Businesses are coming under increasing pressure to monitor, report and reduce their energy use and carbon emissions to meet net zero targets.

As a result, we’re seeing an increase in both mandatory and voluntary regulations that require carbon emissions reporting to verify your net zero claims.

In this episode, Mel continues the ESG Reporting Disclosures series by explaining what The International Sustainability Standards Board Climate-related Disclosures (ISSB S2) are, the emissions reporting and verification requirements and who qualifies for ISSB S2.

You’ll learn

·      What is ISSB S2?

·      What is the scope of ISSB S2

·      What are the emissions reporting requirements for ISSB S2?

·      Emissions verification requirements

·      Who qualifies for ISSB S2?

Resources

·      Carbonology

·      ISSB S2

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:30] Join the isologyhub – To get access to a suite of ISO related tools, training and templates. Simply head on over to isologyhub.com to either sign-up or book a demo.

[02:10] Episode summary: Over the course of September, Mel will be exploring the latest climate change regulations that may affect your organisation. In this episode she dives into The International Sustainability Standards Board Climate-related Disclosures (ISSB S2).

[03:20] What is ISSB S2? – The International Sustainability Standards Board Climate-related Disclosures (ISSB S2) is a new global standard that mandates entities to provide comprehensive information about climate-related risks and opportunities.

The ISSB S2 was issued by the International Sustainability Standards Board on the 26th of June 2023 and is effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after the 1st January 2024. The new standard ensures that companies disclose physical and transition risks and their potential impact on the move towards a low carbon economy.

[04:20] Further learning with Carbonology: Carbonology have created a half-day course which walks you through all of the various carbon reporting disclosures and sustainability disclosure reporting requirements.

If you would like to learn more, get in touch with Carbonology.

[07:00] What does ‘Acute and Chronic Physical risks’ mean in the context of ISSB S2? Climate related physical risks are risks resulting from climate change that could be event driven, so an example of an acute physical risk could arise from weather related events like storms, floods and heatwaves, which are increasing in frequency.

These could have a knock-on effect to businesses, taking a heat wave as the example, you will need to consider:

·      Can your IT systems and datacentres cope with it?

·      Have you got resilience built in to your operations to be able to deal with that sort of disruption to your organisation?

Chronic physical risks arise from longer term shifts in climatic patterns, including changes in precipitation and temperature, which could lead to sea level rises and reduced water availability and changes in soil productivity.

These risks could carry a weighty financial burden either through direct damage to assets, or indirectly through supply chain disruption.

[09:35] Join the isologyhub and get access to limitless ISO resources – From as little as £99 a month, you can have unlimited access to hundreds of online training courses and achieve certification for completion of courses along the way, which will take you from learner to practitioner to leader in no time. Simply head on over to the isologyhub to sign-up or book a demo.

[11:43] What does ‘Transition risk’ mean in the context of ISSB S2? This is looking for a climate related transition plan, which should include targets, actions and resources for the transition towards a lower carbon economy.

This would include actions such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

[12:30] What is the scope of ISSB S2? This Standard applies to:

·      climate-related risks to which the organisation is exposed, which are:

·      climate-related physical risks; and (ii) climate-related transition risks; and

·      climate-related opportunities available to the entity.

Climate-related risks and opportunities that could not reasonably be expected to affect an organisation’s prospects are outside the scope of this Standard.

·      The Standard covers:-

·      Governance

·      Strategy

·      Climate related risks and opportunities

·      Business Model and Value Chain

·      Financial position, financial performance and cash flows

·      Climate resilience

·      Risk Management

[14:10] What are the emissions reporting requirements for ISSB S2? -  Under ISSB S2, companies are required to measure and disclose their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across three scopes:

·      Scope 1 Emissions: Direct emissions from owned or controlled sources. For example, emissions from combustion in owned or controlled boilers, furnaces, vehicles, etc.

·      Scope 2 Emissions: Indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy. This includes emissions from the production of electricity, steam, heating, and cooling consumed by the company.

·      Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions: Indirect greenhouse gas emissions (not included in Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions) that occur in the value chain of an entity, including both upstream and downstream emissions. Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions include the Scope 3 categories in the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Accounting and Reporting Standard (2011).

[16:20] Emissions verification requirements -  Under ISSB S2, companies are required to have their reported greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data verified.

Verification can provide users of financial reports confidence that the information is complete, neutral and accurate.

Disclosure of inputs to Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions needs to disclose information about the measurement approach, inputs and assumptions it uses.

[18:30] Who qualifies for ISSB S2? - ISSB S2 applies to all entities that are required by law, regulation, or administrative provision to prepare financial statements. This includes, but is not limited to:

·      Publicly listed companies

·      Large private companies

·      Financial institutions such as banks and insurance companies

·      State-owned enterprises

Entities are encouraged to adopt the ISSB S2 voluntarily, even if they are not mandated by law or regulation. Early adoption is permitted and encouraged to enhance transparency and accountability in climate-related disclosures.

If you would like some help with your carbon emissions reporting, please get in touch with Carbonology.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

●     Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin

●     Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud | Mailing List

As the urgency to address the climate emergency heightens, businesses are coming under increasing pressure to monitor, report and reduce their energy use and carbon emissions to meet net zero targets.

As a result, there is an increase in regulations to ensure that companies are taking the climate emergency seriously and not pay lip service to climate action.

During September, we’ll be taking a look at a few of the latest regulations that may affect your organisation, including:

·      SECR – Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting

·      ISSB S2 - International Sustainability Standards Board Climate related disclosures

·      CSRD - Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive

·      CSDDD - Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive

In this episode, Mel Blackmore breaks down what Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) is, its reporting requirements, it’s qualifiers and how it can work in tandem with other carbon management initiatives.

You’ll learn

·      How do these regulations relate to ESG reporting?

·      What is Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting?

·      What are the SECR Emissions Reporting Requirements?

·      Who qualifies for SECR?

·      How can SECR work with other carbon management initiatives?

Resources

·      Carbonology

·      SECR

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:30] Join the isologyhub – To get access to a suite of ISO related tools, training and templates. Simply head on over to isologyhub.com to either sign-up or book a demo.

[02:10] Episode summary: Over the course of September, Mel will be exploring the latest climate change regulations that may affect your organisation. In this episode she dives into Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR).

[03:20] How do these regulations relate to ESG reporting? – ESG requirements include a commitment to sustainability, and reducing your overall impact. All of these regulations contribute towards an organisations ESG reporting requirements, as they require tangible proof to back up your ESG claims.

They will require you to provide comprehensive emissions reporting, the level of detail of which will depend on the specific applicable regulation.

[04:05] Future content to look forward to: During September Mel will look at involuntary emissions reporting schemes, but in October she will be looking into the voluntary schemes that many are already adopting as part of their Stakeholder requirements.

This will include:

·      CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project)

·      EcoVardis

[05:50] What are the SECR Emissions Reporting Requirements?: SECR has been around since April 2019, and was originally introduced to replace the Carbon Reduction Commitment Scheme.

