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The ISO Show

Blackmores is a pioneering consultancy firm with a distinctive approach to working with our clients to achieve and sustain high standards in Quality, Risk and Environmental Management. We'll be posting podcasts discussing ISO standards here very soon!

  1. #215 The Latest Trends On the Buy Side of the Voluntary Carbon Market

    4 DAYS AGO

    #215 The Latest Trends On the Buy Side of the Voluntary Carbon Market

    Watch the Podcast Video on our YouTube Channel There has been a global shift towards the sustainability effort in recent years, highlighted by various regulations and schemes aimed at businesses to help encourage a more sustainable way of operating. This has led to more focus on the voluntary use of carbon markets, in which companies help to fund decarbonisation projects by buying carbon credits. In this episode Mel is joined by Tiffany Cheung, the Corporate Engagement Lead at carbon markets data company AlliedOffsets, as they discuss the landscape of the market, including current trends, decarbonisation challenges in different sectors, and top tips for navigating the space. You’ll learn ·       What impact will corporate disclosures have on the carbon markets? ·       What are the rates of decarbonisation across different sectors? ·       What are the emerging buyer trends within the voluntary carbon market? ·       What is an internal carbon price? ·       How can companies use a carbon price to ensure that their sustainability goals are financially viable? ·       How can AlliedOffsets’ data help companies when entering the carbon market? ·       What are the critical steps businesses should take to mitigate price volatility and ensure that they're investing in high quality, impactful carbon offsetting projects?   Resources ·       AlliedOffsets ·       AlliedOffsets LinkedIn ·       AlliedOffsets Corporate Emissions Data and Findings ·       Carbonology   In this episode, we talk about: [00:30] Episode Summary – Tiffany Cheung joins Mel to discuss buyer trends in the voluntary carbon market (VCM), including insights on the use of internal carbon prices and top tips for businesses looking to enter the market. Don’t forget to catch-up on the previous episode where Tiffany explains what the voluntary carbon market is and gives an insight into the lifecycle of carbon credits. [01:30] What impact will increased corporate disclosures have on the carbon markets? There are 2 main points: 1.      Already on the Agenda: Increased corporate sustainability disclosure may already fit into the changes that are taking place within the thinking of a company.  If a company is spending time on creating and publishing reports on their sustainability initiatives, it is likely that they will  be exploring their options for how they can take action more broadly.This is likely to be associated with increased engagement with the voluntary carbon markets, both through offsetting of carbon footprints and investing in carbon credits or project developers. 2.      Project Developer benefits: Project developers will likely benefit from increased insight to the kinds of projects that buyers are purchasing credits from. As a by-product, there may be more focused projects created based off what certain sectors are willing to offset or invest in. [02:55] What are the rates of decarbonisation across different sectors? To give a macro view from the public data available in corporate sustainability reports over the last few years, the biggest total polluters by sector continue to be energy, maritime, transportation and materials and mining. Looking at the positives, the energy sector, which has historically been the biggest polluter, has decreased its emissions in both scopes 1 and 2 since 2019. However, there’s still a very long way to go, and with major emitters recently rolling back their climate commitments, one shouldn’t assume that that trend will continue linearly. Another sector facing an interesting decarbonization journey is aviation, whose emissions have been increasing in recent years, although not quite to pre-COVID pandemic levels. This sector will have to grapple with its emissions whilst contending with forecasted growth in both consumer and business travel over the next decade. Many aviation companies are both committed to Science Based Targets initiatives (SBTi) and fall under CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation), applying pressure on the sector to decarbonize as a whole. On a positive note, 18 sectors assessed by AlliedOffsets have decreased their average carbon emissions in scope 2 over the past few years, due in large part to increased renewable energy sourcing and improved energy efficiency. [07:10] What are the emerging buyer trends within the VCM?: AlliedOffsets are in a particularly good position to provide insight to this due to their comprehensive view of both historic buyer activity and new market entrants across the world. Chinese and German manufacturers have become a steady presence in the market, distinguished by their especially detailed credit retirement information. They’ll go as far as to specify the products and operating periods that are being offset, showing really high levels of engagement with their environmental impact and giving clear insight on their targeted offsetting approach. Another buyer trend to highlight is occurring within the Australian market, where AlliedOffsets is seeing lots of credit retirement associated with the carbon neutrality certification scheme Climate Active. This is driving most voluntary retirements from the region, particularly from real estate and pension funds. [09:15] What is an internal carbon price? An internal carbon price is a specific cost or budget set by a company for the carbon or other greenhouse gas emissions that are associated with their specific business activities. This is typically based off of something like the World Bank calculations on the cost of climate change to society, or it could be based on the price of carbon set by an compliance emissions trading scheme (ETS) that is local to that business. [10:20] How can companies use a carbon price to ensure that their sustainability goals are financially viable?: For example, EasyJet has an internal carbon price that's based off of the UK emissions trading scheme. That internal carbon price is factored into the airline’s master financial models and that drives their 5 - 10 year long financial plans. That helps to determine things like the geographical routes that EasyJet operates, which can affect profitability. An internal carbon price makes emissions tangible and material, playing a role in the wider business decisions. An airline operator is considered a big emitter and is likely to already be exposed to some kind of compliance carbon scheme which has a financial impact on the company. Nonetheless, having an internal carbon price can be useful regardless of how big your business is, as it can be used to budget certain activities and see where emissions might be centralised in a particular department. An example of this in practice may be that you have an internal carbon price of £50 per tonne, you can take that to an emissions calculator or advisor to work out a budget based on the carbon footprint of different activities or departments in the business. The idea being that if you can identify the cost associated with the emissions created, you know how much to spend to decarbonize. This process may also highlight where you can make further reductions, i.e. reducing air travel and supporting staff on switching to less polluting forms of transport. [12:55] How can AlliedOffsets data help companies interested in an internal carbon price?: AlliedOffsets has data on the carbon pricing programmes used by companies to set their internal carbon price, as well as the specific price itself for hundreds of different companies. This dataset also includes companies that haven't chosen to use a particular pricing scheme but have set an internal carbon price based just off of their unique activities.  This helps to contextualize the current range of internal carbon prices and the logic behind them. [13:50] The need for regular review: Internal carbon pricing is something that needs to be reviewed on a regular basis as the costs associated with emitting in some business locations is not going to remain the same. This can also be affected by national legislation, which can increase the financial risk of emitting. Tiffany recommends reviewing your internal carbon pricing at least annually. They’re seeing an emerging trend within the environmental space where sustainability related impacts within a company are being sequestered into their wider financial operations. The impacts of climate change are going to become more material to businesses in the very near future. As a result of this, it makes sense for businesses to assess their internal carbon price as part of their annual financial reviews.  [16:30] What are the critical steps businesses should take to mitigate price volatility and ensure that they're investing in high quality, impactful projects? Tiffany recommends the following steps: 1.      Focus on decarbonising your business operations first and engaging with your suppliers to tackle scope 3 emissions as well. It’s more beneficial to both the business and environment for you to reduce emissions as much as possible, so you have a smaller residual footprint to offset. 2.      Decide what kind of projects / carbon credits you want to spend money on, whether it's offsetting or investing. Besides the climatic impact, there are many co-benefits of carbon projects to choose from, such as improved biodiversity, water supply, or workplace gender equality. Knowing what is valuable to you and your business will help in the selection of these projects. 3.      Build strong relationships with developers directly where possible and buy credits directly, in advance. This also has the benefit of ensuring a supply of carbon credits into the future without the worry about how the market might change or become more volatile within the next couple of years. 4.      If your business is operati

