ISO 14001 and ISO 9001

A comparison between ISO 14001

Environmental Management and
ISO 9001 Quality Management
For many years organisations have
been managing the quality of the
products and services they deliver by
implementing quality management
systems, such as the internationally
recognised management system
standard, ISO 9001.

the differences clause by clause

between them and considers what
these will mean for an organisation
with an existing ISO 9001
management system in place that
wishes to implement an environmental
management system to ISO 14001.

However, with the growing realisation

that the planet cannot sustain our
current way of living, organisations are
now also looking for ways to manage
and improve the environmental
impacts of producing and delivering
those goods and services. There is
also evidence to suggest that those
organisations which implement an
environmental management system are
able to claim significant cost-savings
as well as being able to demonstrate
a commitment to achieving legal and
regulatory compliance to regulators
and government.

Please read this summary in

conjunction with ISO 14001 which
you can obtain by visiting:
http://shop.bsigroup.com

ISO 14001 is the international standard

for environmental management
systems and follows the same plando-check-act approach as that of
ISO 9001. There are many common
requirements between ISO 9001 and
ISO 14001 the only difference being
the emphasis on environment rather
than quality. For example, both
require a policy, objectives and
targets, staff to be competent,
documents and records to be
controlled and management reviews
to be undertaken. However, there are
also some significant differences.

Ultimately, ISO 9001 is about designing

and delivering a product or service that
satisfies established customers needs.
ISO 9001 then defines requirements to
ensure this happens. ISO 14001 focuses
on the need to protect the environment
and to put in place controls of those
significant activities that could have an
impact on the environment.

The remainder of this document aims

to make a comparison between
ISO 14001 and ISO 9001, highlight

ISO 14001 focuses

on the identification
and management of
environmental aspects
and impacts of our
operations.
Summary of key differences

For ISO 14001 the customer can be

seen as the environment, with the
environmental requirements being
effectively defined by legislation and
regulations. The organisation is required
to identify those activities that have a
significant impact on the environment
and implement controls to minimise
that impact.

Monitoring and measuring in

ISO 9001 relates to both processes
and product, whereas ISO 14001
focuses on measuring the characteristics
of operations that could have significant
impacts on the environment.
Rather than non-conforming product
referred to in ISO 9001, ISO 14001
refers to actual emergency situations
and environmental accidents though
both still require corrective and
preventive actions to be put in place.
Conclusion
So, whilst the emphasis between the
two standards is different, there are a
great number of common elements and
approaches between them. So if you
are thinking about implementing
ISO 14001 and you already have an
ISO 9001 quality management system
in place, the gap is not as big as you
may think.
Need further help understanding
and implementing ISO 14001?
BSI provides a series of training courses
ranging from one-day introductory
courses to five-day lead auditor courses
in ISO 14001 to help you and your
colleagues develop and maintain the
right skills and knowledge. You may
also want to consider integrating
your systems to make them more
manageable. For more information
about our training courses, please visit:
www.bsigroup.co.uk/training

raising standards worldwide

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ISO 14001 and ISO 9001

ISO 14001

ISO 9001

Comments

1 Scope

1 Scope

ISO 14001 specifies the requirements for an environmental

management system.

2 Normative references

2 Normative references

ISO 9001 refers to ISO 9000:2005 for Fundamentals and Vocabulary.

There are no normative references in ISO 14001.

3 Terms and definitions

3 Terms and definitions

Whereas ISO 9001 refers to ISO 9000 for the definition of terms,
ISO 14001 contains the definitions of the key environmental terms
used within the standard.

4.1 General requirements

4.1 General requirements

This section in both standards is very similar although ISO 14001

refers to the main elements of the EMS. ISO 9001 also refers to main
elements and their interaction in clause 5.3 whereas this is covered
elsewhere for ISO 14001.

4.2 Environmental policy

5.1 Management commitment

5.3 Quality policy
8.5.1 Continual improvement

The elements of clause 4.2 of ISO 14001 most closely correlate to

clause 5.3 of ISO 9001, though there are some additional references
to commitment and continual improvement in other clauses of
ISO 9001.

4.3.1 Environmental aspects

5.2 Customer focus

7.2.1 Determination of
requirements related to
the product
7.2.2 Review of requirements
related to the product

Rather than taking the view of requirements defined by the

customer and relating to the product, ISO 14001 focuses on the
significant environmental aspects related to the organisations
activities and taking these into account in establishing, implementing
and maintaining its environmental management system.

4.3.2 Legal and other

requirements

5.2 Customer focus

7.2.1 Determination of
requirements related to
the product

ISO 14001 focuses on identifying and understanding legal

requirements relating to the environment rather than customer
requirements or regulatory requirements relating to a product.

