Support for specific environmental issues
The question about interest in advice on the introduction of an environmental management system revealed a need for practical reports and supplementary guides for implementation among just under half of the respondents.
Particular emphasis was placed on specific environmental topics such as
- Climate protection
- Materials and waste management
- Recycling management
- Management of chemicals
- Environmental law
- Water protection
- Air quality
- Biodiversity.
Slightly less than one third of the participants indicated an interest in further support. In particular, in the form of a separate standard
- On dealing with climate change
- On waste management
- On circular economy (this is already in progress as part of the ISO 14002 series).
In view of the survey results, there currently appears to be no further need for the development of additional ecologically oriented standards.
Consideration of the detailed results
Looking at some results in detail, a number of reasons can be identified for the tendency of ISO 14001 certified organizations participating in the survey: "no" to a comprehensive revision and "yes" to more support. Thus, the main argument for an ISO 14001 certificate is the (secure) fulfillment of legal obligations (75%, hereafter "very" or "highly significant").
This corresponds with the answers to the question about the value of an environmental management system, where legal certainty also takes the top spot with 75%. Also at the top of the list is reducing the (financial) risk associated with environmental impacts (76%) and meeting customer requirements (77%). These are all arguments that do not necessarily point to the introduction of Future Challenge Concepts.
Conversely, only 14% of respondents say they are requiring one or more of their suppliers to implement an environmental management system with a view to lifecycle considerations in the supply chain. In contrast, ~40% of respondents each say they identify environmental aspects of some of their suppliers' operations, products, or services and communicate their own environmental requirements to their suppliers.
Here, the introduction of the Future Challenge Concept would be an additional task or even hurdle. To go with this: Only 35% of the companies surveyed say that improving the environmental performance of their suppliers is of high or very high value.