    23 min
  2. #214 An Introduction to the voluntary carbon market

    16 APR

    #214 An Introduction to the voluntary carbon market

    Watch the Podcast Video on our YouTube Channel No business can operate with zero emissions, there’s only so much you can reduce before you need to look at offsetting the remainder to truly achieve Net Zero. Carbon offsetting comes in many forms, but the ones people will be most familiar with include purchasing carbon credits for nature restoration projects and tree planting efforts. Historically, the voluntary carbon market has been troubled by project developers who haven’t operated their carbon offsetting projects to the environmental and social standards expected by buyers. With the use of offsets on the rise, it’s clear that there is a need for transparency and standardisation within these voluntary markets. In this episode Mel is joined by Tiffany Cheung, the Corporate Engagement Lead at AlliedOffsets, to explain what the voluntary carbon market is, how carbon credits work from purchase to retirement and what quality controls are in place to ensure they are reliable. You’ll learn ●       Who are AlliedOffsets? ●       What is the voluntary carbon market? ●       What are carbon credits, and how do they work? ●       What quality controls are in place for carbon credits? ●       How will the voluntary carbon market affect future regulatory requirements? ●       What does it mean to retire a carbon credit? ●       What services do AlliedOffsets offer?   Resources ●       AlliedOffsets website ●       AlliedOffsets LinkedIn ●       Carbonology   In this episode, we talk about: [00:30] Episode Summary – Tiffany Cheung joins Mel to discuss the voluntary carbon market, explaining the carbon credit lifecycle and what quality controls are in place to ensure they are reliable. [01:40] Who are AlliedOffsets?: AlliedOffsets aggregates data from over 30 carbon registries and compliance schemes as well as off-registry transactions to present the most comprehensive dataset on carbon offsetting activity globally. Their data has been featured in publications such as the Financial Times, Forbes, The Guardian and many more. [03:20] How did Tiffany get involved in carbon markets?: Tiffany has been working with AlliedOffsets for over a year, and a lot of their role as Corporate Engagement Lead includes talking to a variety of stakeholders on the buying side of the carbon market, understanding what their motivations for being in the space are, what their strategies are going into the future and their wider decarbonisation process. Tiffany also looks at their transactional activity and how that has changed over time. Prior to their position at Allied Offsets, Tiffany worked in a major environmental advisory and brokerage firm based in London. There they gained a knowledge of both voluntary carbon markets as well as renewable energy markets in that space, this in addition to learning more about the accompanying compliance trading and risk side of things. [06:00] What is the carbon market?: Carbon markets describe markets where carbon is translated from a greenhouse gas into an asset, or a commodity that can be traded. These tend to represent actual tonnes of atmospheric carbon dioxide that have been sequestered somewhere else in the world through various projects. Compliance carbon markets work differently from voluntary carbon markets. Compliance carbon markets provide regulated ways of pricing carbon, both in terms of reducing emissions and generally making polluters aware of the environmental impact of their emissions in a financial way. They may be associated with the voluntary carbon market, also known as the VCM, or they may be referred to as a kind of carbon tax. [07:05] What’s the difference between a voluntary carbon market and a non-voluntary carbon market? If you are engaging in the voluntary carbon market, there is no legislative impetus for you to be involved in it. It’s mostly driven by a business’ own desire to offset emissions. The offsetting of residual emissions is done through the purchase of carbon credits, which are representative of 1 tonne of CO2 equivalent removed from the atmosphere. If you offset all of your remaining emissions, then you may be able to claim carbon neutrality for the year that the credits apply to. The benefits of carbon credit-issuing projects aren’t always related to solely greenhouse gas removal, and depending on a businesses motivations, you can help to fund a wide range of beneficial projects such as clean water provision or improved cook stoves which improve air quality in domestic settings. [09:25] What type of organisations are leading the way with carbon credit purchasing? – AlliedOffsets has unique access to the transaction history across 30 different global registries, enabling them to provide an up to date and wide ranging view on the voluntary carbon market. There is a very strong relationship between how polluting a sector is and how well engaged it is with the voluntary carbon markets. So major players include energy producers, aviation, maritime, ground transportation and mining and materials. There is also an increase in financial services, technology and telecommunications services entering the carbon market. Tiffany expects this trend to continue with increased data centre usage and artificial intelligence driving up energy consumption across these sectors. [11:10] How does the voluntary carbon market operate?: When a company first decides they want to buy carbon credits, ideally they would engage with a well-established broker or intermediary who can source a variety of carbon credits. It’s helpful for the broker to know what sort of carbon credits or projects a company is looking to invest in. There’s a lot of different options, including: ●       Forestry ●       Alternative land use ●       Blue Carbon ●       Engineered carbon dioxide removal The company will let the broker know how many tonnes of carbon credits they’d like to buy, attributed to a certain period of time or activity based on their quantification and existing carbon reporting. Market prices will range quite significantly based off of what technology type or methodology you're going with, but most carbon credits are currently sub $15. Once agreed, your intermediary will secure and retire the credits for you, from the registry and project developer. Retiring a carbon credit means they are taken entirely off the market and they're considered to be “spent” or used. Nobody else can use those as an investment or offset at that point, and the purchasing company can consider their carbon footprint to have been neutralised for the specified period. [12:00] What quality controls are in place for the voluntary carbon market? While there isn't a master registry, there are several registries across the world that generally dominate the market. They vary in terms of the methodologies that they may or may not specialise in, as well as with geographies. The biggest ones that you're most likely to see in the market are known as VCS, GS, ACR, and CAR. These account for about 80% of the total market volume by retirement and issuance. The way that these registries work is that they perform a bookkeeping function within the space. Projects will register their sequestered tonnes of CO2 removed with these registries, who will then check to see if these projects have complied with their methodology, which would have been set by a Standards Body. Once approved, those project developers can sell their credits as a commodity. When a business wants to buy credits, the type of projects they want to engage with will dictate the sort of registries they’ll be engaging with. There are also checks in place set by the registries to ensure that project developers use third parties to further validate their project activities. [16:45] What are the methodologies used in the voluntary carbon market? A methodology refers to the way in which a specific project should be undertaken in order to ensure that the pace of carbon sequestration and storage is consistent throughout the project's life. Registries are ultimately responsible for issuing the appropriate methodology, and the project developers need to be able to evidence compliance to that methodology. The process for a project to be registered is quite complicated, and it generally takes 2 – 3 years from concept to being in a position to issue credits. There is also a requirement to have their work validated by a Verification and Validation Body (VVB). These are third party auditors who check the evidence provided by project developers to ensure they comply with the necessary methodology. This may include the VVBs undertaking a site visit. [19:30] Will regulatory requirements be introduced within the voluntary carbon market?  – Tiffany states that there is definitely a demand for regulatory requirements in the space. There a two key drivers for this: The need for integrity among buyers – There are many sectors where engaging in a more unregulated space can be risky. Sectors such as the legal and financial sectors need a certain level of oversight to ensure they are making sound investments. Convergence of compliance and voluntary markets – This is a change that’s been happening over the past few years. This is being driven by governments taking part in the voluntary carbon market space and realising that they can yield returns for the country. Additionally, when they’re spending public funds, there needs to be a certain level of assurance in the projects they’re engaging with. There is also a growing appetite for businesses engaging in this market to ensure that they are doing the best thing possible ahead of the curve. There’s been a lot of negative press around greenwashing projects, leading to potentially tar

