How much does it cost to get ISO 14001 certified?

If you’re weighing up whether ISO 14001 is right for your business, one thing that’s probably at the forefront of your mind is cost. The cost of implementing ISO 14001 will always vary depending on a few factors, namely:

• The size of your organisation
• Your industry
• The complexity of your process

But that’s probably not exactly the answer you were looking for, so let’s breakdown what the costs could entail.

Resource planning

Implementing and maintaining an environmental management system takes time and resources. While it does depend on the size and complexity of your organisation, the ISO certification process usually takes between 3 to 6 months.

The nature of ISO 14001 focuses on employee participation, including people in all levels of the company, including those in leadership positions, so you’ll need to plan and allocate time and resources alongside your employees normal duties. The frequency of your surveillance audits will vary depending on your number of employees and perceived environmental risk of your business processes, so make sure you also plan the resources needed for these audits.

Training courses

This cost depends on the type of course and the provider, but prices typically range from £300 for a classroom based course on the requirements of ISO 14001, to £1600 for a 3 day long course on becoming an internal auditor. Training courses are a great way to ensure your employees are more efficient in carrying out their duties and should therefore place less stress on resources further down the line. Our internal auditor training sessions are CPD certified and are only delivered by consultants with more than 5 years experience of conducting third-party audits.

Employing a consultant

If time and resources are already short, employing an ISO 14001 consultant will help reduce the strain of initial implementation. A consultant will ensure a smooth implementation process and can speed processes along when internal misinterpretations cause complications. If you’re interested in getting a consultant, contact us for a free quote.

If you’re put off by the various costs of getting ISO 14001 certified, don’t forget that in the long term, a successful EMS should save you money through:

• Increased efficiency
• Reduced waste
• Achieve more business