Reducing environmental impact
BSI has revised BS 8555 Environmental management systems, updated to reflect the recent revisions to ISO 14001:2015 Environmental management systems.
BS 8555 provides guidance for organisations on implementing an environmental management system, irrespective of the nature of the business activity, its location, or level of maturity.
BS 8555 allows organizations to implement and maintain an environmental management system using a step-by-step approach, which enables adopters of the standard to eventually attain a level suitable for ISO 14001 certification.
The phased approach allows an organisation to choose the pace of their EMS, decide what phase they want to reach and when, and identify and maximise the areas of potential greatest return on investment. The revised standard was reformatted and the language made clearer so that each phase follows a clear structure.
BS 8555 has brought environmental management up to date in line with the requirements in ISO 14001:2015. It recognises the changes in the activities of environmental management since publication in 2003, including ensuring that environmental management processes are integrated into business processes, consideration of the value chain, and continual performance improvement.