    30 min
  3. #213 Driving ISO Implementation – Meet the Consultant: Sarah Ball

    9 APR

    #213 Driving ISO Implementation – Meet the Consultant: Sarah Ball

    ISO consultancy isn’t a field many aspire to enter, mostly because many don’t know it exists until you’re tasked with either managing an existing ISO Management System or implementing a brand new one.  We’re continuing with our latest mini-series where we introduce members of our team, to explore how they fell into the world of ISO and discuss the common challenges they face while helping clients achieve ISO certification.   In this episode we introduce Sarah Ball, a Senior Isologist® at Blackmores, to learn about her journey towards becoming an ISO Consultant and what drives her to help clients on their ISO journey.   You’ll learn ·      What is Sarah’s role at Blackmores? ·      What does Sarah enjoy outside of consultancy? ·      What path did Sarah take to become an ISO Consultant? ·      What is the biggest challenge she’s faced when implementing ISO Standards? ·      What is Sarah’s biggest achievement?   Resources ·      Isologyhub ·      Productivity Ninja   In this episode, we talk about: [00:30] Episode Summary – We introduce Sarah Ball, a Senior Isologist® here at Blackmores, to discuss her journey towards becoming an ISO consultant who specialises in ISO 9001, ISO 45001, ISO 14001 and ISO 27001. [03:45] What is Sarah’s role at Blackmores? Sarah is a Senior Isologist® with Blackmores, supporting companies with maintaining systems, undertaking internal audits, and supporting with implementing new systems to gain certification utilising our Isology methodology. Sarah also coordinates the development of content of our online learning platform, the isologyhub. [04:50] What does Sarah enjoy doing outside of consultancy?: Sarah has a keen interest in history, having studied it at school, she like to travel to various locations of historical interest. She also spends a lot of time researching her own family tree, learning as much as she can about the far reaching members of the past. Sarah also likes to go jogging outside, as the gym environment didn’t inspire much enjoyment, she instead prefers to be in nature while exercising. She has also participated in long distance running for charity, completing the 10k Race for Life. She’s taking on the more daunting muddy 5K version this year, which includes a number of obstacles, so we’re wishing her luck! One of the new hobbies she’s like to take up this year include mountain climbing, with Mount Snowdon on her to-do list. [06:35] What was Sarah’s path towards becoming an ISO Consultant?: Sarah initially started in Customer Services, working as a customer service advisor in a company and then got promoted to manager of a team. At that point, her role became more about understanding why they were getting certain complaints and what could be done to prevent them happening rather than just resolving them. She ended up spending more time with suppliers and other departments to help prevent some of the recurring issues, and along the line it lead onto being asked to implement an ISO 9001 Quality Management System. Which was a tall request considering the fact that at the time, Sarah knew nothing about ISO 9001 outside of it’s designation and area of focus. As a result, she spent a lot of time researching it, and had the help of an external consultant to Implement the Management System. This was necessary, as knowing how to apply it to a business was something that she needed support with. 2 years later, the company asked Sarah to implement an ISO 45001 Health & Safety management system and an ISO 14001 environmental management system. These two she implemented herself after getting a feel for it during the initial quality management system implementation. For the next 10 years, Sarah worked in other companies, assisting with their integrated management systems. Along the way, she also picked up on ISO 27001 Information Security, before landing in Blackmores in 2020. [09:10] A path people fall onto – Most people don’t actively plan to get into ISO consultancy, it’s usually a result of being tasked with managing or implementing a management system while working in another role.  [10:10] What is Sarah’s favourite aspect of being a Consultant? – Sarah enjoys the variety, not just in the work and tasks but in the companies and industries that she gets to work with. Each have their own way of working, unique approaches and knowledge nuggets in the form of ways of working that can be cherry picked and applied elsewhere. She also likes to see how a management system develops and evolves overtime and how it can become part of a company’s success, driving continual improvement. Sarah enjoys working with people that can see the real benefits of ISO management systems, rather than just focusing on the certificate on the wall. [13:40] Making a Management System your own – Sarah is a big proponent of making a Management system your own, giving it an identity so that it can be fully integrated into the way a business works. Businesses do it all the time, usually by naming large projects that everyone can reference by a common shorthand. A Management System can work in the same way, making it a part of the day-to-day running of the business. She’s also a fan of not worrying about the terminology in Standards. Many of the terms used are meant to be general, this was due to the way international audiences referred to certain aspects of management, it wouldn’t always translate correctly. So many Standards have some admittedly awkward terminology that can be applied to any business, and you by no means have to use their wording, as long as you can explain what relates to what in an audit then you’re free to name things as appropriate to you.   [16:55] What Standards does Sarah specilaise in and why? Starting with: ·      ISO 9001 Quality: This is the main standard that Sarah starting working with, and is one that touches on a lot of areas within other Standards. It’s a great base to build off of, and is the starting point for many venturing into the world of ISO. ·      ISO 14001 Environmental: Sarah got experience with this Standard at her first company, it’s also commonly implemented alongside ISO 9001.   ·      ISO 45001 Health & Safety: Another one of the first Standards Sarah implemented, it’s also a common one to see in integrated management systems.   ·      ISO 27001 Information Security: Sarah got to grips with this Standard through years of working with other companies. Sarah’s favourite Standard is ISO 9001, not only because it was her first experience with implementing ISO Standards, but because it create a blueprint for success. ISO Standards are setting the minimum requirement, not the maximum, they are designed get you started so you can make continual improvements. It also acts as a foundation to build onto, you can pick aspects of other Standards to integrate into your existing system. You don’t necessarily have to certify to those additional Standards, but nothing is stopping you from strengthening your Management System with the best bits from other ISO’s. [21:00] Sarah’s favourite clause in ISO 9001: Sarah personally favors Clause 10 – non-conformity and corrective action. The reason behind that choice is due to that clauses’ importance in driving continual improvement. It’s about taking something negative being turned into a positive, which is what Quality Management is at it’s core. [22:05] What is the biggest challenge Sarah had faced during a project and how did he overcome it?: Molding the Standard to the business. As a consultant, the biggest challenge is understanding how to make the requirements of a Standard fit the business, and not the other way round. It’s all about trying to align the ISO Standard requirements to their values and mission, and then getting people on board with understanding the true benefits of management system implementation. At Blackmores, we ensure that each management system is unique to each business. We don’t operate with a copy paste model. This is another reason why Sarah encourages naming your management system, by branding it you encourage engagement. Sarah highlights the fact that we run a lot of workshops in the initial part of a project, conducting a Gap Analysis, SWOT and PESTLE ect, this helps our consultants to really get a feel for how a business ticks. From that, we can help steer the delivery of the Management System to the wider business, by building it into their existing tools, such as an intranet. [25:45] Leading by example: We revamped our own ISO 9001 Management System a few years ago, with both Rachel Churchman and Sarah Ball leading the refresh. We gave it a name, H20 (How 2 Operate) and integrated it with our Microsoft Teams channels as we’d all swapped to mostly remote work following the COVID pandemic in 2020. As Sarah points out, there are many different ways to display and deliver your management system, including: ·      Microsoft Teams ·      Intranet ·      Google / Google Drive ·      SharePoint ·      CRM’s such as Monday.com The key is building it into the day-to-day tools everyone uses. Make the Management System part of your processes, so adhering and maintaining it becomes part of everyone’s way of working. [28:55] What is Sarah’s proudest achievement? Obtaining her degree through the Open University while still working full time. It took Sarah 8 years of hard work to obtain her honours degree in History, which was one not required by her work or career development. It was simply something she wanted to do to prove to herself that she could achieve it. Many other members of Blackmores can attest to Sarah’s level of determination, and organisation, as she shares many tips and techniques