This is a mandatory scheme, so it is a legal requirement for those that meet it’s criteria. For those that are familiar with ESOS (The Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme), it functions in a very similar way.

This scheme isn’t solely focused on reporting energy usage and carbon emissions, it’s also looking for organisations to report on efficiency measures that are undertaken on an annual basis. Which is reflected in the financial reporting that you will also have to submit.

It’s important to note that SECR has specific requirements for the disclosure of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy consumption. Emission reporting requirements vary slightly between quoted companies and large unquoted companies and LLPs.

For quoted Companies:

·      Global Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions must be reported. Scope 3 emissions reporting is strongly recommended but voluntary.

For large unquoted companies and LLPs:

·      UK based Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions and associated energy consumption. Scope 3 emissions from the combustion of fuel in vehicles or equipment not owned by the company.

[10:10] Join the isologyhub and get access to limitless ISO resources – From as little as £99 a month, you can have unlimited access to hundreds of online training courses and achieve certification for completion of courses along the way, which will take you from learner to practitioner to leader in no time. Simply head on over to the isologyhub to sign-up or book a demo.

[12:05] Who qualifies for SECR?:  All UK Quoted Companies: Any company that has shares listed on the UK Stock Exchange is required to comply with SECR.

Large Unquoted Companies and Large LLPs: These are companies and Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) that are not listed on the UK Stock Exchange but meet two or more of the following criteria:

·      Turnover: More than £36 million per annum.

·      Balance Sheet Total: More than £18 million.

·      Number of Employees: 250 or more employees.

These criteria ensure that SECR framework targets large organisations that have a significant impact on the UK’s energy consumption and carbon emissions. By complying with SECR, these organisations can contribute significantly to the UK’s sustainability goals.

[14:10] When is the SECR disclosure made? SECR reporting must occur alongside financial reporting, being included within annual reports and Directors’ Reports, which are then filed with Companies House.

[14:30] The importance of Accurate SECR Reporting and Carbon Reduction -  The reporting process can unlock valuable insights and opportunities for operational improvements, leading to enhanced energy efficiency and reduced carbon emissions over time.

Demonstrating your organisation’s commitment to energy efficiency and carbon reduction can enhance brand perception and foster positive relationships with stakeholders, including investors, clients, and regulators.

[16:05] Integrating SECR Reporting with Other Carbon Management Initiatives -  You are missing a trick if you’re keeping your SECR reporting separate from the rest of your business activities. It should be included as a part of your sustainability umbrella, and can be invaluable if you’re going for other reporting requirements such as EcoVardis and CSRD.

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel if you already have something like an Environmental Management System in place, simply weave the additional requirements in with your usual annual maintenance. Established systems will already be adhered to across the business, meaning any new requirements will soon become business as usual.

You could incorporate this as part of your Net Zero strategy, or Carbon Reduction Plan if PPN 06/21 is one of your reporting requirements. You could also incorporate this into your supply chain emissions reporting.

If you would like some help with SECR, please get in touch with Carbonology.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

●     Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin

●     Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud | Mailing List

ISO Standards provide a framework to help businesses manage various aspects of their activities. Whether that’s quality, risk, environmental or Information Security management, they provide invaluable guidance to establish an effective Management System.

One element that is key, no matter the Standard or subject area, is Leadership. Without this driving force, your Management System will not get the momentum it needs to truly benefit your way of working.

Today Ian Battersby will explain the integral role of leadership within the Implementation and maintenance of an ISO Management System, and how their active participation benefits the whole business.

You’ll learn

·      What is Leadership?

·      Where is Leadership referenced in ISO Standards?

·      How do Leadership get involved with the Implementation and Management of ISO Standards?

·      How does Leadership participation benefit the business?

Resources

·      Isologyhub

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:30] Join the isologyhub – To get access to a suite of ISO related tools, training and templates. Simply head on over to isologyhub.com to either sign-up or book a demo.

[02:05] Episode summary: Ian will be discussing the role of Leadership within ISO Management Systems and how their active participation can benefit the business as a whole.

[02:30] What is Leadership? – Leadership is central to success in achieving any goal in business. It involves motivating a group of people toward a common pursuit, and it certainly isn’t straightforward without leadership believing in what it’s doing.

Without showing that belief, why would the workforce sit up and take note: ‘If it’s not important to you, why should it be to me?’

[03:30] Why should Leadership get involved? – The need for leadership has been recognised by Standards bodies, hence why it’s been made central to all Management System Standards.

For many years, Management Systems were separate from the day-to-day activities of running a business, often boiled down to just a person in a room with manuals, getting through certifications and earning a nice shiny badge.But this had little to no impact on the bottom line (be honest)!

But, a well-run Management System can have huge impacts and benefits on all types of organisation, and updated ISO standards aim to deliver that impact more readily, so leadership gets its own clause (Clause 5 – Leadership)

 [05:25] Clause 5.1 Top management shall demonstrate leadership & commitment – This boils down to taking accountability for effectiveness of the system, but how do you do this?

Firstly, the system can only be effective if it is designed correctly, so leadership must ensure it fits with its context of the organisation, which is required in Clause 4.

There are ways of doing this, but we favour a SWOT and PESTLE. This is simply to ensure that those establishing context don’t do it in a vacuum, opening up the floor to get input from everyone effected by the Management System.

This is key because Senior Managers need active involvement to understand how the system works, its resource needs and its performance.

[07:25] Ensuring quality policy and objectives are established and compatible with context and strategic direction – The quality objectives must contribute to the business, so there's a role for senior managers to ensure that they are aligned and have a measurable contribution to the business.

What measures are included in your objectives which can demonstrably show that they affect the business in some way in a good way?

That's what senior management have to do to link quality objectives with strategic organisational business objectives.

[08:20] Ensuring integration into the organisation’s business processes – The quality objectives must contribute to the business, so there's a role for senior managers to ensure that they are aligned and have a measurable contribution to the business.

They must ensure integration into the organisations’ business processes, which in turn must be aligned with the context. They must also be relevant to the way the organisation runs and senior management needs to oversee a system which allows processes to do that.

[05:20] Promoting use of the process approach and risk-based thinking – This requires senior management to actually do some promotion – which is stipulated as ‘Shall Promote’. For those that don’t know, whenever the word ‘Shall’ is used in an ISO Standard, that essentially means you MUST do it.

In this instance, that means actually contributing the communications and raising of Management System Awareness.

Senior Management have to be involved in the process of describing to people what's important, why the standards are important and that risk and process are central to the organisations operations.

[09:35] Providing resources for the system – There’s a number of resources that Senior Management need to consider, including:

·      People - Need to be enlisted to run a system and to operate the system throughout the organisation.

·      Competence – You may need to invest in training if required.

·      Expertise in the standard – Do you have expertise in-house on the Standard you’re certifying to? If not, you will have to invest in training or additional help from a third-party.

