4 Context of the organization T 17                               

• 4.1 The organization and its context
• 4.2 Needs and expectations of interested parties
• 4.3 Scope of the EMS
• 4.4 EMS

4.1 The organization and its context

Understand the organization and its context. External and internal issues that can influence the EMS

Requirements 1 to 2 (see also the quiz)

The two most important things in a company do not appear in its balance sheet: its reputation and its people. Henry Ford

To successfully implement an environmental management systemset of processes allowing the achievement of the environmental objectives (see also ISO 14001, 3.1.2), we must understand and evaluate everything that can influence the reason for being and business performancemeasurable and expected results of the management system (see also ISO 9000, 3.7.8). You should think carefully about a few key activities:

• develop a thorough diagnosis of the unique context in which your company exists, taking into account these issues:
  • the external environment, such as:
    • social
    • regulatory
    • economic
    • technology
  • the internal environment, such as:
    • specific aspects of the corporate culture:
      • vision
      • rationale, purpose and mission
      • core values
    • staff
    • products and services
    • infrastructure
• regularly monitor and review all information related to external and internal issues
• analyze the factors that may influence the achievement of business objectives:
  • risks and opportunities (§ 6.1.1)
  • environmental aspects (§ 6.1.2)
  • compliance obligations (§ 6.1.3)
• establish significant environmental impacts that could affect or be affected by the company

The SWOT and PESTEL analyses can be useful for relevant analysis of business context (cf. annex 05). 

A list of external and internal issues is created by a multidisciplinary team, (cf. annex 23). Each issue is identified by its level of influence and control. Priority is given to issues with great influence and poor control.

Minute of relaxation. Game: Context of the company

• diagnosis of the context includes the main external and internal issues
• the core values as part of the corporate culture are taken into account in the context of the company
• the list of environmental aspects and impacts is regularly updated
• the results of the context analysis are widely diffused
• the SWOT analysis includes many relevant examples
• the SWOT analysis is a powerful tool for identifying the main threats and opportunities

• some issues of the context of the company are not taken into account
• some environmental impacts are not taken into account
• the environmental impacts are not prioritized
• risk analysis does not take into account strategic issues
• no clear link between the SWOT analysis and the actions undertaken

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4.2 Needs and expectations of interested parties

Understand the requirements of interested parties. Identify interested parties, their needs and expectations

Requirements 3 to 5

There is only one valid definition of a business purpose: to create a customer. Peter Drucker

To understand the needs and expectations of interested partiesperson, group or organization affected by the impacts from a company (see also ISO 14001, 3.2.3), we must begin by determining those who may be affected by the environmental management systemset of processes allowing the achievement of the environmental objectives (see also ISO 14001, 3.1.2), such as:

• employees
• customers
• external providers
• owners
• shareholders
• bankers
• distributors
• competitors
• citizens
• neighbors
• social and political organizations

A list of interested partiesperson, group or organization affected by the impacts from a company (see also ISO 14001, 3.2.3) is carried out by a multidisciplinary team. Every interested partyperson, group or organization affected by the impacts from a company (see also ISO 14001, 3.2.3) is identified by its level of influence and control in connection with the business context. Priority is given to interested partiesperson, group or organization affected by the impacts from a company (see also ISO 14001, 3.2.3) with great influence and poor control.

Anticipating the reasonable and relevant needs and expectations of interested partiesperson, group or organization affected by the impacts from a company (see also ISO 14001, 3.2.3) involves:

• meeting the requirements of protection of the environment
• preparing to address risks
• finding improvement opportunities

When a requirementexplicit or implicit need or expectation (see also ISO 9000, 3.6.4) is accepted, it becomes an internal requirementexplicit or implicit need or expectation (see also ISO 9000, 3.6.4) of the EMSEnvironmental Management System (good environmental practices, environmental commitments in contracts).

• the list of interested parties is updated
• the needs and expectations of interested parties are established through meetings on-site, surveys, roundtables and meetings (monthly or frequent)
• the application of compliance obligations is a prevention approach and not a constraint

• compliance obligations are not taken into account
• city sanitation regulation defining the discharge conditions to the network is not determined as a compliance obligation
• the expectations of interested parties are not determined
• the list of interested parties does not contain their area of activity

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4.3 Scope of the EMS

Define the scope of the EMS

Requirements 6 to 13

In many areas, the winner is the one who is best informed. André Muller

The scope (or, in other words, the perimeter) of the environmental management systemset of processes allowing the achievement of the environmental objectives (see also ISO 14001, 3.1.2) is defined. If exclusions exist, a justification is provided. When a requirementexplicit or implicit need or expectation (see also ISO 9000, 3.6.4) cannot be applied, a justification is included in the documented informationany support allowing the treatment of information  that is maintained and is available to any interested partyperson, group or organization affected by the impacts from a company (see also ISO 14001, 3.2.3).