    33 min
  4. #212 Driving ISO Implementation – Meet the Consultant: Darren Morrow

    26 MAR

    #212 Driving ISO Implementation – Meet the Consultant: Darren Morrow

    We share a lot of success stories here on the ISO Show, along with hints, tips and updates to Standards, including insights from our consultants who work with Standards day in and day out.  In our latest mini-series, we’re taking a step back to introduce members of our team, to explore how they fell into the world of ISO and discuss the common challenges they face while helping clients achieve ISO certification.   In this episode we introduce Darren Morrow, a Senior Consultant at Blackmores, to learn about his journey towards becoming an ISO Consultant and what drives him to help clients on their ISO journey.   You’ll learn ·      What is Darren’s role at Blackmores? ·      What does Darren enjoy outside of consultancy? ·      What path did Darren take to become an ISO Consultant? ·      What is the biggest challenge he’s faced when implementing ISO Standards? ·      What is Darren’s biggest achievement?   Resources ·      Isologyhub ·      Engagement Amplifier Gameplan   In this episode, we talk about: [00:30] Episode Summary – We introduce Darren Morrow, a Senior Consultant here at Blackmores, to discuss his journey towards becoming an ISO consultant who specialises in ISO 9001, ISO 45001, ISO 14001 and ISO 50001.   [03:45] What is Darren’s role at Blackmores? Darren is a Senior Consultant with Blackmores, supporting companies with maintaining systems, undertaking internal audits, and supporting with implementing new systems to gain certification. A key part of his role is translating ISO Standards into plain English, and guides clients on how to apply them in practice. [04:55] What does Darren enjoy doing outside of consultancy?: Darren moved to Norfolk back in 2021 ans has since found the relaxed way of life there to be a great fit. It also offers a lot of good walking opportunities for his 2 Leonberger's (giant breed dogs), who mostly enjoy the local parks and beach walks. Darren is also an avid reader, clocking in a whopping 343 weeks’ worth of reading on his kindle. His favourite genres include:- ·      Crime, thriller, adventure types - Clive Cussler, Michael Connelly, David Baldacci, CJ Box, Dan Brown, James Carol ·      Horror - James Herbert, Stephen King ·      Supernatural, urban fantasy, fantasy - Ben Aaronvitch, Jim Butcher, Raymond E Feist, C S Lewis & Tolkien ·      Historical - CJ Sansom, SJ Parris ·      And Terry Pratchett for a weird dose of reality. He’s also a movie buff, with a collection of over 1,000 films ranging from the 1930’s all the way to modern era. Recently he took on the challenge of watching all the Marvel films in chronological order, which took a few weeks! [10:35] What was Darren’s path towards becoming an ISO Consultant?: Before Blackmores, Darren was the Quality Manager for a company that worked within the Highways Maintenance sector, working there for 8 years. For the first 18 months he was primarily the Quality Manager for a specific contract on the Olympic Park, as that contract came to an end, he moved into the main company Quality Manager role supporting multiple highway term maintenance contracts along with various smaller projects that the business won. Prior to that, he was a SHEQ Advisor within the Rail industry, working for a signaling company. Darren worked there for about 5 years, within head office support roles for quality and health and safety, moving to working on supporting the project teams and project delivery for signaling schemes. Overall, looking back, he’s worked with standards within a quality, health & safety, environmental for around 25 years now.  [13:20] What is Darren’s favourite aspect of being a Consultant? – Darren likes the variety. As an ISO Consultant, he gets to work with lots of different people, companies and industries, so he gets to learn a lot about how they work and how Standards apply to different industries. He also enjoys the fact that after working with clients for a number of years, he becomes just another member of the team.   [15:15] What Standards does Darren specilaise in and why? Starting with: ·      ISO 9001 Quality: This is the main standard that Darren starting working with back in 1999 ·      ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety: While working within rail, Darren was given the opportunity to do some training and proceeded to complete NEBOSH courses - general and construction, this proved invaluable in future roles. ·      ISO 14001 Environmental: Darren ended up working with this Standard as part of on-going development. His role as a Quality Manager expanded, and at the time, all external audits with our certification body were coordinated through him. So, for on-going development he completed the NEBOSH environmental managed certificate. ·      ISO 50001 Energy Management: This is one of Darren’s favourites. He’s taken on this standard since working with Blackmores and seemed like a natural progression with the work he was already doing. He likes how this standard helps companies think more about their impacts on the environment in terms of energy consumption. In terms of companies climate change impacts, Darren likes how ISO 50001 can support deep dives into data that is available or not clearly available in many cases to support improvement and reduction in energy consumption. This also can pave the way for those companies that take it more seriously, and progress to newer standards like ISO14064-1 for quantification and reporting of greenhouse gases, but also part 3 for the verification and validation of greenhouse gases. This is where our sister company, Carbonology Ltd, really excel. Darren does his bit with ISO 50001 clients to educate and prepare them for taking more proactive steps towards meaningful energy and carbon reporting. For example, if they grow sufficiently or fall within the parameters of mandatory schemes such as ESOS or SECR reporting, or they just want to do their bit and demonstrate their commitment to minimising their impact on the environment and overall energy consumption. [23:10] What is the biggest challenge Darren had faced during a project and how did he overcome it?: He doesn’t have a single one that stands out, but common issues are usually either down to availability or commitment of the individuals within the company he’s supporting. For example, the company may decide that they require certification to a standard or multiple standards. There will be commitment from some within the business, and there are those that may not see the importance or feel it's not important to them and what they do.  Darren’s job is to support the company in achieving its main goal in gaining certification. His work with the company involved explaining what is to be done and why. He’s found that most of any resistance is because individuals do not know the why and how it impacts them, etc. The other aspect is to make it clear that he is not there to tell them what to do, or that they’re doing it wrong. He works with people to either document the process (where required), help them find improvement in the process and continue to search for improvement. [27:00] What is Darren’s proudest achievement? Darren states that there’s no one definitive achievement to highlight, rather he would say supporting clients who are new to the standards. Working with them and providing knowledge so that they know the 'why' and understand the standards and their processes, and finally seeing the end result with being recommended for certification. The ones that he’s particularly happy with are those that go for multiple standards, that result in recommendation for certification with little or no significant findings from the certification body, it shows that the company has been fully engaged and embedded the overall process into how they work. If you’d like any assistance with implementing ISO standards, get in touch with us, we’d be happy to help! We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how: ●     Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin ●     Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one. Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes: Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud | Mailing List

