What are the ISO 14001 Requirements?
Understanding ISO 14001 requirements is essential for organisations seeking to manage their environmental impact and achieve certification. This guide provides a comprehensive checklist, explains the clause structure, and outlines what you need for compliance. Whether you’re exploring ISO 14001 training courses or preparing for certification, this article covers everything you need to know about what is ISO 14001 and its certification requirements.
In this article:
ISO 14001 Requirements Checklist
The ISO 14001 requirements are structured across ten clauses, with seven containing auditable requirements for an Environmental Management System (EMS). Clauses 1-3 provide introductory information with no specific requirements, while clauses 4-10 contain the ISO 14001 certification requirements that organisations must fulfil. Each ISO 14001 requirement demonstrates your commitment to environmental protection and continual improvement.
The standard follows the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle, ensuring systematic implementation. Below is a complete checklist covering all ten clauses:
1. Scope – Defines the boundaries and applicability of the standard to environmental management systems.
2. Normative References – States there are no normative references for ISO 14001.
3. Terms and Definitions – Refers to ISO 14001 for environmental management vocabulary.
4. Context of the Organisation
This clause requires organisations to understand internal and external factors affecting their EMS, including environmental conditions and stakeholder expectations.
- 4.1 Understanding the organisation and its context
- 4.2 Understanding the needs and expectations of interested parties
- 4.3 Determining the scope of the environmental management system
- 4.4 Environmental management system
5. Leadership
Top management must demonstrate commitment by establishing environmental policy, assigning roles, and ensuring the EMS achieves intended outcomes.
- 5.1 Leadership and commitment
- 5.2 Environmental policy
- 5.3 Organisational roles, responsibilities and authorities
6. Planning
Organisations must identify environmental aspects, compliance obligations, and risks, then establish objectives and plans to address them.
- 6.1 Actions to address risks and opportunities
- 6.1.1 General
- 6.1.2 Environmental aspects
- 6.1.3 Compliance obligations
- 6.1.4 Planning action
- 6.2 Environmental objectives and planning to achieve them
- 6.2.1 Environmental objectives
- 6.2.2 Planning actions to achieve environmental objectives
7. Support
This clause addresses resources, competence, awareness, communication, and documented information needed to support the EMS.
- 7.1 Resources
- 7.2 Competence
- 7.3 Awareness
- 7.4 Communication
- 7.4.1 General
- 7.4.2 Internal communication
- 7.4.3 External communication
- 7.5 Documented information
- 7.5.1 General
- 7.5.2 Creating and updating
- 7.5.3 Control of documented information
8. Operation
Operational requirements focus on planning and controlling processes to meet EMS objectives, including emergency preparedness.
- 8.1 Operational planning and control
- 8.2 Emergency preparedness and response
9. Performance Evaluation
Organisations must monitor environmental performance, evaluate compliance, conduct internal audits, and hold management reviews.
- 9.1 Monitoring, measurement, analysis and evaluation
- 9.1.1 General
- 9.1.2 Evaluation of compliance
- 9.2 Internal audit
- 9.2.1 General
- 9.2.2 Internal audit programme
- 9.3 Management review
10. Improvement
The final clause addresses nonconformities, corrective actions, and the requirement for continual improvement of the EMS.
- 10.1 General
- 10.2 Nonconformity and corrective action
- 10.3 Continual improvement
Non-Applicable Requirements
ISO 14001 allows limited flexibility for exclusions compared to some other management system standards. All ISO 14001 requirements in clauses 4-10 must be addressed within the defined scope. However, organisations can determine that certain requirements are not applicable if they do not affect the ability to achieve conformity or the intended outcomes of the EMS.
Any exclusions must be justified and cannot compromise the organisation’s ability to ensure environmental compliance or achieve its environmental policy commitments. The scope statement must clearly identify what is included and any limitations or exclusions applied.
Enrol in an ISO 14001 Training Course
Understanding the full scope of these requirements demands professional training. Our CQI and IRCA certified courses provide the knowledge needed to interpret clauses, conduct audits, and maintain effective environmental management systems.
Choose from our range of programmes:
- ISO 14001 Lead Auditor Course – Lead third-party certification audits
- ISO 14001 Auditor Conversion Course – Extend your auditing competence to EMS
- ISO 14001 Internal Auditor Course – Conduct effective internal EMS audits
Ready to advance your environmental management expertise? Explore our ISO 14001 training courses today.
Frequently Asked Questions
The five core elements follow the PDCA cycle: Environmental Policy (establishing commitment), Planning (identifying aspects and setting objectives), Implementation (resources and operational controls), Checking (monitoring and auditing), and Management Review (evaluating effectiveness and driving improvement).
ISO 14001 is not legally mandatory in the UK. However, certification is increasingly required by customers, supply chains, and procurement frameworks. Some sectors and government contracts specify ISO 14001 as a requirement for suppliers.
Key requirements include an environmental policy, identification of environmental aspects and compliance obligations, objectives and targets, operational controls, emergency procedures, monitoring processes, internal audits, management reviews, and documented information demonstrating conformity.
In the UK, ISO 14001 is published as BS EN ISO 14001:2015+A1:2024. The requirements are identical to the international version, with BSI providing the official UK publication. A tracked changes version is also available.