© ISO 2014

ISO 14001 Continual Improvement Survey 2013 – Supplemental Results

This report provides supplemental results charts for the 2013 ISO 14001 continual improvement

survey, including additional demographic and user profile information, as well as selected results

reported by region and type of response (users, individuals, and interested party organizations). For

further information on the ISO 14001 continual improvement survey, including overall analysis and

discussion of results, please consult the following documents, which may be found at

www.iso.org/iso/tc207sc1home:

− ISO 14001 Continual Improvement Survey 2013 Summary Report

− ISO 14001 Continual Improvement Survey 2013 Final Report and Analysis

− ISO 14001 Continual Improvement Survey 2013 Survey Design Report.

Acknowledgement

This report has been prepared by the ISO/TC 207/SC 1 Ad-hoc Group (AHG) for the User Survey for ISO

14001. We thank all members in the ISO/TC207/SC 1 AHG – User Survey (see Annex A), as well as the

ISO member bodies and survey leaders that made this report possible. Special thanks are due to BSI,

the British Standards Institution, for providing the survey platform, and for managing survey

distribution and data. Special thanks are also due to the translators who enabled the survey and the

qualitative results to be shared in 11 languages, to the Secretariat of TC 207 for assistance with

communication, and to Bill Blyth, the independent reviewer for the survey instrument.

Particular thanks are due to Lisa Greenwood, Lecturer in Environmental Sustainability, Health and

Safety at Rochester Institute of Technology – lead author of this report – and Maiko Okuno, Senior

Analyst at Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting Co. Ltd, Department of Environment and Energy, for

their substantial work in data analysis and producing the graphs and tables in these reports.

The summary report, final report and analysis, survey design report, and supplemental results

documentation are publicly available and can be downloaded from www.iso.org/iso/tc207sc1home.

The reports may be copied in part or in full; however this source should be quoted as “ISO 14001

Continual Improvement Survey 2013”, with reference to that web address.

For more detailed information please contact the AHG Leader, Lisa Greenwood at llgcem@rit.edu.

© ISO 2014

Section I: Profile and Demographics

Which of the following best describes the nature of your responses to this survey?

What is the nature of your experience

with the ISO 14001Standard?

Which of the following best describes your

position in your organization1?

Note: Strategic level includes individuals who contribute to the

strategy of the organization. Operational level includes managers,

engineers, and staff not directly responsible for the EMS.

© ISO 2014

In what country is your organization located?

What is the size of your organization (Within the scope of the EMS)?

Current, Past, and Potential Users

N = 2044

n=1518

n=1020

© ISO 2014

What is the sector of your organization?

Which of these factors influenced your organization in adopting ISO 14001, in order of

importance (1 = most important)?

Sector of Organization – Non-users

EMS Maturity – ISO 14001 Users

How long has your organization’s EMS

been in place?

What is the nature of your method of

demonstrating conformity to ISO 14001?

Demonstration of Conformity- ISO 14001 Users

© ISO 2014

What is the scope of your organization’s Environmental Management System (users)?

To what extent does your organization incorporate the supply chain (users)?

All results

Results by Region

n=2275

© ISO 2014

Section II: Value of ISO 14001 and Related Resources

Question Set B: Value of ISO 14001 Resources – Annex A and ISO 14004

Have you found these resources to be useful for understanding and implementing ISO 14001 requirements? -

Annex A

Have you found these resources to be useful for understanding and implementing ISO 14001 requirements? -

ISO 14004

2.9%

3.3%

1.4%

5.3%

2.7%

2.4%

12.9%

14.4%

8.7%

8.8%

11.6%

12.7%

24.4%

25.3%

23.9%

15.8%

24.2%

23.1%

21.2%

18.8%

22.1%

10.5%

21.5%

27.6%

6.1%

4.6%

5.4%

5.3%

6.2%

10.6%

9.9%

12.0%

12.0%

10.5%

8.1%

6.2%

22.7%

21.6%

26.4%

43.9%

25.6%

17.4%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Total

organization that has implemented ISO 14001.

organization that has considered implementing ISO 14001.

organization that no longer implements ISO 14001.

individual with knowledge of ISO 14001.

organization that has an interest in ISO 14001.