    30 min
  5. #211 The Power of Communicating Your Management System

    19 MAR

    #211 The Power of Communicating Your Management System

    A well implemented ISO Management System can improve efficiency, customer satisfaction and drive continual improvement for a business. On the flip side, a poorly implemented Management system will yield little to no results, so what makes the biggest difference between good and bad implementation?  Communication is the key. If no one knows about your Management System, then how can it benefit the business as a whole? In this episode Ian Battersby discusses the importance of effective communication of your Management System, why it’s vital to reap the full benefits of ISO Implementation and gives some examples of how you can communicate elements of your Management system to the wider business. You’ll learn ·      Why do you need to communicate your management system? ·      What do you need to communicate? ·      Why is it important to communicate your Management system? ·      Different ways you can communicate your management system ·      How can you measure effective communication?   Resources ·      Isologyhub ·      How can ISO Standards Support ESG Compliance Workshop   In this episode, we talk about: [00:30] Episode Summary – Ian talks discusses elements of communicating a management system including, why you need to communicate and what needs to be communicated, the importance of doing so and how you can go about doing it. [02:45] Why do you need to communicate your Management System? In every ISO Standard, communication is a requirement. The levels and information specified will vary depending on the Standard, but the principles remain consistent. Ian cites ISO 9004 as providing further guidance to improve on what’s initially required. In Clause 7.4 it states: “The effective communication of policies, strategy, relevant objectives is essential to the sustained success of an organisation.” Going on to state that communication should be “Meaningful, timely and continual” and that there should be some form of feedback within it to be able to address changes in the organisation’s context. So, it’s not just a one time exercise. It also states that: “communication processes should be both vertical and horizontal and be tailored to the differing needs of its recipients, whether internal or external.” So you also need to consider the external communication needs too. [04:35] Empowering through communication: ISO 9004 also talks about engaged, empowered and motivated people and their value as a key resource. These types of people help organisations to create and deliver value, so you should have processes in place for engaging those people, to gather feedback and drive continual improvement. [05:40] Where is Communication referenced in Standards?: Typically, communication is Clause 7.4 in most ISO Standards. Additionally there are elements of communication included in Clause 7.3. Awareness. The Awareness clause focuses on employees knowledge of the Management System, and is more focused on internal communications rather than with external interested parties. [06:25] What should be communicated internally? Under Clause 7.3 Awareness, it requires you to share: ·      Policies ·      Objectives ·      The consequences of non-conformance Other Standards may have additional communication requirements such as ISO 45001, which also highlights the need to share risks, hazards, incidents and the outcomes of investigations.   [07:10] Clause 7.4 Communication – This clause is more about determining internal and external communications. This includes considerations for: ·      What communications are relevant? ·      When should they be communicated? ·      Who should they be communicated to? ·      Who should be the one to communicate this information? Some Standards may also include specifications for communicating legal requirements, such as ISO 14001 and ISO 45001. [08:20] Nuance in effective communication:  One key element of communication is ensuring that it’s understood and applied by the wider business. This doesn’t mean that every employee should be able to parrot a specific policy within a business, but rather they should at least know where to find it and understand the implications for them. [09:40] A link between Communication and Leadership: Leadership plays a key role in communications, and ISO Standards specify that certain elements can’t be delegated to another individual. Clause 5 Leadership specifically states: ·      They shall promote the use of the process approach and risk-based thinking, not delegating that promotion. ·      They should communicate to the importance of the management system and of conforming to that management system. ·      They should engage directly and support persons to contribute to the effectiveness of the system. ·      They should promote continual improvement. ·      They should support other relevant managers to demonstrate their leadership in their areas of responsibility. We’ve stressed the importance of Leadership in the success of a Management System in a previous episode, and their support with communication is a big part of that. [11:20] Communicating Objectives: Clause 6.2 Objectives states that they must be established and communicated. This doesn’t have to be to everyone, so you can be selective and communicate certain objectives relevant to select people. [11:40] How to effectively communicate your management system  – Management systems can be vast, and it can be tricky to know exactly how much to communicate and to who. The first tip is to keep it simple. Translate the ‘Standard speak’ into something recognisable for your business, which may not always be easy if you’re familiar with the Standards terminology. However you need to relate these elements to how people in the business work. Try to keep it brief to avoid confusion. Next, ensure you are assuaging fears. Many are firstly opposed to the introduction of things like Operational Procedures if they’ve not worked with a Management System in place previously. However, all this is in practice is a written format for how they work, it shouldn’t drastically change the way in which they work. Make sure they know this and describe what elements will change i.e. documentation updates. Lastly, they need awareness of the consequences of non-conformance and the need to look for opportunities to improve. [15:25] Communicating Policies – This is a part of all ISO Standards, a Policy can’t just be hidden away in a rarely visited folder. A Policy communicates the intent of top management in an organisation, and is something that should be communicated to everyone, which could include external parties. So, you should try to keep this concise. On one page ideally. As long as you’ve encompassed the vision, values, strategy and top management commitment, and for certain standards a commitment to legal requirements, then you will meet an ISO Standards requirements. Some businesses like to include links to all their procedures within a policy, which by all means, you can, but don’t expect people to read a 48 page policy and understand it enough to apply to their daily working lives.   [17:00] How can you communicate your Management System? – One key objective of communication is to ensure people understand and apply what’s being communicated. To help achieve this, you may want to use multiple methods of communication, including: ·      Feedback options on content i.e. a yes or no check / options to provide feedback ·      Training sessions ·      Intranet page – quick links to relevant content such as policies or audit findings ·      Regular briefings ·      Notice boards ·      Electronic displays ·      Company briefs ·      Team meetings [20:25] How can you measure effective communication? There’s a lot of ways you can assess this, including: ·      E-mail voting – to clarify when people have read specific documents ·      LMS Systems ·      Through SharePoint systems ·      Conduct surveys ·      During Internal Audits All of these can be used as methods of feedback where you can identify further opportunities for improvement from various levels of the business. [21:35] When should you consider external communications? – Clause 4.2 is where you’re required to consider the needs and expectations of interested parties. When going through an anaylsis of these interested parties, you determine what they expect out of your Management System. Standards don’t specify the need to write a communication plan, but they do say who’s going to communicate what to whom, including how and when. In combination with that analysis of interested parties, it creates a solid basis for an effective communications plan. Again, some discretion will be required as not every external party will need to be privy to your internal policies and procedures. Just communicate what’s relevant to them. If you’d like any assistance with implementing ISO standards, get in touch with us, we’d be happy to help! We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how: ●     Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin ●     Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one. Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes: Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud | Mailing List