·      Systems / Access and Documented Information – Do you have a place for hosting of documentation, workflows, forms? Further considerations are needed for required authorization and controlled access.

·      Time – Implementing and maintaining a Management System is a big task, whether done by an individual or a team, they will need time to complete necessary Management System activities.

[10:30] Communicating the importance of an effective system and conforming to its requirements – Everyone looks up to Senior Management in regard to what their priorities are. It’s up to them to effectively communicate the importance of the Management System, it’s processes, their role in relation to the Management System and how to confirm with it’s requirements.

Key points to get across:

·      How this system makes your workplace a better place.

·      How it contributes to success of the organisation – I.e. happier customers, safer working conditions, ect

·      How it can make their daily routine more fulfilling – i.e. having a complete picture of their place in the business, how they contribute to its success.

·      What could nonconformity bring if people choose to step outside a management system? – I.e. With ISO 45001, nonconformance could risk someone getting injured.

[13:50] Engaging/directing/supporting persons to contribute to effectiveness of the system – Team managers should be harnessing the people at all levels to be able to fulfil the requirements of the Management System.

They should do that by providing clear expectations, which can be done via so communications and objective setting.

[14:30] Promoting improvement – Continual Improvement is absolutely key to every management system.

When something does go wrong, senior management must provide the resources for actively asking why things may have underperformed, so you can get to the cause of why it’s underperforming and put it right.

It’s also an opportunity to highlight when things have improved and celebrate those that contributed to that success.

[15:30] Join the isologyhub and get access to limitless ISO resources  – From as little as £99 a month, you can have unlimited access to hundreds of online training courses and achieve certification for completion of courses along the way, which will take you from learner to practitioner to leader in no time. Simply head on over to the isologyhub to sign-up or book a demo.

[17:40] Supporting other management to demonstrate leadership in their areas – Leadership drives top to bottom. Everybody can have a role in leadership.

Roles and responsibilities are assigned by senior management, and this offers the opportunity for individuals to provide their own leadership in their specific areas.  

[18:15] 5.2 Policy – The definition of Policy in ISO Standards is:

The overall intentions and direction of the organisation, expressed by senior management.  A policy exists to govern the behaviour of an organisation and its employees in order to provide the best outcomes.  It also provides the basis for the establishment of objectives.  It does not explain how the policy is to be delivered through individual tasks.  This may not be a detail for top management.

What’s the requirement?:

Top management must ensure its appropriate to the purpose and context of the organization and supports its strategic direction

It’s not simply just a piece of paper to sign once a year.

[19:25] 5.3 Organizational roles, responsibilities and authorities – What does the Standard say:

 ‘Top management shall ensure that responsibilities and authorities for relevant roles are assigned, communicated and understood within the organization’

What does this actually mean?:

·      Ensuring the Management system conforms to your ISO Standard(s)

·      Ensuring processes deliver desired results

·      Performance reporting including opportunities for improvement

·      Promotion of customer focus

·      Ensuring integrity of the management system through change and continual improvement

[21:30] Leadership in practice – Ian recounts an experience where senior management did regular safety checks in an organisation he worked with previously.

Senior Management took an hour out each month to do a floor walk and actually talk to those on the ground floor to ask them about risk, equipment and just generally get a feel for how everything really worked.

In turn, they were challenged by their staff on safe working systems and this proper conversation led to better understanding on both parts. The staff got to see their Senior Management genuinely care about their work and well-being, and Senior Management got much needed insight into the actual day-to-day activities and see first hand where improvements could be made.

Those familiar with ISO 45001 will know that worker participation is a requirement of the Standard, but there’s no reason why you can’t apply this to other Standards.

If you’d like to book a demo for the isologyhub, simply contact us and we’d be happy to give you a tour.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

●     Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin

●     Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud | Mailing List

This episode is the first of our 7-part mini-series explaining our Carbonology service, a 7 step methodology to help companies become Carbon Neutral.

We’re joined by our resident Carbonologist David Algar to talk through the first step of the Carbonology process, Define.

David explains why the define stage is so important, what it entails, and how it works.

You’ll learn

• The seven steps in Carbonology.
• The importance of defining your carbon output.
• How to get a better understanding of your emissions.
• The recommended approach to define the subject and boundaries.
• How to write the introduction for your QES.
• How to become carbon neutral.

Resources

• isology Hub
• Blackmores

In this episode, we talk about:

[02:38] What the seven steps of Carbonology are.

[03:08] The first step to becoming carbon neutral.

[03:52] How the define stage in Carbonology works.

[04:42] What Carbonology boundaries in an organisation may look like.

[06:20] The importance of identifying the people involved with Carbonology work.

[07:00] The type of people that are normally involved with managing the Carbonology standards in a business.

[08:25] How organisations can determine the selection of the subject.

[09:49] Why it’s important to clearly define the subject and your boundaries.

[10:33] The recommended approach to define the subject and boundaries.

[12:17] The outcomes and deliverables that are provided through the define stage.

[13:35] Who the Qualifying Explanatory Statement has to be shared with.

If you need assistance with implementing ISO 14064, PAS 2060, or another standard – Contact us!

David Algar is also available for a free Carbonology consultation until the end of March – Book your slot Here

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud

This episode we’re joined by the Founder of Slip Safety Services, and host of ‘The Safety and Risk Success Podcast' Christian Harris to talk about how Chris got into the business, the seriousness of slips, trips, and falls for both employers and employees, and the four main costs of Health and Safety.

Slips and trips cost UK employers approximately £512 million per year in lost production and other costs and are the leading cause of workplace injuries.

Christian explains how the UK court system works for criminal health and safety offences, why safety is such a key foundation of an organizations success, and how creating a better safety culture can increase a company’s profitability.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-harris-slip-safety/

You’ll learn

• How Christian got into the health and safety industry.
• The seriousness of Slips, Trips and Falls injuries to individuals.
• The cost of Slips, Trips, and Falls to employers.
• The average claims from Slips, Trips, and Falls.
• How creating a better safety culture can increase the profitability of a company.
• Why safety is such a key foundation of an organisations success.
• The 6-figure fines UK organisations have faced in recent years.
• How the UK court system works for criminal health and safety offences.

Resources

• Slip Safety Services
• AXA Insurance
• Slip Safety Score Card
• Blackmores

In this episode, we talk about:

[02:45] How Christian went from being a management consultant to becoming a safety specialist.

[03:51] The health and safety incident that changed Christian’s life.

[06:40] The psychological effect of living through an accident and how the incident has shaped the work Christian does.

[08:30] The four financial costs involved with Slips, Trips, and Falls.

[11:26] How the UK court system works for criminal health and safety offences.

[13:20] The criminal costs of accidents and how much money is claimed each year.

[15:13] The percentage of claims that get paid out.

[16:15] The difference between manual handling and Slips, Trips, and Falls.

[17:23] The positive benefits of creating a better safety culture.

[21:28] The slip safety scorecard and how you can access it.

