Defining opportunities in ISO 14001
The need for “risk” analysis was implied in past versions of ISO 14001, but the formal identification of “opportunities” was introduced in the 2015 version of the Standard.
Requirements related to assessing and controlling environmental risks for ISO 14001, and environmental compliance in general, is probably understood by many but the ISO 14001 requirements related to “opportunities” might be need a little more explanation.
And that is what I will do in this blog – explain what opportunities are and their ISO 14001 requirements and how they can be identified and documented.
What is an opportunity?
Simply put, an opportunity results in a potential environmental benefit. It is an action or activity that can have a positive impact on the environment.
In the context of ISO 14001:2015, when determining environmental risk, businesses need to also consider the potential adverse effects (threats) and the potential beneficial effects (opportunities).
Some examples of opportunities include:
- performing beyond compliance obligations and enhancing public reputation
- reducing fuel consumption by encouraging staff to carpool or use public transport to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- recycling and reusing products to reduce energy and water use and decrease waste disposal costs
- using energy efficient products in the office to reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions
- engagement and communication with neighbouring buildings or facilities to increase effective emergency preparedness.
What is the opportunity requirement in ISO 14001?
Clause 6.1.1 requires identification of risks and opportunities, and Clause 6.1.4 requires planned actions to address them.
Identifying opportunities
Opportunities can stem from:
- Environmental aspects (Clause 6.1.2)
- Compliance obligations (Clause 6.1.3)
- Environmental issues (Clause 4.1)
- Needs and expectations of interested parties (Clause 4.2)
- Outcomes from environmental performance evaluations (Clause 9.1.2) and internal audits (Clause 9.2)
An example of a risk and opportunity related to an environmental aspect
| Environmental aspect | Risk | Opportunity |
| Disposal of e-waste | Disposal of e-waste to landfill due to staff ignorance | Partnership with a recycling and reuse program |
Planning actions to address opportunities
ISO 14001:2015 requires documented information of the opportunities to be addressed, and the processes in place to ensure planned actions are carried out.
The Standard does not require any documented assessment process for opportunities, however it recommends giving high priority to opportunities that will help the Environmental Management System (EMS) achieve its intended outcomes.
Prioritising the opportunities to address
The process for prioritising opportunities for action can be tailored to your organisation. A process we use in our Environmental Management System documentation package is prioritising environmental opportunities based on rankings given for five opportunity categories.
| Opportunity categories | Ranking descriptions |
| Environmental benefits | Low: minor environmental benefit Moderate: significant environmental benefit High: major environmental benefit |
| Compliance benefits (legal) | Low: minor or no compliance improvement Moderate: significantly reduced noncompliance risk High: major reduction in noncompliance risk |
| Corporate image benefits (PR) | Low: minor or no corporate image improvement Moderate: significant corporate image improvement High: major corporate image improvement |
| Interested party benefits (IPs) | Low: minor or no interested party benefits Moderate: significantly interested party benefits High: major interested party benefits |
| Costs | Low: project cost out-weighs likely cost saving Moderate: likely cost saving may out-weigh project cost High: likely cost saving far out-weighs project cost |
Documenting ISO 14001 opportunities
There are many ways that opportunities can be documented. Our EMS documentation package includes an Environmental Opportunities Register capturing the opportunities, the rankings given in each of the above categories, actions to be taken (and by whom) and details of how the success of these actions will be measured.
Click here for a sample of this register template.
Other requirements in ISO 14001 relevant to opportunities
Inputs that can contribute to determining opportunities include environmental aspects register, compliance obligations register, the organisation’s context statement and the needs and expectations of interested parties; and opportunities then feed into other ISO 14001 requirements such as:
Clause 6.2 (Environmental objectives)
The opportunities can input to performance improvement goals for your EMS.
Clause 9.1.1 (Monitoring, measurement, analysis and evaluation)
The processes planned to address the opportunities need to be monitored and measured to ensure they remain effective.
Clause 9.3 (Management review)
Changes in opportunities should be reviewed in Management Review Meetings.
Clause 10.1 (Continual improvement)
Acting on opportunities adds to the continual improvement of the EMS and achievement of its intended outcomes.