Overcoming Barriers to Effective ISO 14001 EMS Implementation: Addressing Risks and Opportunities

The ISO 14001:2015 EMS standards underline the minimum requirements for a certification, which can be a barrier for other routes of potential performance improvements for sustainable industrial development. Companies broadly experience two different barriers in the environmental management process.

Industrial barriers such as; technical information, capital costs, configuration of current operations, competitive pressures and industry regulation.

Organizational barriers such as; employee attitude, poor communication, past practice and inadequate top management leadership.

Usually 70-80% of the implementation obstacles are correlated to organizational matters, the rest are related to technical matters.

Typical organizational barriers in implementing ISO 14001 are described below:

• Lack of support and resources available for SMEs; unclear guidelines for EMS implementation for organizations with mobile workforce, such as the construction sector.
• Lack of set guidelines for setting of objectives and targets and extent of involvement of employees, suppliers and other stakeholders.
• Lack of guidelines on how to accomplish continuous improvement element of the standard.
• Interpretation of terms present within the standard.
• Companies consider the costs of certification and a lack of available human resources as a significant implementation problem.
• Determining environmental aspects, EMS documentation, training, EMS audits, operational control, environmental management programme, objectives and targets and document controls, as the significant elements that requires the greatest effort out of the ISO 14001:2015 elements.
• The ISO 14001 EMS certification is often related to necessary organizational improvements, such as documentation, employee training and the leasing of consulting assistance and auditor. Therefore, in order to reduce costs and increase effectiveness in implementing ISO 14001, companies should allocate sufficient resources to these elements.
• Top management has to decide how the company’s activities can be controlled. They should create an EMS that comprises a framework of policies, rules and priorities.
• In order to carry out preventative solutions to environmental issues, the company must adopt more long-term strategies.
• A lack of control and cohesion could undermine effectiveness within the environmental management system, subsequently resulting in higher costs of achieving environmental management. It is important that the environmental policy is taken into account in planning processes, and established in accordance with the significant environmental aspects.

The strategy ought to contain priorities, targets, performance indicators and financial and human resources. These plans have to be transformed into actual project and actions. The implementation process often requires a cultural transformation in organizations.

To maintain control, the EMS’ operative outcomes must be checked, audited and evaluated regularly. The system has to be updated with potential changes in legislation, internal reorganizations or changes in activities and processes.

Following summarized organizational barriers are common in EMS implementation:

1. Complex documentation process.
2. High costs for implementation of EMS.
3. Ineffective internal and external communication process.
4. Lack of competent persons, resources and support.
5. Lack of customer support.
6. Lack of environmentally friendly technologies and materials.
7. Lack of government / legislative pressure.
8. Lack of leadership and commitment in establishing and implementing EMS.
9. Operational controls not implemented.
10. Sub-contracting creates problems for implementing an EMS.
11. The project is separated from execution.
12. Weak environmental culture among competitors.