If you need assistance with implementing ISO 45001, ISO 45003, or another standard – Contact us!

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud

This episode, we’re joined by Transformational Marketing Strategist, Podcaster, and Speaker Jürgen Strauss to talk about ISO 9001, and how businesses can identify their ideal client.

All businesses need customers and they need to understand who their ideal client would be, as only then can you clearly identify what your ideal clients needs are.

Jürgen explains how to identify your ideal client, how using an empathy map can assist with this, and how this all influences your marketing strategy.

Contact Jürgen on LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/jurgenstrauss

You’ll learn

• Why every business needs to have a model of their ideal client.
• How to understand who the ideal customer for your business is.
• Why mapping out your customer journey is so important.
• Ways you can build a relationship with your clients through an empathy map.
• When it’s right to turn business away and how to reject customers.
• Why customer journeys are important from a marketing perspective.
• Why it’s important to document every process and system in your business.

Resources

• Innovabuzz
• XPLANE
• Blackmores

In this episode, we talk about:

[02:37] How Jürgen Strauss was involved in ISO 9001 implementation and how it helped him improve his business efficiency.

[04:20] How Jürgen developed his podcast based on the principles of ISO 9001.

[06:15] The global audience you can reach through podcasting.

[07:27] What makes a ‘dream customer’ and how Jürgen reaches them through his podcast.

[09:00] Why it’s important to have an ideal client for your business.

[12:23] How to identify who your ideal client is and what they’re needs are.

[14:23] What an Empathy map is and how the tool can help you locate your dream client.

[18:42] How an Empathy map helps you truly understand your customers.

[22:36] How to reject a client that you don’t want to work with.

[24:13] Why it’s important to identify what the customer journey is and how it relates to marketing.

[28:35] The circular nature of the customer journey.

[30:22] The importance of creating processes and systems, and common resistance points people have with creating an ideal client profile.

If you need assistance with implementing ISO 9001 or another standard – Contact us!

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud

This episode, we’re joined by Paul Robinson our Managing Consultant at Blackmores to talk about ISO 50001 – the Energy Management Standard.

Paul gives us some guidance and advice on how to audit and implement this standard effectively and how you can make improvements in your energy management.

We also talk about some common techniques to reduce energy consumption, how to increase a buildings energy efficiency, and how to monitor if equipment is being used in line with good practice.

You’ll learn

• How to make improvements in your energy management.
• How to implement the energy management standard ISO 50001.
• The purpose and benefits of carrying out internal audits.
• Common techniques to reduce energy consumption.
• How to increase a buildings energy efficiency.
• Why everyone should switch to LED lights.

Resources

• isology Hub
• Blackmores

In this episode, we talk about:

[02:25] The purpose and benefits of carrying out internal audits.

[03:31] Benefits data centres have had as a result of auditing.

[04:45] How an organization can set up a robust audit programme.

[07:23] The impact a building’s design has on its energy efficiency and how this can be improved.

[10:16] The importance of monitoring systems and the power of automation.

[11:59] How to know which maintenance companies to work with.

[13:13] How to know if equipment is being used with good practice.

[15:26] The benefits of raising opportunities of improvement to management.

[17:59] Common opportunities for businesses to improve their energy management.

[21:24] Evidence you expect to see when carrying out an ISO 50001 audit.

If you need assistance with implementing ISO 50001 or another standard – Contact us!

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud

We’re diving further into sustainability and best practices today as Mel is joined by Kit Oung who is a leading energy consultant with a wealth of experience spanning the last 25 years.

Kit is an energy and resource efficiency practitioner, consultant, trainer, and author on the subject of energy and resource efficiency; operational excellence, and triple bottom line.

Notable engagements include: designing regulations in the UK (energy and climate change regulations); Sharjah, UAE (mandatory Health and Safety awareness), and Singapore (waste regulation); drafting guidebooks on integrated management systems (ISO), energy efficiency (UNEP), ISO 50001 (ISO/UNIDO) and promoting of good governance in energy, environment, and health safety in India, Zambia, UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Nigeria.

Kit is the author of Energy Management in Business: The Manager’s Guide to Maximising and Sustaining Energy Reduction (Gower, 2013), and coauthor of Best Practices and Case Studies for Industrial Energy Efficiency Improvement (UNEP, 2016). He also assisted in the technical review of ISO 50001: Energy management systems – A practical guide for SMEs (ISO, 2015).

Kit serves on IChemE’s Congress, IChemE’s Energy Community of Practice, IChemE’s annual sustainability awards judging panel, UNIDO’s global energy management leadership awards judging panel, and take part in developing National, Regional and International standards. He chaired ISO 14002-2 (current), ISO 50002 (current), PAS51215, EN16247-3, and participated in the development of ISO 14001 series, ISO 50001 series, and EN16247 series of standards.

Today, we’re looking at how to make energy sustainability strategies actionable, what the drivers for energy sustainability are, and how we can gain and maintain management commitment in sustainable energy practices. We’ll also have a sneak peak into Kit’s upcoming book: People, Planet, Profit: Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Business Strategies (Which you can pre-order! Link available under Resources)

You’ll learn

• The importance of leaders, managers and engineers all playing their parts in sustainability strategies.
• What needs to be in place for sustainability strategies to be actionable.
• How the drivers for energy sustainability differ in different geographical locations.
• The extent of the destruction of our forests and seas and why we aren't doing anything about it.
• Different low cost fuel saving technologies.
• How to gain and maintain management commitment in sustainable energy practices.
• How to break down your energy consumption and make it visible
• The psychological benefits of celebration.

Resources

• Pre-order: People, Planet, Profit: Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Business Strategies
• Start with Why
• Get in contact with Kit Oung

In this episode, we talk about:

[02:12] Kit’s experience in working with energy management and sustainable initiatives.

[05:48] Key aspects that need to be in place for a sustainability strategy to be actionable and have real influence on a company’s products and services.

[10:40] A case study of how British Airways has integrated sustainability into their business structure.

[15:15] The main drivers of sustainability practices in the Middle East.

[17:12] What inspired Kit to write his new book - People, Planet, Profit: Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Business Strategies

[21:20] Low cost technologies businesses can use to reduce their energy consumption.

[23:48] The three elements you need in an organisation to effectively control your energy consumption.

[25:40] How to gain and maintain management commitment.

[28:30] The importance of understanding every aspect of an organisation's processes and the hidden costs around waste materials.

[32:34] The importance of measuring consumption of resources and benchmarking.

[34:16] How to break down your energy consumption and make it visible.

[38:26] How external providers can help companies with the technical aspect of the data.

[40:48] How to break down implementation barriers in companies.

[47:03] The psychological benefits of celebration.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud

Today we’re joined by the Director of Morgan Green Advisory, Hayden Morgan.

Hayden is an independent consultant with a mission to enable a sustainable, lower-carbon future.

He has been pioneering sustainability within the finance sector for almost 25 years, and provides award-winning insights and solutions, focusing on transitioning to beneficial outcomes.

