DENR secures ISO mark

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has secured an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certification for complying with international quality management system standards.

This is DENR’s fourth ISO Certification 14001:2015 after passing a re-certification audit for the implementation of an environmental management system (EMS).

An EMS allows an organization to identify and reduce all environmental impacts of its operations or activities in the delivery of its services.

It also calls for the management of environmental aspects and ensure their conformity to compliance obligations while addressing risks associated with threats and opportunities.

The DENR had identified nine environmental aspects, namely, energy use, health and safety, disposal to land, discharge to water, water usage, air emissions, paper usage, fuel usage and legal non-compliance.

“The ISO certification is consistent with the DENR’s mission of promoting the conservation, management and development of the country’s natural resources, and the protection of the environment,” Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said.

In 2015, the DENR became the first institution in the country to receive ISO 14001:2015 from the ISO, an international standard-setting body composed of representatives from national standard organizations of over 140 member-countries.

ISO 14001:2015 is an internationally agreed standard that sets out the requirements for an environmental management system.

It helps organizations improve their environmental performance through more efficient use of resources and reduction of waste, gaining a competitive advantage and the trust of stakeholders.