    26 min
  6. #210 What is the EU Green Claims Directive

    12 MAR

    #210 What is the EU Green Claims Directive

    Watch the Podcast Video on our YouTube Channel Greenwashing is a concern for both businesses and consumers. The proliferation of it in recent years has caused genuine green claims to be treated with an air of caution rather than being rightfully celebrated.  It’s become clear that there is a need for transparent and substantiated green claims, both to help consumers and stakeholders to make informed decisions and to ensure that real steps towards sustainability are being taken. Is the upcoming EU Green Claims Directive the answer we’ve been looking for? In this episode Mel is joined by Charlie Martin, CEO and Founder of The Anti-Greenwash Charter, to discuss the purpose of the EU Green Claims Directive, who it applies to and what it’s requirements for substantiation and verification mean in practice. You’ll learn ·      What is the purpose of the EU Green Claims Directive? ·      What are the drivers behind this objective? ·      Who is required to comply with the EU Green Claims Directive? ·      What do the requirements for substantiation and verification mean in practice? ·      How will the directive impact the use of carbon offsetting and carbon neutrality claims within the EU?   Resources ·      EU Green Claims Directive ·      Anti-Greenwash Charter ·      How can The Anti-Greenwash Charter can help with the EU Green Claims Directive ·      Green Claims Policy Template ·      Carbonology   In this episode, we talk about: [00:30] Episode Summary – Charlie Martin joins Mel to discuss the upcoming EU Green Claims Directive, who it applies to and what it’s requirements mean in practice. [02:30] What is the purpose of the EU Green Claims Directive?: This directive is a new law, not simply a voluntary scheme that businesses can opt into. It’s a regulation that governs all voluntary green or environmental claims made by organisations operating within the EU, and requires data to back these claims up. Another key fundamental of this directive is the need for independent verification of any claims before they’re made public. [04:35] What are the main drivers for the EU Green Claims Directive?: One of the key drivers is combatting the rampant rise in greenwashing. It’s created a culture of mistrust around green claims, which makes it difficult for stakeholders and consumers to make informed decisions on who to work with or buy from. Greenwashing also makes it harder to tackle bigger environmental concerns. With misleading data, we can’t accurately measure businesses impact on the environment, which is essential if we are to take meaningful action to reduce our impact. Ultimately, greenwashing practices are slowing down our ability to effectively reduce our impact as a collective. We are at a point where sustainability related decisions need to be made quickly. [08:00] Clearer Communications: This directive also has more control over what you can and can’t say in relation to green claims. By waiting until that independent verification has occurred, businesses can feel confident in the information they’re communicating. [09:30] What is Green Masking? Coined by Carbonology, green masking is where organisations are essentially marking their own homework and hiding behind that fact. It’s where no independent verification has taken place, which can result in a lack of accuracy and transparency. [10:25] Who needs to comply with the EU Green Claims Directive? – This is an EU based regulation, so if you’re located within the EU you will be expected to comply with this law. If you do business within the EU, so if you’re based in the UK and sell to Europe, then you will also fall under this jurisdiction as well. [11:25] What is required by the EU Green Claims Directive?: A full summary of the directive’s requirements can be found on the EU website. A simple break down of these requirements is also available on The Anti-Greenwash Charter website. Charlie recommends familiarising yourself with the EU Green Claims Directive requirements initially, which are written to suit how businesses generally operate. He also advises that you seek legal assistance as well as sustainability and marketing experts or consultants to get a full picture of how you can comply with these requirements. [13:35] There is an emphasis on substantiation and verification in the EU Green Claims Directive – what does this mean in practice? A green claim doesn’t account for much if you’re marking your own homework. For it to be truly substantiated, it needs to be verified by an independent third party. The Directive also highlights the need for life cycle data, and its inclusion within the verification process. This will give businesses a more wholistic view of the impact of the materials they use, the products they use and services they deliver. Charlie encourages businesses to get a head start on this now, not only due to the benefits it can bring but also to get ahead of the tightening of sustainability legislation that is coming down the road for the UK. [16:15] How will the directive impact the use of carbon offsetting and carbon neutrality claims within the EU? Businesses are going to have to be crystal clear in their terminology in terms of their substantiated claims. There is going to be a lot more scrutiny on the quality of evidence provided for carbon claims, so businesses may want to outsource help with analysing the relevant carbon data and communicating any claims and offsetting efforts.    [18:25] Is the Directive ambitious enough? Or could it be strengthened?  – Previous attempts to enforce sustainability regulations have been rather weak, and time will tell if this EU Directive is set to change that pattern. Charlie praises the Directives approach to best practice, though that will evolve further as time goes on. He thinks that the use of generative AI and how that impacts and influences sustainability communications needs to be considered further. It’s all still quite new, so this may be added in down the line. The Anti-Greenwash Charter already have considerations for responsible AI use within communications and data processing within their Green Claims Policy Template. They caution any signatories of their Charter to be very careful with the use of AI to support data collection and analysis, as it has the tendency to ‘hallucinate’, and companies will be held responsible for any mishaps related to incorrect results provided by AI. [23:00] What are the potential consequences for businesses that fail to meet the requirements of the EU Green Claims Directive? – The penalties will be significant, including both fines and potential bans in areas such as marketing, advertising and promoting sustainability claims on the basis of malpractice. Time will tell on how these penalties are delivered and to what extent within the EU and UK. It shares similarities with other regulations, such as ESOS, where a phased approach was implemented for organisations that met certain criteria. [25:00] How can The Anti-Greenwash Chater help organisations comply with the EU Green Claims Directive? – Since it’s inception in 2022, they have paid close attention to the Directive’s development, utilising any improvements and iterations to bolster their own process. As a result, a lot of the work they do with signatories directly aligns with and facilitates the delivery of the foundations of the Directive. Examples of this include: Independent verification – Their Green Claims Policy has to include a green claims database, so any claim that a business want to make has to have the relevant data to back it up. It also requires specification of what third party that business used to verify that evidence. Accessibility of evidence – This is stressed within the EU Green Claims Directive, and is easily fulfilled with the creation of a green claims database as specified by The Anti-Greenwash Charters’ Green Claims Policy. A full summary of how The Anti-Greenwash Charter can help with compliance to the EU Green Claims Directive is available on their website. [27:55] How will the EU Green Claims Directive will impact consumer trust in environmental claims? – There’s currently an issue with the flooding of sustainability related communications. With greenwashing so rampant, making an informed decision as a consumer is really difficult. The standardisation of sustainability credibility and substantiation is what the EU Green Claims Directive aims to do. Ultimately, it will act as a trustworthy marker for stakeholders and consumers to make an informed decision quickly. If you’d like to learn more about The Anti-Greenwash Charter, visit their website! If you’d like any assistance with carbon standards, get in touch with Carbonology, they’d be happy to help! We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how: ●     Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin ●     Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one. Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes: Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud | Mailing List

