ISO 14001 is one of a series of voluntary standards aimed at standardizing and unifying criteria worldwide to create Environmental Management Systems and improve environmental performance at a company level. Environmental management comprises a wide range of aspects, from the protection of the environment and natural resources, to clean production and aspects related to the strategic and competitive implications of increasingly stringent markets.
ISO 14001 makes it possible for the organization to assess and determine the efficacy of procedures to establish environmental policies and objectives, obtain their certification and show said certification to others, with the advantage that many of the requirements can be dealt with or implemented simultaneously or revised at any time. The general objective of this standard is to support environmental protection and prevent contamination in keeping with the company’s needs.
As an environmental management tool, ISO 14001 is very useful to improve environmental management at a company level, as it requires the commitment of both management and all company departments. Therefore, the system is gradually improved and perfected as legal changes take place and new requirements are established. It is worth stressing that these and other standards have not been designed to create non-tariff barriers to trade or to increase or replace the legal obligations of corporations. This standard has been designed in order to be used by all kinds of organizations (companies, town councils, government entities, NGOs, etc.) and to adapt to different geographical, cultural and social environments.
Antamina –Punta Lobitos Port has implemented an Environmental Management System for its operations, based on ISO 14001: 2004. In December 2005, it obtained ISO 14001 certification from TÜV Rheinland Group of Germany.
The Environmental Management System implemented at Punta Lobitos Port is based on Antamina’s Environmental, Health, Safety and Community Relations Policy, which has helped identify the environmental aspects of the operation and define environmental objectives and targets in order to prevent, minimize and improve environmental performance at Punta Lobitos Port.
