PECB ISO 14001 Transition key terms

The combination of internal and external issues, interested parties, and their relevant requirements that shape how an organization designs and maintains its environmental management system.

Conditions and factors inside or outside the organization, such as climate, regulation, technology, culture, or market pressures, that can affect the intended outcomes of the environmental management system.

A person or organization that can affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a decision or activity, such as regulators, neighbors, customers, or employees.

A requirement the organization must or chooses to meet, arising from legal requirements, permits, or other binding and voluntary commitments such as industry codes or agreements with stakeholders.

The documented boundaries and applicability of the environmental management system, covering activities, products, services, and sites, and stated so that obligations and responsibilities are clear.

A structured set of interrelated processes, responsibilities, and resources used to manage environmental aspects, fulfill compliance obligations, and achieve intended environmental outcomes.

The person or group who directs and controls the organization at the highest level, with authority to provide resources and integrate environmental requirements into business processes.

A stated set of commitments, issued by top management, to protect the environment, fulfill compliance obligations, and continually improve the environmental management system; it provides the framework for setting objectives.

Active, demonstrable involvement of top management in taking accountability for the effectiveness of the environmental management system, rather than merely delegating management representative duties.

An element of an organization's activities, products, or services that interacts or can interact with the environment, such as emissions, water use, or waste generation.

A change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, wholly or partly resulting from an organization's environmental aspects.

An aspect identified, using defined criteria, as having or potentially having a significant environmental impact, and therefore prioritized for control or influence within the system.

A view of the environmental aspects of a product or service across raw material acquisition, design, production, transportation, use, end-of-life treatment, and final disposal, applied where relevant to the organization's activities.

Potentially adverse effects and potentially beneficial effects of uncertainty that must be determined and addressed so the environmental management system can achieve its intended outcomes and prevent unintended effects.

A measurable goal set at relevant functions and levels, consistent with the environmental policy, and supported by plans describing what will be done, by whom, with what resources, and by when.

The process of deciding how to address significant environmental aspects, compliance obligations, and risks and opportunities, including resources, responsible persons, timeframes, and ways to evaluate results.

The clause covering resources, competence, awareness, communication, and documented information needed to establish, implement, maintain, and continually improve the environmental management system.

The demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills, ensured for persons whose work affects environmental performance or compliance obligations, based on appropriate education, training, or experience.

The state in which workers understand the environmental policy, significant aspects related to their work, their contribution to system effectiveness, and the implications of not conforming.

Information required to be controlled and maintained, plus the medium on which it is held, covering both documents such as procedures and records such as monitoring results.

A process needed for the environmental management system that an external provider performs, and which the organization must control or influence through defined arrangements.

Planned arrangements, such as documented procedures or engineering controls, applied to processes so that significant environmental aspects and compliance obligations are managed as intended.

Planned actions, resources, and periodic testing to prepare for and respond to potential emergency situations, and to prevent or mitigate resulting adverse environmental impacts.

The measurable results of an organization's management of its environmental aspects, evaluated against its policy, objectives, and other criteria.

The clause requiring monitoring, measurement, analysis, and evaluation of environmental performance, plus internal audit and management review, to determine system effectiveness.

The planned process of assessing whether the organization meets its compliance obligations and maintaining knowledge of its compliance status.

An independent, planned examination of the environmental management system against the organization's own criteria and the standard's requirements, conducted by objective and impartial auditors.

A top-management evaluation of the environmental management system at planned intervals, considering defined inputs and producing decisions on improvement, resources, and needed changes.

A failure to meet a requirement, whether from the standard, the organization's own system, or a compliance obligation, which must be corrected and addressed to prevent recurrence.

Action taken to eliminate the cause of a nonconformity and prevent it from recurring, including reviewing the nonconformity, determining causes, implementing action, and reviewing effectiveness.

The underlying reason a nonconformity occurred, determined through analysis of contributing factors rather than only the immediate symptom.

A recurring activity to enhance environmental performance, such as through improved processes, technology, or management approaches, in line with the organization's policy and objectives.

An assessment conducted to verify that an existing environmental management system meets the requirements of the 2015 edition, typically combined with a surveillance or recertification audit.

The set of requirements and expectations used as a reference against which audit evidence is compared, such as the standard, legal requirements, and internal procedures.

An independent organization that assesses an environmental management system against a standard and issues a certificate confirming conformity.

Formal recognition by an authoritative body that a certification body is competent to carry out specific conformity assessment activities.

The demonstration that specified requirements relating to a product, process, service, or management system are fulfilled, through activities such as testing, inspection, or certification.

Documented information, observations, or other verifiable proof presented to demonstrate that requirements have been met, used by auditors to support findings.

A result of evaluating collected audit evidence against audit criteria, recorded as a conformity or nonconformity and used to support conclusions and improvement.