Benefits of Certification
The competitive marketplace that businesses now operate in requires organisations to be focused on performance improvement and to be accountable for their Environmental Impacts. Implementing formal management systems helps to improve their business performance and limit risk exposure. Certification provides customers, employees, regulators and other interested parties assurance of the credibility of an organisation's Environmental Management System.
Certification enables your organisation to:
- Meet customer demands for “greener” organisations
- Reduce operating costs
- Reduce legal, financial and reputation related liabilities
- Improve risk management strategies
- Reduce negative environmental impacts and pollution
- Improve carbon footprint
The Micro Business
Sue has a small flower shop with three staff members and is committed to reducing the impacts that her business activities have on the Environment.
To emphasise and promote this commitment, she has considered getting certified, but she has always thought this was way too expensive for her small business.
EnviroCert now provides a cost-effective alternative while still delivering the required outcome.The Facts
| Number of staff: 4 | EnviroCert | ISO 14001 |
| Administration Costs: | $700 | $1,350 |
| Registration Fee: | $800 | $800 |
| Audit Costs Per Year: | $1,000 | $3,000 |
| Total Costs Per Year: | $2,500 | $5,150 |
The Small Business
John, the owner of a hotel that's located in a country town, wants to market his hotel as being a sustainable business that helps to protect the region's beautiful surroundings.
To show his customers that he is truly dedicated to this, he wants a credible type of certification that delivers real environmental improvement rather than "green washing".
ISO 14001 has been a consideration but he feels the requirements are too complicated and costly for his business.
EnviroCert offers an achievable level of credible Environmental Certification at an affordable rate.The Facts
| Number of staff: 19 | EnviroCert | ISO 14001 |
| Administration Costs: | $700 | $1,350 |
| Registration Fee: | $800 | $800 |
| Audit Costs Per Year: | $1,500 | $4,200 |
| Total Costs Per Year: | $3,000 | $6,350 |
The Medium Business
A medium sized company, specialised in the installation of electrical appliances in industrial environments, has noticed that more and more of its customers start asking questions regarding their Environmental Management System. They often require ISO 14001 certification or a similar system that yields the same results. To secure future business for themselves, management has decided to implement an environmental management system but resources are limited.
EnviroCert fits their needs perfectly because it is tailored to the needs of their medium sized business and the requirements are easier to understand. The price tag that is attached to it is much closer to the available budget.
Once they have learned more about Environmental Management Systems and the way it works, they may consider to upgrade their system to ISO14001 for which EnviroCert is an excellent stepping stone.The Facts
| Number of staff: 80 | EnviroCert | ISO 14001 |
| Administration Costs: | $700 | $1,350 |
| Registration Fee: | $800 | $800 |
| Audit Costs Per Year: | $2,500 | $6,000 |
| Total Costs Per Year: | $4,000 | $8,150 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Should I Be Certified?
- To reduce your impact on the Environment
- To establish better control over business operations
- To set a foundation for continuous improvement
- To enhance your company’s image
- To meet customer demands
- To gain preferred supplier status
What Is The Difference Between EnviroCert And ISO 14001?
There are many more similarities than there are differences. EnviroCert is based on the same principles and requirements as ISO 14001, has a similar structure and follows the same approach to achieve continuous improvement.
The main difference is that the EnviroCert standard is written in plain, easy-to-understand English, with small to medium sized businesses in mind. Like ISO 14001, EnviroCert requires internal assessments and annual reviews to take place. However the requirements are more suited to smaller organisations than the ISO 14001 internal audits and management review.
With small to medium sized businesses and lower complexity in mind, the certification audit duration is typically shorter than that of a ISO 14001 audit.
Does EnviroCert Offer A Credible Alternative To ISO 14001 Certification?
Yes, absolutely. The requirements are based on exactly the same principles and compliance to the requirements is scrutinised during an independent audit of the system and its implementation. The audit report is submitted to an independent Certification Approval Panel where the final certification decision is made. EnviroCert approaches compliance from a ‘meeting the intent of the requirements’ point of view and certification will not be granted if there is no objective evidence of the requirements being met.
How Long Does The Certification Process Take?
Once you indicate that your system is ready, the assessment process starts with a Document Review. Assuming no issues arise from the document review, your Certification assessment can be planned immediately. If you need to amend some things after the document review, it basically depends on the time that you need to do so. As soon as you have determined and implemented your corrective actions, the Certification Assessment can be arranged. Typically, for a small organisation with limited environmental impacts the annual on-site assessment will be one day.
How Much Paperwork Is Involved?
That depends on the size and nature of your organisation and the complexity of your processes. The emphasis of EnviroCert however is not on procedures and documents but on effective control of your processes.
What Happens If We Fail The Audit?
All is not lost! You will be given a report specifying the reason for our decision and given time to amend your system to make it compliant with the requirements. If possible your amendments will be reviewed electronically but it may be necessary to revisit you for that purpose. Costs for follow up visits are reduced, to make sure this does not create an additional financial burden.
You also have the right to formally appeal decisions if you do not agree with our findings. In that case an independent panel will review all evidence provided.
Do My Original Audit Materials Get Returned?
Yes. Wherever possible we try to do your document review through provision of electronic documentation. If you do submit your documented system in hard copy by mail or in person, this will be returned after the document review. We do however reserve the right to make copies of your documentation for our files.
Are Audit Materials Confidential?
Confidentiality and data security are part of the Agreements that are signed prior to the submission of any confidential information by you to our Agents or to our head office.
Open access to information and the maintenance of confidentiality are crucial to the audit process.
What Are The Costs Involved In Becoming Certified To EnviroCert?
The initial, one-off costs are your application fee and a fee for your document review. These are fixed fees specified in the fee schedule. The costs for your certification and surveillance audits depend on the duration of these audits, which will be specified in your quotation. The daily rate for our auditors is also fixed and specified in our fee schedule.
To cover the costs of independent review of the auditor’s findings and the administration involved in maintaining our standard and registration, we also charge an annual panel/registration fee. This fee is also fixed and featured in the fee schedule.
Reimbursable costs are kept to a reasonable minimum and could, depending on your circumstances and location, consist of travel and accommodation fees. To keep the overall costs down, a network of local agencies is established. When substantial travel is required, the cheapest reasonable method of transportation is sought. Wherever possible, visits to regional destinations are combined so that costs can be divided over several clients.
We on-charge incurred expenses at cost, no extras or add-ons apply.