    32 min
  7. #209 Introducing The Anti-Greenwash Charter

    5 MAR

    #209 Introducing The Anti-Greenwash Charter

    Watch the Podcast Video on our YouTube Channel We are hitting a crunch point in regard to keeping to the 1.5°C limit as set out in the Paris Agreement. It’s going to take a collective effort to reduce the most catastrophic impacts of climate change, which is exactly why we’re seeing an increase in legislation and regulations that call for tangible evidence of sustainability efforts to combat the rise in greenwashing.  If you’re looking for guidance on sustainability transparency, today’s guest has an initiative that can help. In this episode Mel is joined by Charlie Martin, CEO and Founder of The Anti-Greenwash Charter, to discuss how their charter promotes transparency and accountability for sustainability claims, and how it can help consumers to identify credible carbon claims. You’ll learn ·      What is The Anti-Greenwash Charter ·      How can the Charter ensure credible carbon claims? ·      What are the biggest challenges businesses face in measuring their carbon footprint? ·      How can The Anti-Greenwash Charter help consumers to spot credible carbon claims? ·      What role do governments and regulatory bodies play in combatting greenwashing?   Resources ·      Anti-Greenwash Charter ·      Green Claims Policy Template ·      Carbonology   In this episode, we talk about: [00:30] Episode Summary – Charlie Martin joins Mel to discuss how The Anti-Greenwash Charter can help promote accountability and transparency in sustainability claims, and how it can help consumers identify credible carbon claims.    [01:50] What inspired the creation of The Anti-Greenwash Charter?: Charlie used to run an agency called Gusta, which was a UK based business that worked on sustainability communication for organisations in the built environment. His focused shifted when the Competitions and Markets authority in the UK published their Green Claims Code alongside research which found that 40% of sustainability-related messaging online was misleading. At the same time, they had 2 very proactive clients (1 of which was going through B Corp certification) that highlighted that the CMA had not named the built environment as one of the affected sectors. They pointed out that the built environment accounts for 40% of all emissions, so were likely to be targeted by such regulations next. They asked to run a campaign that would Increase confidence both internally within their sectors and externally in their sustainability messaging. It was decided that a publicly available document would be the best way forward to proactively disclose their carbon reduction related activities. Other ideas were added for an editorial process to include legal, sustainability and marketing feedback ahead of publishing. Essentially, the origins are rooted in the notion of a green claims policy, which developed into a more robust accreditation signatory. [06:30] How does Charlie define Greenwashing?: Charlie defines greenwashing as "overstating or misleading stakeholders regarding the environmental credentials of an organization, service, or product. Charlie explains that there are two types of greenwashing: direct and indirect. Direct greenwashing involves making false claims about a product's environmental benefits, while indirect greenwashing involves making true claims that are irrelevant or misleading. [08:00] What are the key principles of the charter, and how do you ensure adherence among signatories?: The 4 key principles are: ·      Accountability ·      Honesty ·      Fairness ·      Transparency If you’d like to know more about each principle in more detail, visit The Anti-Greenwash Charter website. Taking a look at transparency in more detail, it’s not just about sharing all the best sustainability related news for your business, it’s about being willing and upfront with areas where you’re not as strong. One keyway they ensure signatories adhere to this principle involves publicly displacing their green claims policies. The first section of every policy is ‘where can we improve?’ – they specify this as there isn’t a company that is 100% environmentally sustainable, and businesses need to be honest about this if they want to improve. [12:15] What are Charlie’s thoughts on the current state of Net Zero claims? There are some promising developments, such as the upcoming Green Claims Directive, which has more requirements set around how people make claims and being held accountable for those. It’s challenging for everyone to navigate, and the big thing here to remember is that everyone is clumsy when it comes to Net Zero. Businesses are trying their best, but when getting deep into the topic of sustainability, it becomes clear how broad it truly is. Ultimately, people have to be okay with getting things wrong. Some people see setting ambitious targets as dangerous, but if we don’t push for them, change is going to happen at a snails pace. There is a need for credible, substantiated plans that are in-line with best practice, but we need to be careful to not go too far in that direction to ensure that it helps rather than hinders sustainability efforts. Innovation should be encouraged and not punished if mistakes are made or certain really ambitious targets aren’t met within a certain timeframe. Mel highlights that Standards such as ISO 14064 are great frameworks to guide businesses in measuring their carbon footprint, with guidance that encourages independent third party verification for further transparency. [15:40] The Green Claims Directive and Transparency – Charlie highlights that the Green Claims Directive identifies independent third party verification as a mandatory requirement of claims made before they’re disclosed publicly. As this is also something that The Anti-Greenwash Charter encourages, signatories are already ahead of the curve. [17:10] What are the biggest challenges that companies are facing in accurately measuring their carbon footprint and how does the Charter help to address these challenges? The main challenge is accurately measuring their carbon footprint, and the charter acts as a signpost with referral partners who can assist with this aspect of their sustainability journey. Another challenge is communication. So you’ve got your substantiated claims and green credentials, but how do you go about communicating that? That’s one of the crucial elements that The Anti-Greenwash Charter can help with. As mentioned earlier, they can help verify a publicly available green claims policy, which is a huge step towards credible carbon claims. If you’d like an example of this, you can download Anti-Greenwash Charters’ green claims policy template from their website – which provides a step-by-step guide on producing one of your own.   [20:50] What are the broader benefits for companies that adopt a transparent and credible green claim? Charlie explains that signatories have used their status as a signatory for their Charter on tender frameworks, and won due to that fact. Another benefit is the Charters’ credibility, which gives external stakeholders confidence that a business is doing what they claim to be doing. They also offer anti-greenwashing awareness training, which gives those within the business the tools and techniques that can be utilised in any published content to ensure they aren’t making any greenwashing claims. [22:25] The negative effects of greenwashing on well meaning businesses: Charlie and Mel both highlight the sad reality that many businesses would prefer to simply not make any green initiatives or claims public for fear that if they are not done 100% successfully then there’s a chance for reputational damage. The need for robust sustainability frameworks that build confidence is clear. Due diligence is important, and so is the need to allow room for mistakes to happen, so long as businesses take the necessary steps to fix them and keep continually improving. [27:15] What role does Charlie see governments and regulatory bodies playing in combating greenwashing, and what policy changes would he like to see? – The EU Green Claims Directive is currently best in class as it requires businesses to look at the consequences of their impact on the environment, in addition to the requirement for independent verification to back up any claims made. Other regulations here in the UK, like the Green Claims Code, is weaker in comparison. It was watered down through negotiation into a more voluntary scheme. For us here in the UK, we really do need to align with Europe, as their regulations are a lot more robust and offer a tangible path towards a united greener future. There are other benefits, as Mel highlights from her Masters research, there is compelling evidence that a company’s value increases by an average of 10% if their carbon claims are independently verified. [32:35] What are Charlie’s aspirations for The Anti-Greenwash Charter? And what are his hopes for the future of credible carbon claims? – They’re really keen to become a multinational signatory, which is already showing promise as they’ve had interest from the US and Australia. Charlie envisions a future where businesses publish a green claims policy regardless of if it’s mandated by legislation. This is so we can build confidence in green claims being made and be assured that people are doing what they say they’re doing. To help with credibility and transparency, The Anti-Greenwash Charter has been incorporated as a not-for-profit organisation. Charlie wants to reaffirm that they started this to ultimately reduce the impact businesses make on the planet, and they are fully committed to this goal. If you’d like to learn more about The Anti-Greenwash Charter, visit their website! If you’d lik

