Environmental Responsibility

Environmental Responsibility

Companies around the world, ranging from all business sectors, see DQS as their trusted partner management systems certification.
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ISO 14001ISO 50001Sustainable BiomassEMASGC-Mark Validated Life Cycle Assessments

ISO 14001:2015 – sustainable environmental management

Organizations benefit from the implementation of an environmental management system based on ISO 14001 by improving their environmental performance, saving resources, energy, and money. A certified environmental management system is a good preventive tool and helps to be in compliance with legal and other requirements.

 

 

 

The Standard and its principles

ISO 14001 – the internationally most successful environmental standard. It all started in 1991 when ISO first pondered the idea of developing a standard that would allow private-sector organizations to implement a suitable environmental management system applicable in all countries and all business sectors. After the need for such a standard was determined, Technical Committee ISO/ TC207 was created in 1993, which then proceeded to work on the development of this new environmental management system standard. Finally, in 1996, ISO 14001 was published.

The current version, ISO 14001:2015, came out in September 2015 following a comprehensive revision. It introduces requirements imposed by the new high-level structure for ISO management system standards as well as several updates specific to environmental management.

The main principles are:

  • Top management commitment and involvement.
  • Emphasis on risk-based thinking
  • Need to understand the context of the organization, the needs and expectations and requirements of interested parties
  • Consideration of a life cycle perspective
  • Increased flexibility on the use of documentation
High Level Structure
  1. Scope
  2. Normative reference
  3. Terms and definitions
  4. Context of the organization
  5. Leadership
  6. Planning
  7. Support
  8. Operation
  9. Performance evaluation
  10. Improvement
Your benefits
  • Continual improvement of corporate environmental protection
  • Internationally recognized proof of good environmental practices
  • Better public image from documenting your sustainable management practices
  • Deeper understanding of the requirements of interested parties
  • Systematic examination of risks and opportunities
  • More legal certainty and less environmental risk
Audit and Certification

As soon as your processes have been identified, recorded and implemented, and the effectiveness of your quality management system has been reviewed in internal audits and the results analyzed in a management review, you are ready for certification. We customize our plans to you, and we coordinate with you based on your individual circumstances, corporate objectives and success factors. Then your organization will undergo the classic DQS certification process: we will assign auditors with excellent knowledge of the standards, as well as many years of experience in the respective business sector.

DQS, with more than 30 years expertise, supports their clients in:

  • webinars
  • Seminars and training
  • Gap audits

To receive individual information about ISO 14001:2015, please contact our office.

ISO 50001 – Save Energy, Costs and Taxes

Careful handling of energy resources is one of the most important responsibilities of any organization today. Suitable measures focus on the continuous improvement of energy efficiency, as well as the entire energy-related performance of the organization. The international energy management standard ISO 50001 supplies your organization with an ideal framework: it allows you not only to conserve energy but also to reduce costs. And what’s more: in many countries, governments grant financial benefits to energy-efficient organizations. Are you ready to keep your organization up-to-date on energy matters? Then why don’t you demonstrate your abilities with an ISO 50001 certificate?

The Standard and its principles

ISO 50001, which was first published in 2011, provides a sound foundation for a comprehensive energy management system. Being based on the PDCA model, the standard integrates easily into existing management systems. It is designed to continually improve your organization’s energy performance by focusing on energy reviews and the introduction of an energy planning process. Its key requirements include systematic capturing of energy flows; listing of energy objectives/targets and action plans; and detailed, suitable monitoring mechanisms. In addition to efficiency gains, you’ll enjoy extra confidence and peace of mind from meeting the legal requirements

High Level Structure

Since the structure of ISO 50001:2018 is aligned with the High Level Structure of ISO 9001:2015, this facilitates the integration of other important major management systems such as ISO 9001, 14001.

  1. Scope
  2. Normative reference
  3. Terms and definitions
  4. Context of the organization
  5. Leadership
  6. Planning
  7. Support
  8. Operation
  9. Performance evaluation
  10. Improvement
Your benefits
  • Continual improvement of energy efficiency
  • Continual monitoring of energy flows
  • Systematic reduction of energy costs
  • Strict compliance with legal requirements
  • Efficient, effective reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
  • Recognized basis for potential tax breaks
Audit and Certification

As soon as your processes have been identified, recorded and implemented, and the effectiveness of your quality management system has been reviewed in internal audits and the results analyzed in a management review, you are ready for certification. We customize our planning to you, and we coordinate with you based on your individual circumstances, corporate objectives and success factors. Then your organization will undergo the classic DQS certification process: we will assign auditors with excellent knowledge of the standards, as well as many years of experience in the respective business sector.