The specific context of the company is taken into account to determine the scope of the EMSEnvironmental Management System including:

• issues (cf. sub-clause 4.1)
• dangerousness of products and services in a life cycle perspective
• corporate culture
• environment:
  • social
  • financial
  • technology
  • economic
• requirements of interested parties (cf. sub-clause 4.2)
• compliance obligations
• oursourced processes

• the scope is relevent and available upon request
• the scope takes into account the entire life cycle of products

• some products are outside the scope of the EMS without justification
• the paint shop is not included in the scope of the EMS
• the scope is obsolete (a new subsidiary is not included)
• an environmental aspect is not taken into account

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4.4 EMS

Requirements of the IEMS, processes and interactions

Requirements 14 to 15

If you cannot describe what you are doing as a process, you do not know what you're doing. Edwards Deming

The requirementsexplicit or implicit need or expectation (see also ISO 9000, 3.6.4) of the ISO 14001 standard include:

• the environmental performance and
• the control of business processes

To do this the context and issues are taken into account and:

• the environmental management system is:
  • established
  • documented (a simple and sufficient documentation system is set up)
  • implemented and
  • continually improved
• the environmental policy, objectives, resources and the work environment are determined
• environmental requirements are integrated into business processes
• risks are determined and actions to reduce them are established (cf. sub-clause 6.1)
• the core necessary EMS processes are controlled:
  • corresponding resources are ensured
  • the inputs and outputs are determined
  • the necessary information is available
  • owners are appointed (responsibilities and authorities defined)
  • sequences and interactions are determined
  • each process is measured and monitored (established criteria), targets are set and performance indicators analyzed
  • process performance is evaluated
  • necessary changes are implemented to achieve the expected results
  • actions for continual improvement of processes are established
• an environmental diagnostic is carried out, environmental aspects are determined and significant environmental impacts are determined
• audits and reviews of the EMS are performed regularly
• an action plan helps with the implementation of the environmental policy, the achievement of the company's objectives and the improvement of its performance
• history of emergencies, incidents and nonconformities are evaluated, potential emergencies are determined, evaluated and methods are implemented to respond

The environmental manual is not a requirementexplicit or implicit need or expectation (see also ISO 9000, 3.6.4) of ISO 14001 version 2015, but it is always a possible method to present the companya structure that satisfies a need, its EMSEnvironmental Management System and its proceduresdocument describing the to carry out a process (see also ISO 9000, 3.4.5 and documented information) and processesactivities that transform inputs into outputs (see also ISO 9000, 3.4.1) (cf. annex 07). 

The ISO guide “The integrated use of management system standards” of 2018, contains relevant recommendations on the integration of management systems.

The requirementsexplicit or implicit need or expectation (see also ISO 9000, 3.6.4) of the ISO 14001 standard are shown in figures 4-1:

Figure 4-1. The requirements of the ISO 14001: 2015 standard

• the process map has enough arrows to show who the customer (internal or external) is
• for a process, it is better to use a lot of arrows (several customers) rather than to forget one
• reveal the added value of the process during the process review
• the analysis of process performance is an example of continual improvement and evidence of the effectiveness of the EMS
• top management regularly monitors the objectives and action plans of the EMS
• the commitments of  top management on prevention and continual improvement are widely diffused

• some process outputs are not set correctly (customers not considered)
• process effectiveness criteria are not established
• the process owners are not formalized
• outsourced processes are not dermined
• many real activities are not determined in any process
• control of outsourced services is not described
• sequences and interactions of certain processes are not determined
• criteria and methods for ensuring effective processes are not determined
• monitoring the effectiveness of certain processes is not established
• the EMS resources do not allow achievement of environmental objectives
• the EMS is not updated (new processes not determined)
• the threats and weaknesses identified in the SWOT analysis remain without actions

The rest of the T 17v15 ISO 14001 readiness version 2015 training is accessible on this page.

See also the training T 37v15 Internal audit ISO 14001 and the training package ISO 14001.

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