标准2025对于小企业而言，实施环境管理体系似乎并不是一件容易的事。ISO发布的新版指南旨在通过国际标准ISO 14001协助中小型企业提升环境绩效。
重视环境问题大有裨益，不仅保护了环境，还能提高公司业务绩效和盈利能力。ISO 14001:2015— 环境管理体系－中小企业使用指南是基于2015年发布的新版标准作的进一步修改。
一、ISO 14001:2015的数字
. 应用范围超过180个国家。
. 截至2015年底，全球有超过30万家企业通过认证。
. 与2014年相比增加了8％。
手册作者和ISO/TC 207/SC1/WG5（推动这项标准修订的小组）召集人，Susan L. K. Briggs指出：“随着修订版标准的出台，一些新的要求被纳入到标准中，诸如组织环境、风险和机会以及对领导要求将作为关注点。要让更多企业接受这一标准，扩大其影响力，关键是要向中小型企业解释这些概念，因为迄今为止经济体的绝大部分是由中小型企业构成的，而越来越多公司也认为ISO 14001所提出的要求在供应链环节就应该得到重视。”
对于中小企业来说，实施环境管理体系可能是一个真正的挑战，因为除了工作时间外，技术和财力是有限的。“这本指南包含了专业技术、工具、模板，还总结了实施这些体系时的经验和教训，我希望藉此能帮助中小型企业达到相关要求，减少聘请技术专家的经济负担……但中小型企业仍然需要投入足够的时间。
中小型企业成功的关键在于其灵活的管理结构和决策过程，不要用繁文缛节约束他们。”作者概括性地总结道：“这套标准告诉大家‘是什么’，而手册说的是‘怎么做’。ISO 14001是一套企业必须达到的环境管理要求。手册则就如何达到这些要求提供了实际的帮助、案例以及指导。”
虽然该手册是针对中小企业设计的，但各种规模和企业，在实施或将其环境管理体系提高为ISO 14001:2015标准时，都会发现有用信息。
ISO代理秘书长Nicolas Fleury评论说：“修订版旨在帮助中小型企业从ISO 14001中获益，我们希望大家能在实际中好好运用它，不论任何企业活动，不论身在世界何方，这尤其适用于处在发展中国家和转轨经济的企业。《2030年可持续发展议程》编入了《巴黎气候变化协定》和17个可持续发展目标，而ISO 14001:2015是实施这两项目标的工具。我们希望这本指南能进一步鼓励更多企业采用该标准，以减轻其对环境的影响。”
ISO 14001是为了更好地进行环境管理和应对气候变化而制定的一系列环境管理国际标准之一。其他ISO标准的关注点在于控制温室气体（GHG）排放，帮助企业减排和汇报其排放的温室气体量以符合适用的国家管控要求，并参与到碳排放交易市场，表明对企业社会责任的承诺。
ISO 14001：2015对中小型企业的好处
中小企业能与大型企业一样，在环境管理方面取得相同的成果。落实ISO 14001管理体系：
. 让您充满信心提前计划，从容应对今后的业务问题。
. 帮助您提高生产力的同时改善环保业绩。
. 帮助您突现竞争优势，扩展业务机会。
. 帮助您提高运营效率，有效降低成本，尤其在能源消耗和污染物排放管理方面。
. 展示您对环境管理影响所做出的承诺，从而赢得更多利益相关方和客户的信任。
不同国家对认证ISO 14001的企业有不同的激励措施，包括降低监测频率、享受较低保险费和政府补贴等。
New ISO handbook brings environmental management to SMEs
Implementing an environmental management system can be challenging for small businesses. ISO’s new handbook has been designed to assist SMEs in improving their environmental performance using ISO 14001.
The benefits of addressing environmental issues are not only linked to the protection of the environment, they can also be found in a company’s business performance and profitability. The handbook ISO 14001:2015, Environmental management systems – A practical guide for SMEs has recently been updated to take into account the latest edition of the standard, published in 2015.
ISO 14001:2015 in figures
. Implemented in more than 180 countries
. More than 300 000 certificates issued worldwide at end 2015
. 8 % increase in certifications compared to 2014
Susan L. K. Briggs, the author of the handbook and leader of the ISO/TC 207/SC 1/WG 5, the group that led the revision of this standard, says: “With the revised standard being issued, several new requirements were incorporated such as a focus on the organizational context, risks and opportunities, and leadership requirements. To facilitate expanded uptake of this standard, it was important to demystify these concepts for small and medium-sized enterprises that are by far the most numerous organizations in most economies, particularly as many companies increasingly insist that ISO 14001 requirements are respected within the supply chain.”
For SMEs, implementing an environmental management system can be a real challenge as technical and financial resources, in addition to staff time, is often limited. “I hope this handbook, which contains technical expertise, tools, templates and lessons learned from implementing these systems myself, will support SMEs in conforming to the requirements. The hope is to reduce the financial burden of hiring technical experts… but SMEs will still need to invest time,” says Briggs.
“The key for SME success is to leverage their informal management structures and decision-making processes, not replace them with overly complex and bureaucratic methods.” The author sums it up in a nutshell: “The standard provides the ‘what’, while the handbook provides the ‘how’. ISO 14001 is a set of environmental management requirements that an organization must satisfy. The handbook provides practical help, examples and guidance on how to meet those requirements.”
Although the handbook has been designed with SMEs in mind, organizations of all sizes will find the information helpful when implementing or upgrading their environmental management system to ISO 14001:2015.
Acting ISO Secretary-General Nicolas Fleury comments: “We hope that this new edition destined to help achieve the benefits of ISO 14001 will be of practical use to small businesses, whatever their activity and wherever they may be in the world, but especially in developing countries and economies in transition. ISO 14001:2015 is a tool that helps support the Paris climate agreement and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals that make up the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is our hope that this handbook will encourage further uptake of the standard, helping organizations to mitigate their environmental impact.”
ISO 14001 is one of a number of International Standards that help support better environmental management and tackle climate change. Other ISO standards focus on the management of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and helping organizations report their GHG emissions or reductions in order to comply with applicable national regulatory requirements, participate in the carbon emissions trading market or demonstrate their commitment to corporate social responsibility.
Benefits of ISO 14001:2015 for SMEs
Small businesses can achieve the same results from environmental management as larger companies. Having an ISO 14001 management system in place:
. Enhances business practices
. Minimizes environmental impacts while increasing productivity
. Affords a competitive edge, opening new business opportunities
. Improves operational efficiency and saves costs, particularly with regard to energy consumption and waste management
. Gives credibility and confidence to regulatory agencies and other interested parties, including customers
Incentives for implementing ISO 14001 differ from country to country; they can range from decreased inspection frequency to lower insurance premiums or government subsidies.