    37 min
  8. #208 The Pros and Cons of Sustainability Standards

    25 FEB

    #208 The Pros and Cons of Sustainability Standards

    ISO Standards have been at the forefront of creating a unified approach to various aspects of sustainability, ensuring businesses have a robust framework to both manage and reduce their environmental impact.  However, there are a lot of different sustainability Standards that cover specific areas of sustainability, or only apply to certain sectors. Each come with their own pros and cons, making it tricky to pick the best fit for you.   In this episode Steph Churchman introduces four of the leading sustainability focused ISO Standards and explains the benefits and disadvantages of each to help you decide which could be the best fit for your business. You’ll learn ·      Learn about our upcoming ESG Workshop ·      What is ISO 14001? ·      What are the pros and cons of ISO 14001? ·      What is ISO 50001? ·      What are the pros and cons of ISO 50001? ·      What is ISO 20400? ·      What are the pros and cons of ISO 20400? ·      What is ISO 14064? ·      What are the pros and cons of ISO 14064?   Resources ·      Isologyhub ·      Register for our ESG Workshop (26th March 2025)     In this episode, we talk about: [02:05] Episode Summary – Steph discusses the leading sustainability ISO Standards, and explains the advantages and disadvantages of each.   [02:45] ESG Workshop: On the 26th March 2025 we’ll be explaining how ISO Standards directly support ESG compliance, and we’re including the opportunity to participate in 1 of 3 interactive sessions that tackle things like completing a materiality assessment, a balance scorecard and learning more about the current mandatory ESG reporting requirements.  Register your place here. [03:15] What is ISO 14001?: ISO 14001 is the Standard for Environmental Management. Published back in 1996, this Standard is one of the staples in the ISO world. Its main purpose is to establish and implement an effective environmental management system (EMS), with the primary goal of helping organizations to minimize their environmental impact and achieve sustainability objectives. It sets out general requirements for: ·      Pollution control ·      Reduction of your impact on the environment ·      And compliance to relevant legislation It is also due for a revision soon, with the latest version expected to include further considerations for changes to available technology, more emphasis on product life-cycle and supply chain issues and further guidance on integrating environmental issues into your strategic planning. [04:35] What are the benefits of ISO 14001?: Reducing environmental impact: By identifying and controlling environmental aspects, organizations can minimize pollution, reduce waste, and conserve resources. Improved compliance: ISO 14001 helps organizations comply with environmental regulations and legal requirements, such as the environment Act 2021, reducing the risk of fines and penalties. Improved efficiency: ISO 14001 helps to tighten production processes, leading to better efficiency and reduction in the risk of incidents. It also removes uncertainty by managing disruption and waste and helps to clarify staff responsibility. Enhanced reputation: Demonstrating a commitment to environmental responsibility can enhance your reputation and brand image, attracting environmentally conscious customers and stakeholders. Cost savings: Implementing an EMS can lead to cost savings through improved resource efficiency, reduced waste disposal costs, and lower energy consumption. Businesses can also benefit from reduced insurance costs by demonstrating better risk management. Increased competitiveness: ISO 14001 certification can give organizations a competitive advantage in the marketplace, particularly in sectors where environmental performance is a key consideration. [06:45] What are the disadvantages of ISO 14001? Initial costs: Implementing an EMS requires an initial investment in resources, including training, documentation, potentially hiring consultants, and if you’re going for certification, that will incur its own costs  from a certification body too. Ongoing maintenance: Maintaining an EMS requires ongoing effort and resources to ensure compliance with the standard and continuous improvement. Potential for bureaucracy: If not implemented effectively, an EMS can become cumbersome, hindering operational efficiency. Limited scope: ISO 14001 focuses primarily on environmental aspects within an organization's direct control, and may not address broader environmental impacts or social responsibility concerns – which is where other Standards can fill the gap. [08:05] What is ISO 50001? – ISO 50001 is an internationally recognized standard that provides a framework for organizations to establish, implement, and maintain an Energy Management System (EnMS). The primary goal is to help organizations improve energy performance, including reducing energy consumption, increasing energy efficiency, and using energy more effectively.   [08:40] What are the benefits of ISO 50001? Reduced energy costs: By identifying and addressing energy inefficiencies, you can significantly reduce your energy bills. We had great success with this when we worked closely with a branch of the NHS, where their initial energy spend was around £2.8 million which was reduced by £1 million as a result of implementing ISO 50001. Improved energy performance: ISO 50001 helps organizations establish baselines, set targets, and track progress in improving energy performance. This is vital as you can’t hope to reduce what you can’t measure. Enhanced environmental performance: Reduced energy consumption leads to lower greenhouse gas emissions and a reduced environmental impact. Often times, energy usage is the largest impact many organisations have on the environment, especially for those who may only have an office or warehouse. Increased competitiveness: Demonstrating a commitment to energy efficiency can enhance an organization's reputation and attract environmentally conscious customers and stakeholders.   Improved operational efficiency: An energy management system can lead to improved operational efficiency through better resource management and reduced waste. [10:55] What are the disadvantages of ISO 50001? Initial investment: Implementing an EnMS requires an initial investment in resources, including training, data collection, and possible help from a consultancy. Limited Guidance: Calculating your energy usage can be complicated, especially if you’re spread across multiple sites and countries. In cases where you’re renting space, you may face difficulties obtaining the information needed, then on top of that is the actual calculation which may involve conversion factors if you’ve got international sites in scope. Resistance to change: Implementing changes to energy-using processes can sometimes meet with resistance from employees. A lot of practices will require a change in habits, such as turning off and unplugging all devices when leaving an office, or more frequent checks on equipment to ensure it’s running optimally. Limited scope: ISO 50001 focuses primarily on energy performance within an organization's direct control and may not address broader energy-related issues or the entire supply chain – which includes its own energy consumption considerations. [12:30] What is ISO 20400? – ISO 20400 is an internationally recognized standard that provides guidance on sustainable procurement. It helps organizations integrate sustainability considerations into their procurement processes, ensuring that environmental, social, and economic factors are taken into account when making purchasing decisions.   This Standard differs from the others as it’s not a certifiable Standard. It’s a guidance document that you can align with. For those of you looking into ESG schemes, this Standard is often citied as a key tool to help get you in the right place for scoring. In addition, for those of you looking into more comprehensive carbon reporting, Supply chains are often one of the biggest sources of emissions. Alignment with that Standard will allow you to take a good hard look at the suppliers you work with, and determine if they hold the same sustainability values as you. [13:25] What are the benefits of ISO 20400? – Reduced environmental impact: By selecting suppliers with strong environmental performance, businesses can reduce their overall environmental footprint. You also have a great chance to help influence your own supply chain, we know that if you’ve had a reliable supplier for a number of years, it’s not just a simple case of cut and move on. Improved social responsibility: ISO 20400 encourages organizations to consider the social and ethical impacts of their procurement decisions, such as fair labor practices and human rights.  Enhanced reputation: Demonstrating a commitment to sustainable procurement can enhance your reputation and brand image. It shows that you’re thinking and acting sustainably from start to finish for either your product production or service delivery. Cost savings: Sustainable procurement practices can lead to cost savings through reduced waste, improved resource efficiency, and lower long-term maintenance costs. Increased innovation: Working with sustainable suppliers can expose you to new technologies, products, and services that can improve your own operations. [15:35] What are the disadvantages of ISO 20400? – Increased complexity: Integrating sustainability considerations into procurement processes can add complexity and require additional resources. This would include supplier checks before working with new suppliers and a review of all current suppliers to see where improvement could be made. Finding sust

    22 min
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Blackmores is a pioneering consultancy firm with a distinctive approach to working with our clients to achieve and sustain high standards in Quality, Risk and Environmental Management. We'll be posting podcasts discussing ISO standards here very soon!

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