Today we talk about sustainable finance and the work Hayden is doing with leading experts from over 25 countries to develop the new global sustainability standard for financial organisations ISO 32210...

You’ll learn

• What sustainable finance is and how it works.
• The best way to get involved with the ISO 32210 standard.
• The need for a standardised label for sustainable infrastructure.
• The benefits of implementing the new ISO 32210 standard.
• When ISO 32210 will be available for organisations to implement.
• The rise of climate risk strategies in financial markets.

Resources

• Morgan Green Advisory
• Blackmores

In this episode, we talk about:

[02:24] How Hayden got involved in working in global sustainability.

[04:05] The work Hayden’s been doing on the new sustainable finance standard.

[04:56] How you can get involved with the new ISO 32210 standard.

[06:48] Hayden’s involvement advising the world bank around the development of a label for sustainable infrastructure.

[10:42] The pilot projects taking part in a sustainable infrastructure label.

[11:51] What sustainable finance is.

[12:39] The principles of the ISO 32210 standard and how it complements other requirements.

[15:30] The implementation guidance for ISO 32210’s principles.

[17:09] The best practice resources that will be available to help people implement the standard.

[18:17] The benefits of implementing the ISO 32210 standard.

[22:16] The plans for the standard and the expected launch date for the ISO 32210 standard.

[23:41] The sustainable integration work and climate risk strategies Hayden works on at Morgan Green Advisory.

If you need assistance with implementing ISO 32210 or another standard – Contact us!

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud

We’re joined again by Paul Robinson, Managing Consultant at Blackmores. Last week Paul summarised the importance of energy management and introduced us to ISO 50001. This week, he delves deeper into the individual clauses of the Standard to break down what’s required in a typical Energy Management System.

What you’ll learn:

• The main clauses and requirements of ISO 50001
• Examples of ISO 50001’s application in other Businesses based on Paul’s experience

What are the main clauses of ISO 50001?

ISO 50001 has been aligned with the Annex SL format since 2018 so that it may be more easily integrated with other ISO Standards. The clauses are as follows:

• Clauses 1, 2 and 3 – These are all explanatory clauses, starting with the scope, then Normative References and lastly Terms and Definitions.

• Clause 4 – Context of the Organisation: Here you would define the scope and boundaries of your energy management system and understanding the processes affected. This includes looking at your energy inputs and outputs. You’ll also address any energy issues that affect you and interested parties involved.

• Clause 5 – Leadership: This refers to Top Management commitment, which is necessary if you want your energy management system to be successful. They will need to provide resources required to implement an energy policy, and to define roles and responsibilities.

• Clause 6 – Planning: This is a central pillar behind every Energy Management System as it talks about strategic and tactical considerations. This includes high-level issues, the needs and expectations of interested parties and the risks and opportunities associated with them in an energy context.

This clause also includes an Energy Review, which will help you build a picture of your energy sources and current consumption. From that you can start setting your Objectives and Targets and actions going forward using energy baselines and energy performance indicators established from the Energy Review.

• Clause 7 – Support: This clause talks about provision of resources, competencies, awareness, communication and documented information required for energy management.

• Clause 8 – Operation: This is where operational controls are defined to help you manage your energy effectively. It also covers design and procurement, which means procuring of energy, consuming assets and having effective processes in place to ensure energy is a key consideration when making infrastructure changes.

• Clause 9 – Performance Evaluation: ISO 50001 is very data driven and clause 9 states the requirements for monitoring and measurement of your energy use, which will be used to demonstrate your improvement in energy efficiency. This clause also covers Internal Audits and Management Review to ensure the Management System is performing effectively.

• Clause 10 – Improvement: This clause talks about taking opportunities that drive continual improvement in the Management System, but also recognizing that sometimes things go wrong. It also addresses significant deviations and a structure to investigate and correct those deviations to keep the management system on track.

What can go wrong?:

Based on his experience, Paul highlighted some issues he’s seen in existing Management Systems:

• Not aligning an Energy Management system with Company Objectives
• Lack of financial resources
• Having the Management system built and run by only one person – This becomes a single point of failure
• Confusion in responding to energy deviations – lack of communication of a process to correct non-conformities
• Rushed creation – Energy Management Systems created in a short span of time may not be properly embedded into the business and can lead to the issues listed above.

That’s it from Paul this week! For further information on ISO 50001, visit our Standards page Here. We also have an ISO 50001 Handbook available to members of the isologyhub, sign up here to grab a copy.

If you’re just getting started with ISO, we do have a free ISO Blueprint available for download to help you to plan, create, launch and get certified to ISO Standards.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud

Today we’re joined by Paul Robinson, Managing Consultant at Blackmores. Paul is here to introduce the Energy Management Standard, ISO 50001, why it’s important and give you an overview of its basic structure.

What you’ll learn:

• Why energy management is so critical in the current climate crisis
• The main purpose of ISO 50001
• A summary of the clauses within ISO 50001

Why have an Energy Management Standard?

There’s a big focus on trying to maintain global warming to that 1.5 degrees increase. Right now, we’re failing on that. In order to get this back on track we need to consider our current energy consumption. During COP26 we heard a lot about phasing out coal power, unfortunately there are some countries who are resistant to that and as a result have had the requirements watered down. Regardless, energy use continues to rise as does the demand.

Energy Management is particularly relevant for organisations who want to measure their impact and put measures in place to reduce their environmental footprint.

Why is it so important to restrict Global Warming to 1.5 degrees?

It’s literally the difference between survival. We’re at a tipping point now, failing to stick to this 1.5 degrees will result in rising sea levels and rising temperatures. Paul shares his experience working in Cyprus where it’s not uncommon now for the temperature to reach 45 degrees. This isn’t sustainable and it will get to the point where it’s difficult for humans to survive if we keep going at this rate. 

What is the main purpose of ISO 50001?

ISO 50001 includes continually improving energy performance, energy efficiency, energy use and energy consumption. Building an energy management system will help you to understand, monitor and measure your use of energy, and like most other ISO’s, continual improvement is at the heart of ISO 50001. Key factors it addresses are energy performance, energy efficiency and energy consumption.

What are the main clauses of ISO 50001?

ISO 50001 went through it’s latest revision in 2018, aligning it with the Annex SL format that many other ISO’s use. The clauses are as follows:

• Clauses 1, 2 and 3 – These are all explanatory clauses, starting with the scope, then Normative References and lastly Terms and Definitions.

• Clause 4 – Context of the Organisation: Here you would define the scope and boundaries of your energy management system and understanding the processes affected. This includes looking at your energy inputs and outputs. You’ll also address any energy issues that affect you and interested parties involved.

• Clause 5 – Leadership: This refers to Top Management commitment, which is necessary if you want your energy management system to be successful. They will need to provide resources required to implement an energy policy, and to define roles and responsibilities.

