The ISO14001 is an internationally accepted standard that sets out guidelines for putting in place an effective Environmental Management System (EMS) and is designed to address the delicate balance between maintaining profitability and reducing environmental impact, allowing businesses to identify aspects of their business that impact on the environment and to understand the environmental laws that are relevant to their business.

The certification process was a lengthy and detailed one that involved audits, planning, processes and implementation, including putting a formalised staff training programme and environmental policy in place.

Throughout the 12 month certification process, FMG Support worked in partnership with the Green Business Network to assess its environmental business practices and set clear benchmarks with which to measure its performance by. FMG Support also implemented a steering group made up of internal members of staff, who were tasked with carrying out a detailed risk assessment and a scoring system to measure its performance levels.

As a result of the process, FMG Support has identified 3 key environmental objectives for the business - Energy Management, Waste Management & Recycling and Reducing CO² Emissions of Fleet Vehicles.

A group of internal representatives, known as ‘Eco Warriors’ has been appointed to ensure compliance on a day-to-day basis and will report to FMG Support’s, facilities and procurement manager, to collate the data collected and identify clear action plans going forward.

Mark Scanlon, managing director, FMG support said: “We are delighted to have added another BSI certification to our portfolio. Certifying the company’s environmental management system to ISO 14001 means that FMG Support can not only demonstrate its compliance with environmental legislation to regulators and government, but also demonstrate its environmental commitment to customers and business partners.“

“The qualification process has provided us with a fantastic opportunity to refine our environmental business practices and to improve the environmental knowledge of our employees. The result is a more environmentally aware and energy efficient operation, which will not only benefit our staff, but also our customers, suppliers and the ultimately, the environment. Achieving this certification is another step on the company’s ‘Journey to Excellence’.”