(n=

41

49

)(n

=1

90

4)

(n=

27

6)

(n=

57

)(n

=1

20

5)

(n=

70

7)

Not useful Somewhat useful Moderately useful Very useful

Extremely useful Don’t know/no opinion No Responce

3.7%

4.2%

1.1%

3.5%

3.8%

3.4%

12.8%

13.8%

9.4%

8.8%

12.0%

13.2%

20.7%

21.1%

19.9%

14.0%

21.1%

19.8%

21.0%

18.6%

23.2%

15.8%

19.5%

29.7%

7.0%

5.0%

7.6%

3.5%

8.0%

10.6%

16.0%

20.1%

14.9%

10.5%

13.6%

10.0%

18.7%

17.2%

23.9%

43.9%

21.9%

13.3%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Total

organization that has implemented ISO 14001.

organization that has considered implementing ISO 14001.

organization that no longer implements ISO 14001.

individual with knowledge of ISO 14001.

organization that has an interest in ISO 14001.

(n=

41

49

)(n

=1

90

4)

(n=

27

6)

(n=

57

)(n

=1

20

5)

(n=

70

7)

Not useful Somewhat useful Moderately useful Very useful

Extremely useful Don’t know/no opinion No Responce

© ISO 2014

Section III: Future Challenges

Note: responses from non-user organizations, such as consultancies and certification bodies are

identified here as ‘interested parties’.

Question Set (1): Sustainable Development Concepts

A. Transparency in relation to environmental management and environmental performance:

Communicating openly, honestly, and completely about decisions and activities that affect the environment

B. Accountability to stakeholders for actions and decisions in relation to environmental management and

environmental performance

© ISO 2014

C. Prevention of Pollution: Avoiding, reducing, and controlling waste and pollution in order to reduce adverse

environmental impacts.

D. Life cycle thinking: Identifying and evaluating environmental aspects related to the life cycle of products and

services.

E. Recognizing the organization’s influence and responsibility in relation to its value chain (those who provide or

receive value from the organization’s products or services, such as suppliers, outsourced workers, customers)

© ISO 2014

Question Set (2): Social Responsibility Principles

A. Eco-efficiency: Implementing strategies for efficient use of resources, and for reducing waste and pollution.

B. Product-service systems: Offering customers systems of products and services to fulfill their needs while

reducing material use (for example product lease, product sharing, pay-for-service).

C. Environmentally sound technologies and services: Adopting and promoting development of environmentally

sound technologies and services

© ISO 2014

D. Applying a precautionary approach (1) :Taking cost-effective measures to protect the environment from

threats in a timely manner, even if the severity is not fully known.

E. Applying a precautionary approach (2) Considering long-term costs and benefits of a proposed measure, not

just short-term cost.

F. Applying a “polluter pays” approach (1) : Internalizing the cost of pollution (resulting from the organization’s

activities)

© ISO 2014

G. Applying a “polluter pays” approach (2) :Quantifying the economic and environmental benefits of preventing

pollution

Question Set (3): Communication and Stakeholder Engagement Concepts

A. A systematic approach for identification of stakeholders, and consultation and communication on

environmental issues

B. A strategy for external communication including communication objectives, identification of relevant

interested parties, and what and when to communicate.

© ISO 2014

Question Set (4): Strategic Business Management

For the next revision to ISO 14001, indicate to what extent you think strategic environmental management

considerations should be addressed in each of the following business activities:

A. Design and development of products and services, incuding interactions with suppliers and partners

B. Marketing and sales activities, including interactions with clients/customers

C. Purchasing, including interactions with suppliers

© ISO 2014

D. Interaction with stakeholders (other than clients, partners, and suppliers)

E. Communication of product and process information