• Clause 6 – Planning: This is a central pillar behind every Energy Management System as it talks about strategic and tactical considerations. This includes high-level issues, the needs and expectations of interested parties and the risks and opportunities associated with them in an energy context.

This clause also includes an Energy Review, which will help you build a picture of your energy sources and current consumption. From that you can start setting your Objectives and Targets and actions going forward using energy baselines and energy performance indicators established from the Energy Review.

• Clause 7 – Support: This clause talks about provision of resources, competencies, awareness, communication and documented information required for energy management.

• Clause 8 – Operation: This is where operational controls are defined to help you manage your energy effectively. It also covers design and procurement, which means procuring of energy, consuming assets and having effective processes in place to ensure energy is a key consideration when making infrastructure changes.

• Clause 9 – Performance Evaluation: ISO 50001 is very data driven and clause 9 states the requirements for monitoring and measurement of your energy use, which will be used to demonstrate your improvement in energy efficiency. This clause also covers Internal Audits and Management Review to ensure the Management System is performing effectively.

• Clause 10 – Improvement: This clause talks about taking opportunities that drive continual improvement in the Management System, but also recognizing that sometimes things go wrong. It also addresses significant deviations and a structure to investigate and correct those deviations to keep the management system on track.

That’s it from Paul this week! For further information on ISO 50001, visit our Standards page Here. We also have an ISO 50001 Handbook available to members of the isologyhub, sign up here to grab a copy.

If you’re just getting started with ISO, we do have a free ISO Blueprint available for download to help you to plan, create, launch and get certified to ISO Standards.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud

This week Mel and Darren delve into the different factors that can impact on workers Mental Health:

• Aspects of how work is organised:

Remote and isolated work

• Working in locations that are far from home, family, friends and usual support networks
• Working alone in non-remote locations without social/human interaction
• Working in private homes

Workload and work pace

• Work overload or underload
• High levels of time pressure
• Continually subject to deadlines
• Machine pacing
• High level of repetitive work

Working hours and schedule

• Lack of variety of work
• Shift work
• Inflexible work schedules
• Unpredictable hours
• Long or unsociable hours
• Fragmented work or work that is not meaningful
• Continual requirements to complete work at short notice

Job security and precarious work

• Uncertainty regarding work availability, including work without set hours
• Possibility of redundancy or temporary loss of work with reduced pay
• Low-paid or insecure employment, including non-standard employment
• Working in situations that are not properly covered or protected by labour law or social protection

• Social Factors at work:

Interpersonal relationships

• Poor communication, including poor information sharing
• Poor relationships between managers or others that workers interact with
• Interpersonal conflict
• Harassment, bullying, victimization
• Lack of social support
• Unequal power relationships between dominant and non-dominant groups of workers
• Social or physical isolation

Leadership

• Lack of clear vision and objectives
• Management style unsuited to the nature of the work and its demand
• Failing to listen or only casually listening to complaints and suggestions
• Withholding information
• Providing inadequate communication and support
• Lack of accountability
• Lack of fairness
• Inconsistent and poor decision-making practices
• Abuse or misuse of power

Organizational/workgroup culture

• Poor communication
• Low levels of support for problem-solving and personal development
• Lack of definition of, or agreement on, organisational objectives
• Inconsistent and untimely application of policies and procedures, unfair decision-making
• Recognition and reward
• Imbalance between workers’ effort and formal and informal recognition and reward
• Lack of appropriate acknowledgement and appreciation of workers’ efforts in a fair and timely manner

Career development

• Career stagnation and uncertainty, under-promotion or over-promotion, lack of opportunity for skill development

Support

• Lack of support from supervisors and co-workers
• Lack of access to support services
• Lack of information/training to support work performance

Supervision

• Lack of constructive performance feedback and evaluation processes
• Lack of encouragement/acknowledgement
• Lack of communication
• Lack of shared organisational vision and clear objectives
• Lack of support and/or resources to facilitate improvements in performance
• Lack of fairness
• Misuse of digital surveillance

Civility and respect

• Lack of trust, honesty, respect, civility and fairness
• Lack of respect and consideration in interactions among workers, as well as with customers, clients and the public

Work/life balance

• Work tasks, roles, schedules or expectations that cause workers to continue working in their own time
• Conflicting demands of work and home
• Work that impacts the workers’ ability to recover

Violence at work

• Incidents involving an explicit or implicit challenge to health, safety or well-being at work; violence can be internal, external or client initiated, e.g.:
• Abuse
• Threats
• Assault (physical, verbal or sexual)
• Gender-based violence

Harassment

Unwanted, offensive, intimidating behaviours (sexual or non-sexual in nature) which relate to one or more specific characteristic of the targeted individual, e.g.

• Race
• Gender identity
• Religion or belief
• Sexual orientation
• Disability
• Age

Bullying and victimization

Repeated (more than once) unreasonable behaviours which can present a risk to health, safety and well-being at work; behaviours can be overt or covert, e.g.

• Social or physical isolation
• Assigning meaningless or unfavourable tasks
• Name-calling, insults and intimidation
• Undermining behaviour
• Undue public criticism
• Withholding information or resources critical for one’s job
• Malicious rumours or gossiping
• Assigning impossible deadlines

• Work environment, equipment and hazardous tasks

Work environment, equipment and hazardous tasks

• Inadequate equipment availability, suitability, reliability, maintenance or repair
• Poor workplace conditions such as lack of space, poor lighting and excessive noise
• Lack of the necessary tools, equipment or other resources to complete work tasks
• Working in extreme conditions or situations
• Working in unstable environments such as conflict zones

How can we identify psychological hazards in our workplaces?

There are several ways that the organization can identify psychosocial hazards, this can include (but not limited to):

• Through reviews of job descriptions
• Analysing tasks, schedules and locations
• Consulting with workers, clients and other interested parties
• Analysing performance evaluations, standardized questionnaires, audits, etc.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help, and we read each one.

The Importance of Mental Health:

• Mental health can influence how we think and feel about ourselves and others as well as we interpret events.
• It affects our capacity to learn, communicate and to form, sustain and end relationships, influencing our ability to cope with change, transition and life events
• Good mental health is as important as good physical health to our life and wellbeing
• Work plays an important part in our health (both physical and mental). People who are in work are, overall, healthier and happier. But sometimes work can have a negative impact on our health
• At work we should aim to create an environment which fosters good mental health and eliminates or minimises a work environment which can have a negative impact on mental health.

Who’s most at risk?

Identification of who could be harmed or at risk of harm psychologically can be complex, with varying factors, including (but not limited to):

• Age
• Personality and psychosocial factors
• Sleep
• Medical condition of oneself or other(s) close to the individual
• The activity – type, frequency and duration
• Relationships (work and non-work)
• Financial
• Lifestyle

There is no single way to manage and reduce stress, what works for one person, may not work for another.

What are the negative outcomes for employees?

• Poor health and associated conditions
• Cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, diabetes, anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, and associated health behaviours
• Substance abuse, unhealthy eating
• Reduction in job satisfaction, commitment, and productivity

What are negative outcomes for the organisation?