4.3.3 Objectives, targets and

programmes

5.4.1 Quality objectives

5.4.2 Quality management
system planning
8.5.1 Continual improvement

The requirements of clause 4.3.3 of ISO 14001 correspond to

elements within various clauses of ISO 9001. However, ISO 14001
also requires the organisation to consider its technological options as
well as the views of interested parties and determine a time-frame
within which objectives are to be achieved.

4.4.1 Resources, roles,

responsibility
and authority

5.1 Management commitment

5.5.1 Responsibility and
authority
5.5.2 Management
representative
6.1 Provision of resources
6.3 Infrastructure

ISO 14001 rolls into one clause the requirements covered by

these clauses in ISO 9001. ISO 14001 requires that roles,
responsibilities and authorities are documented as well as defined
and communicated.

2 ISO 14001 and ISO 9001

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ISO 14001 and ISO 9001

ISO 14001

ISO 9001

Comments

4.4.2 Competence, training

and awareness

6.2.1 (Human resources)

General
6.2.2 Competence, awareness
and training

ISO 14001 rolls into one clause the requirements covered by these
two clauses in ISO 9001. In addition to this, ISO 14001 requires that
any persons working on its behalf (whether direct employees or not)
are competent and that training needs are both identified and
acted upon.

4.4.3 Communication

5.5.3 Internal communication

7.2.3 Customer
communication

ISO 9001 requires a procedure for internal communication

only, whereas ISO 14001 requires a procedure for dealing with
communications from external interested parties in addition to
internal communications.

4.4.4 Documentation

4.2.1 (Documentation
requirements) General

These clauses are very similar though ISO 9001 refers to

documentation needed to ensure the effective planning, operation
and control of its processes where as ISO 14001 specifies these
processes as relating to its significant environmental aspects.

4.4.5 Control of documents

4.2.3 Control of documents

No significant differences.

4.4.6 Operational control

7 Product realisation

Ultimately, ISO 9001 is about designing and delivering a product

that satisfies established customers needs. ISO 9001 then defines
requirements to ensure this happens. ISO 14001 focuses on the need
to protect the environment and to put in place controls of those
significant activities that could have an impact on the environment,
including the significant environmental aspects of goods and services
used by the organisation.

4.4.7 Emergency preparedness

8.3 Control of non-conforming

product

ISO 9001 requires a procedure for dealing with non-conforming

products. The equivalent in ISO 14001 is how the organisation deals
with actual emergency situations and environmental accidents. In
addition, ISO 14001 requires an organisation to identify potential
emergency situations and accidents and a procedure for how it will
respond to them. The organisation is required to test its emergency
preparedness and response procedures.

4.5.1 Monitoring and

measurement

7.6 Control of monitoring and

measuring devices
8.1 (Measurement, analysis
and improvement) General
8.2.3 Monitoring and
measurement processes
8.2.4 Monitoring and
measurement of product
8.4 Analysis of data

ISO 14001 combines elements of these ISO 9001 clauses into one
requirement and focuses on measuring characteristics of operations
that have a significant impact on the environment. ISO 9001 is
more specific than ISO 14001 when it comes to the calibration
of equipment with ISO 14001 only requiring that it is used and
maintained and records kept.

4.5.2 Evaluation of
compliance

8.2.3 Monitoring and

measurement processes
8.2.4 Monitoring and
measurement of product

These clauses of ISO 9001 focus on monitoring and measuring

the compliance of quality management system processes and the
product. ISO 14001 looks at monitoring and evaluating compliance
of its activities with the applicable legal requirements and other
requirements to which it subscribes.

ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 3

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ISO 14001 and ISO 9001

ISO 14001

ISO 9001

Comments

4.5.3 Non-conformity,
corrective action
and preventive action

8.3 Control of non-conforming

product
8.4 Analysis of data
8.5.2 Corrective action
8.5.3 Preventive action

ISO 14001 combines the requirements of these ISO 9001

clauses into one clause focusing on the non-fulfilment of a
requirement that has an environmental impact as opposed to
non-conforming product.

4.5.4 Control of records

4.2.4 Control of records

No significant differences.

4.5.5 Internal audit

8.2.2 Internal audit

No significant difference.

4.6 Management review

5.1 Management commitment

5.6.1 (Management review)
General
5.6.2 Review input
5.6.3 Review output
8.5.1 Continual improvement

The management review requirements for ISO 14001 are very

similar to those defined in ISO 9001 though ISO 9001 splits
the requirement into subclauses. For management review inputs,
ISO 14001 adds the requirement to review the extent to which
objectives have been met and evaluations of legal compliance and
developments in legal requirements.

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