences of our collective actions.

• Rising public concern about environmental impact

• Expensive legal cases

• Negative publicity on industries

• Voluntary codes of environmental conduct

• Protest movements

• New environmental management regulations

• The strive towards Net Zero

ISO 14001 provides a framework that allows businesses to implement and continually improve their environmental practices. In addition to reducing the impact on the environment, increases in profitability through cost reduction is a significant opportunity. An excellent example is the forced transition to home working in response to the coronavirus and what became hybrid working as society didn’t revert to a pre-COVID state. Reduced or eliminated travel requirements alone benefit the environment and significantly reduce cost and time for a vast portion of the workforce. Reducing the need for office spaces has increased profitability, not to mention all the consequential cost reductions, such as electricity consumption. For ISO 14001, businesses must:

• Establish an environmental policy to outline:
  • Commitment to environmental protection
  • Compliance with relevant laws and regulations

• Communicate the environmental policy to all relevant stakeholders. Establish clear communication on all environmental matters.

• Identify and assess business activities that could significantly impact the environment, including:
  • Products manufactured and sold
  • Services developed and delivered
  • Other business activities

• Identify and understand environmental regulations, legislation, and other applicable requirements. Ensure compliance with these obligations.

• Set specific objectives based on the environmental impact assessment and legal requirements that are:
  • Measurable
  • Achievable
  • In alignment with the established environmental policy

• Develop and implement an environmental management program with specific actions, timescales, and responsibilities to achieve the defined objectives. Businesses must also ensure that they have the necessary resources and personnel with the required competence to implement the EMS effectively.

• Maintain EMS documentation, including:
  • Policies and procedures
  • Environmental performance records and metrics
  • Any other documentation to demonstrate compliance and track progress.

• Implement procedures and controls to manage environmental commitments effectively, including:
  • Reduce or prevent pollution
  • Conserve resources
  • Minimize environmental impacts
  • Reducing waste or effective recycling
  • Responding to environmental emergencies

• Monitor and measure environmental performance to assess progress toward defined objectives and identify areas for improvement. Conduct audits to evaluate the effectiveness of the EMS and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, and take corrective actions in response to identified non-conformities

• Conduct management-level reviews of the EMS regularly to ensure it is adequate and effective to meet environmental objectives. Management commitment is essential.

Environmental management is a journey and not a destination, and businesses must demonstrate commitment to continuous improvement and movement towards preventing pollution and more efficient use of natural resources.

Numerous commentators are reporting on what the “new normal” will look like as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and one thing is sure, things will not return to how they were in 2019. People and businesses are quickly adapting to new circumstances. Although many of these will revert to a pre-COVID-19 status, many more will either change back gradually over a long time or remain the new normal and move forward.

The positive approach is to treat the current predicament as an opportunity for improvement rather than treating adaptations as a temporary band-aid. We don’t know how long this crisis will last, and even if it ends this year, we have no way to tell if a new and more significant disaster will be waiting for us around the corner. Digital transformation is at the heart of change. There are many exceptions, as not all work can happen remotely. Still, if we perform everything we can remotely, it will offer a wide range of benefits on a broader scale and permanently change the working culture. Unfortunately, this does pose a significant risk for businesses that depend on office worker footfall.

The “work from home” culture has come forward in leaps and bounds. Thinking about this as a more long-term solution, it has many things to offer in terms of personal and business benefits:

• Large offices with 1000s of people – could be replaced with smaller offices if staff are working from home most of the time. Far less expenditure maintaining commercial premises. There is no need to have allocated desk space and settle for hot desks when people need to be in the office.

• Daily travel based on 9:00 to 17:00 – can be replaced with journeys when there is a genuine need to be in the office, rather than standard office hours being a routine that has been around for a long time. Consequently, reducing stress on public transport at specific times of the day. Less travelling and improved quality of life for the workforce.

• Hotel accommodation – elimination of all the costs associated with travel and overnight accommodation required for face to face working. The cost difference between working 40 hours from home or a local office, and being away from family for up to 120 hours per week to deliver 40 hours of work is significant.

Most of this is the way it is because it started this way, and very few had the foresight or interest in making changes to their working culture. In response to the pandemic, businesses are making significant changes to adapt and stay in business. The critical question is, when this is over, is there a genuine business need to revert, and in many cases, the answer will be NO.

Permanent change to working culture can have significant long-term benefits to society, including:

• Great long-term business and personal benefits

• Reduce the stress on roads and public transport

• Reduce the need to expand airports and build additional runways

• Reduce the need to add additional lanes to major roads and motorways in favour of reallocating budgets towards the repair of existing damaged roads – includes avoiding the idea of switching motorway hard-shoulders into extra lanes

Unfortunately, there are wide-ranging risks to other businesses, such as cafes and restaurants, that depend on office worker footfall and commuting. Many chains and small businesses could quickly become unsustainable and close or need a subsidy to remain operational.