• Includes increased costs due to absence from work
• Turnover
• Reduced turnover or service quality
• Increased recruitment and retraining costs
• Workplace investigations and litigation
• Damage to the organisation’s reputation

If we get mental health right – what’s the upside?

• Improved job satisfaction
• Improved worker engagement
• Increased productivity
• Increased innovation
• Organisational sustainability can be achieved

What is ISO 45003?

ISO 45003 has been published to provide guidance on the management of psychosocial risks and promoting well-being at work. Intended to be used together with ISO 45001 as part of an occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system, the guidelines are suitable for all sectors and types of organisations.

Defines Psychosocial risk as ‘combination of the likelihood of occurrence of exposure to work-related hazard(s) of a psychosocial nature and the severity of injury that can be caused by these hazard(s)’.

ISO 45003 is a guidance standard only. It is intended to complement the requirements in ISO 45001 and guide organisations on how to address OH&S issues relating to psychological health within their general OH&S management system.

What are the aims?

Therefore, it is critically important for the organisation to eliminate hazards and minimise OH&S risks by taking effective preventive and protective measures, which include measures to manage psychosocial risks. Psychosocial hazards are increasingly recognized as major challenges to health, safety, and well-being at work.

What are the psychosocial hazards?

• Psychosocial hazards relate to how work is organized, social factors at work and aspects of the work environment, equipment, and hazardous tasks.
• Psychosocial hazards can be present in all organisations and sectors, and from all kinds of work tasks, equipment, and employment arrangements.
• Psychosocial risk relates to the potential of these types of hazards to cause several types of outcomes on individual health and safety, well-being and on organisational performance and sustainability.
• It is important that psychosocial risks are managed in a manner consistent with other OH&S risks, through an OH&S management system.

What are the signs of exposure to Psychosocial risk?

• Changes in behaviour
• Social isolation or withdrawal, refusing offers of help or neglecting personal well-being needs
• Increased absence from work or coming to work when ill
• Lack of engagement
• Reduced energy
• High staff turnover
• Low quality performance or failure to complete tasks/assignments on time (presenteeism)
• Reduced desire to work with others
• Conflicts, lack of willingness to co-operate, and bullying
• Increased frequency of incidents or errors

What are the considerations in risk assessments?

At work, many situations (basic through to complex) are risk assessed, however, many assessments fail in relation to causes of psychological problems.

• Is the work the issue, or is it perceived that the work is causing or making a situation worse?
• The actual cause may be different or a combination of factors, inside and outside of work.
• The HSE defines stress as 'the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them', and states:

Every employer has a legal duty to assess and protect employees from work-related stress under the Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999.

• Stress is a major cause of sickness absence in the workplace and costs over £5 billion a year in Great Britain.

How does ISO 45003 support ISO 45001?

It is recognised that psychological health, safety and well-being are not always fully addressed within OH&S management. The standard is designed to help organisations better understand and address these aspects of OH&S management so that their system covers all aspects of health and safety, not just those that

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help, and we read each one.

There is a growing pressure on businesses to address their environmental impact, both from the Government as well as a more sustainably minded consumer base.

As a result, the need to carry out Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions reporting is being introduced as a mandatory requirement for tenders, and Government led initiatives such as Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR).  

Today Mel Blackmore will discuss Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions reporting, and how verifying GHG Statements in alignment with ISO 14064-1 can benefit your business.

You’ll learn

·      Why is there a growing need to report on GHG emissions?

·      What is the difference between certification and verification?

·      What is ISO 14064-1?

·      What are the benefits of ISO 14064-1?

Resources

·      Carbonologyhub

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:30] Join the isologyhub – To get access to a suite of ISO related tools, training and templates. Simply head on over to isologyhub.com to either sign-up or book a demo.

[02:05] Episode summary: Mel will be discussing GHG emissions reporting, and why verifying your businesses GHG Statements in alignment with ISO 14064-1 is a smart move.     

[02:30] What’s the difference between Certification and Verification? – We covered this in detail on a previous episode, go back and listen to episode 162

[02:40] Why is there a growing need to address GHG emissions? – Climate change is a top concern for many. Consumers, investors and governments across the globe are all demanding greater transparency and accountability from businesses regarding their environmental impact. In particular, the carbon footprint a business claims to have.

[03:25] What is ISO 14064-1? – ISO 14064-1 is in internationally recognised Standard for quantification of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and removals at the organisational level.

In simple terms, this is the go-to Standard for businesses looking to calculate, verify and publish its carbon emissions.

[03:40] Benefit #1: Making compliance and reporting easier – Now, it’s important to note that the first time you go through this process will be like pulling teeth. You will need to do a fair bit of work initially, but once that’s set-up, it will make the necessary annual reporting a much easier process.

ISO 14064-1 verification ensures you are complying with applicable regulations such as SECR and the Governments requirement for a PPN 06/21 (within the UK).

If you are based in the UK, there is now Public Sector tendering requirement to identify what your carbon footprint is and make recommendations for reductions in the form of a Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP).

It can also help to streamline initiatives like the CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) or EcoVardis.

[05:40] Benefit #2: Taking a deeper look at your emissions footprint – Verification is not simply just ticking a box, it’s about providing a clear picture of your organisations’ total GHG emissions.

Not just your CO2 emissions, ISO 14064-1 ensure you account for different types of emissions sources. This granular understanding will be crucial in identifying areas for improvement and developing an effective reduction strategy.

[06:25] Benefit #3: Providing Trust and Transparency – Having your report verified by am independent third-party adds a layer of credibility to your GHG reporting.

Anyone can just say their carbon emissions are X, but it’s another to have that backed up by a third-party. They can ensure your claims are true, correct and that there is a credible methodology behind it.

Stakeholders such as investors, consumers and regulators will then have the confidence that your emissions data is accurate and transparent.

Carbonology can assist you with the training resources needed to do this – so check out their website to learn more.

[07:30] Benefit #4: Pave a way for Carbon Reduction Strategies – We mentioned earlier about the requirement for a PPN 06/21, this requires a Carbon Reduction Plan (CRP).

Whether you create one based on a mandatory requirement or not, having a CRP is a no brainer for any business.

It helps you to understand your emissions, which is the first step towards reducing them. ISO 14064-1 verification lays the ground work for developing and implementing an effective CRP.

This can translate into significant cost savings and a competitive edge in the long run.

[08:30] Benefit #5: Embrace Mitigation – The verification goes beyond just cutting emissions. It supports mitigation actions like carbon removal projects, allowing you to demonstrate a holistic approach to tackling climate change year on year.

[08:50] Benefit #6: It’s a global Standard – ISO 14064-1 was created by over 140 representatives from over 50 countries globally to define exactly what greenhouse gas emission verification should look like.

While there are lots of other ways to achieve Net Zero, it makes more sense to choose an established route that will be recognised as best practice globally.