DQS, with more than 30 years expertise, supports their clients in:

  • webinars
  • Seminars and training
  • Gap audits

To receive individual information about ISO 50001:2018, please contact our office.

Sustainable Biomass

REDcert, ISCC, ISCCplus

Benefits for energy from sustainable resources

Sustainable BiomassWith Directive 2009/28/EC (Renewable Energy Directive, RED), the European Commission has defined a framework in which liquid biomass used for the generation of energy can be considered sustainably produced and therefore subject to tax breaks, if applicable. By 5 December 2010, this Directive must be transformed into national law by the European member states.

Germany reacted very quickly to this and published the first ordinance in July, 2009, already: the Biomass-Electricity-Sustainability-Ordinance (BioSt-NachV), which governs the generation of electrical power from liquid biomass. In September 2009, there followed the Ordinance on Requirements Pertaining to Sustainable Production of Biofuels (Biokraft-NachV), which governs the use of biological combustibles in fuels. Both ordinance focus primarily on vegetable oils to be used for heating or power generation. Implementation of these legal requirements has been delegated to the German BLE (Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food), which for this purpose recognizes and monitors certification systems and bodies.

Para 46 of the Renewable Energies Act (EEG)

According to para 46 of the German EEG, operators of biogas plants are obliged to notify the network operator about their input materials (solid biomass, liquid biomass, other biomass), as well as the technologies used. The operators of biogas plants are required to supply the data necessary for final settlement by 28 February of each year for the previous year.

DQS has available authorized environmental auditors for all aspects of para 46 EEG, BioSt-NachV, and Biokraft-Nach.

EMAS: Eco-Management and Audit Scheme

EMASAn effective environmental management system is considered a prerequisite for responsible economic activity. European Eco-Regulation EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) provides your organization with a suitable basis for this, in combination with the environmental declaration that you have prepared on your own responsibility. First published in 1993, the current version of the EU Regulation, EMAS III, has been valid since 2010. In addition to the continuous improvement of your organization’s environmental performance in accordance with ISO 14001, EMAS also requires the routine validation of your environmental declaration, standardized environmental indicators, and an environmental assessment by specially authorized environmental verifiers. Take advantage of our environmental verifiers’ expertise for an audit according to the EMAS rules. An EMAS registration is the perfect tool for you to demonstrate your environmental commitment to outsiders in a strong and transparent manner.

ISO 14001

All of the EMAS verifiers assigned by DQS have also been appointed for ISO 14001, as well. Given the proper extent of the audit, and a successful EMAS validation, you will also receive an accredited, internationally recognized certificate to ISO 14001

Environmental Declaration

Your environmental declaration in report form will be published for the public to read – making your environmental performance and the environmental objectives of your organization transparent for all interested parties. The findings that result from the regular measurement of the environmental impact of your economic activity will allow you improve and sustain your environmental performance, and to reduce environmental risk. Another important advantage that goes above and beyond the environmental ones: you improve the trust of authorities, banks, and insurances in your company – as well as that of your customers and employees. And you achieve increased legal certainty in the environmental arena. The systematic and preventive thought and deed of your employees may also result in cost savings. At the same time, you sustainably improve your organization’s image – and thus, your competitive ability.

Since the scope of EMAS II was extended in 2001 from companies in the industrial sector to organizations of any type, EMAS III now extends the scope to organizations located outside of the EU. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), there is now also some relief regarding inspection intervals and validation of the environmental declaration.

Validation Process

As a preparation, you will first conduct your own review of all environmental aspects according to the rules of EMAS. Afterwards, you implement a suitable environmental management system on the basis of your results. After you have prepared your environmental declaration, our verifiers review the procedure for the environmental verification of your organization, and its implementation. Then your environmental declaration will be verified. If you were successful, you can be registered by the respective authorities. Inspection intervals will be specified according to your company’s size; they usually take place at three-year intervals.

GC-Mark Validated Life Cycle Assessments (LCA)

GC-Mark LCA

A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a valuable tool to determine the environmental impact of specific products. With an increasingly standardized methodology as well as a solid scientific basis, LCAs play an equally important role in product marketing, process optimization, and the legislative context. To ensure the credibility of Life Cycle Assessments, third-party validation is essential. GC-Mark, a registered trademark of DQS, is a standardized third-party validation methodology.

For more information, please visit the DQS GC-Mark website.