Protecting the environment for future generations
Our children deserve a healthy planet. Yet human activities have far too great an impact on the environment. It’s time to get serious about protect our world. However, this is easier said than done.
Standards for environmental management are a big step in the right direction. The Belgian standards committee NBN/B031 is therefore working hard to develop international standards for environmental management.
What is environmental management?
Environmental management is how a company develops, implements and monitors its environmental policy. A sound environmental management system ensures the healthy state of our planet for future generations by working to get rid of air pollution, waste, polluted water or soil contamination, to name but a few measures.
Environmental management is becoming more popular as consumers increasingly look for environmentally friendly and environmentally conscious products and services.
Why is this important?
As long as we continue to cut down trees, waste resources, emit CO2, pollute water, and so on, the stability of ecosystems remains at risk. The relationship between humans and the environment will not improve until we all encourage the conservation, restoration and protection of nature.
Thus, it is essential for any Organisation to implement an environmental management system to manage environmental risks.
The benefits of a successful environmental management process include:
- fewer carbon emissions;
- safe and effective handling of waste;
- efficient and intelligent use of energy and resources;
- no pollution.
What are environmental management standards committees working on?
Experts join forces in standards committees to develop standards related to, among other things:
- guidelines for the use of ISO 14001 in relation to climate and water;
- Environmental Due Diligence (EDD) assessments;
- remote monitoring of environmental management systems;
- classification of 'green' debt instruments;
- Environmental Technology Verification (ETV);
- green financing;
- life cycle analysis;
- greenhouse gas management.
{{dom-mil-1="/external-assets/highlights"}}
Would you like to help develop standards yourself? But would you rather learn more about it first? Then follow the Webinar "Standardisation - The Basics". There we will give you more insight of what standards development is.
I am signing up for "Standardization - The Basics"
What standards committees are there and when do they meet?
The International Environmental Management Standards Committee ISO/TC 207 and the European Standards Committee CEN/TC 467 are developing international and European standards for environmental management and climate change. This is to address environmental and climate effects as well as social and economic aspects. And thus support sustainable development.
- ISO/TC207 meets once or twice a year. Next meeting: late 2024 (TBD).
- CEN/TC 467 meets once or twice a year. Next meeting: June 18, 2024.
- The Belgian environmental management standards committee NBN/B031 brings together all Belgian stakeholders with expertise in environmental management and climate change. The committee closely follows and contributes to the ISO and CEN work. Anyone in Belgium can join.
- NBN/B031 meets twice a year. Next meetings: 11/06/2024 and 09/12/2024.
