Risks and opportunities of ISO14001: 2015 transition process - perspectives from South African environmental practitioners

Abstract

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) develops and publishes International Standards such as the ISO 14000 family of standards. The latter is a set of guidelines that provides a framework for all types of organisations worldwide to implement an effective environmental management system (EMS), and thereby gain competitive advantage and trust from stakeholders. In September 2015 the ISO 14001:2015 version was published. The transition phase from ISO 14001:2004 to ISO 14001:2015 could bring many opportunities, but also pose risks for certified organisations. Establishments might respond in different ways to harness these opportunities and to deal with the potential risks. The aim of this study, therefore, is to explore the risks and opportunities inherent in the ISO 14001:2015 transition for organisations in South Africa, focusing specifically on the perspectives of South African environmental practitioners. To achieve the aim of this study, two objectives are set: firstly, to conduct an extensive literature review on the evolution of ISO 14001 in order to determine the internationally-perceived risks and opportunities of the ISO 14001:2015 transition and, secondly, to explore the risks and opportunities inherent in the ISO14001:2015 transition process have for South African environmental practitioners. The latter were identified by distributing a survey questionnaire to relevant participants via email and LinkedIn, and by conducting semi-structured interviews. Out of the 80 survey questionnaires distributed, 52 completed survey questionnaires were returned, 27 from the industry implementing ISO 14001 EMS and 25 from auditors, auditing organisations on ISO 14001. After the survey questionnaire process had been completed and the responses had been analysed, it was evident that the environmental practitioners who participated had a positive attitude towards the ISO 14001:2015 transition. This study revealed that although there are risks involved in transitioning, there are also great opportunities, such as more emphasis on risk awareness, the streamlining and integration of EMSs alongside other management systems, and an opportunity for organisations to improve their levels of compliance to environmental legal frameworks and to contribute to preventative care. It will be interesting to see what the difference between the expectations vs the experiences will be once ISO 14001:2015 is implemented. Therefore a follow-up study on the experiences vs expectations is recommended.