[10:25] Benefit #7: Tracking your progress – Verifying your GHG statements allows you to track progress over time.

This data is invaluable for communicating your achievements both internally and externally to key stakeholders about your drive towards net zero goals. It also helps to showcase your commitment to sustainability.

[11:00] Benefit #8: Participation in sustainability initiatives – Verification opens doors to participating in voluntary GHG registries and sustainability reporting initiatives.

This in turn will help to broaden your visibility as an organisation, amongst the environmentally conscious stakeholders that will be looking for credible sustainable businesses to work with or buy from.

[11:45] ISO 14064 is a no-brainer – It offers a significant strategic advantage and can help to demonstrate transparency with GHG reporting – something very sought after in the midst of a lot of green washing claims.

If you’d like assistance with ISO 14064-1, visit Carbonology’s website and get in contact, they’d be happy to help.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

●     Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin

●     Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud | Mailing List

One of the first steps towards becoming more sustainable is knowing where you currently stand in terms of your emissions. Calculating this may seem like a mammoth task, especially if you have multiple sites or assets such as company vehicles to keep track of.

David Algar joins Mel today to discuss how to calculate your Green House Gas (GHG) emissions, starting from Establishing boundaries through to number crunching and quantification.

What is the first step when embarking on quantifying your GHG emissions?

• One of the first steps is getting leadership commitment - This allows for quicker decision making and the allocation of roles and responsibilities, which really helps with the data collection
• Once you have this leadership commitment, the next steps is to start establishing boundaries.

So how do you define your boundaries?

• There are 2 ways you define your boundaries as specified in ISO 14064-1:
• The first are your organisational boundaries, you’ll need to outline which facilities are included within the quantification. It is not as simple as just saying ‘everything’, you’ll need to specify which sites, buildings, factories etc
• You can define your organisational boundaries via the control approach, so what facilities do you have financial or operation control over? Or the equity share approach, where you account for your portion of emissions and removals from facilities
• The next step is defining your reporting boundaries. This refers to activities and specific sources of GHGs.
• Emission sources are split up into 3 categories; Scope 1 – direct emissions from combustion, or leaks, normally at sources you own , Scope 2 – indirect emissions from imported energy, and Scope 3 – all other indirect emissions, these will be from sources you don’t necessarily own or have much control over such as staff commuting, supply chains or emissions from the use of products you manufacture
• Depending on your organisation, Scope 3 will account for somewhere between 60-80% of your total emissions.

How would you recommend going about collecting to data?

• ISO 14064-1 wants you to have primary data, i.e. data you have collected yourself.
• Some of the most common sources of the information you’ll need to quantify your emissions include, utilities bills, expense claim, meter readings.
• What some organisations are doing is sending out simple surveys to staff to gather information on commuting habits or the mix of home and office working.
• In the real world all the information you need isn’t going to be available, or at least it won’t be available in the way you would like.
• it’s important to have someone dedicated managing data collection as this may involve multiple sites or international locations.
• Ideally, you’d start setting a framework to use when going forward and to make sure you can collect the relevant data each year.

Selecting a base year

• If this is the first time you have quantified your emissions, it will automatically become your base year.
• This will be the year you compare future emissions against, and track reductions against, whether they are absolute, or intensity based, such as tonnes of CO2e per employee or product sold
• You may have to re-visit your base year calculations if new data or more accurate methods arise. A base year review may also be required if there has been a change in organisational boundaries due to a merger or acquisition.

The Number Crunching

• At the end of the process, we want to see our levels of emissions for each of the Kyoto gases, this will allow us to see emissions as tonnes of CO2 equivalent when each gases’ global warming potential has been taken into account.
• Some gases can have global warming potentials 200 times or 1,000 times or even over 20,000 times stronger than CO2 on its own, hence why even the smallest leak of can be important, say, from an air conditioning system.
• We calculate emission from specific sources by using conversion factors.
• In the UK we are very lucky to have emission conversion factors published publicly by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy every year going back to 2002
• Other countries release conversion factors too, so if you have sites round the world, you should be able to find factors that can be applied. This may involve converting some units though.
• The data isn’t always going to be available in the ideal format, so you’ll need to spend a bit of time on Google identifying rates for specific areas and years if you don’t have anything else to go on.
• Liaising with landlords and facilities management is always a good idea, not only to collect data, but to help with implementing initiatives that can reduce emissions in the future

Estimates, Assumptions, Uncertainties and Transparency

• You’re going to have to make some assumptions as you go.
• In line with ISO 14064-1 you’ll need to be as accurate as possible even if this means someone going through individual lines of expenses to estimate flight distances based on ticket costs or coming up with a system to represent your supply chain.
• Another important aspect of ISO 14064-1 is transparency. The best way to manage this is to simply make all your calculations visible, this way they can be reviewed and sense-checked but others.
• For each emission source you’ll also need to assign it a level of uncertainty. For instance, expense claims are usually highly accurate as they show mileage from one location to another, and sometimes even record the specific vehicle, you could say this has an uncertainty of 2-5% for instance.
• At the other end of the scale calculating the emission from the life cycle of your products has a high degree of uncertainty as you don’t know how a customer will use it, how long it will last, how it will be disposed of or if it will even be used at all. This could have an uncertainty of 30-40% for instance
• A positive outcome of managing all these uncertainties is that you will have a framework going forward for calculating specific sources.

Managing your Emissions Going Forward – Applications of Quantification

• Ironically it is often the biggest emission sources that businesses have the smallest amount of control over, but there will usually be some action that can be taken to reduce them.
• Quantifying emissions is also one the first, and arguably the most essential steps towards achieving carbon neutrality, as you can’t get very far without knowing your emissions.
• PAS 2060 is the standard we use at Blackmores as part of our Carbonology service to help businesses achieve carbon neutrality, this is supported by quantifying emissions in line with the ISO 14064 methodologies we’ve mentioned In previous podcasts.
• Developing and implementing a carbon reduction plan to reduce emissions over subsequent reporting periods is another application of your GHG quantification and is an important part of working towards carbon neutrality.

Further resources:

Free Webinar - Targeting Carbon and Supporting Net Zero – hosted by Alcumus, David Algar will feature as a guest to help you understand your Carbon Footprint and provide a roadmap towards Carbon Neutrality. Register Here.

We also have more information about our Carbonology service available Here.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help, and we read each one.

Today we’re joined by Will Richardson, Founder and Managing Director of Green Element, to discuss how he helps other organizations become more environmentally friendly.

Will established Green Element in 2004 with a desire to help as many businesses as possible to go green.

A pioneer and early adopter of many now-mandatory environmental standards, his visionary approach, and inspiring leadership are exemplary.

Will also runs a podcast that is constantly featured in the top of the eco podcasts, and is a current board member and Chairman of the British Kitesports Association; the NGB to Kitesports; helping push kite sports within the Olympic sporting ecosystem.

In 2018, Will conceived Compare Your Footprint in response to demand from companies that want to reduce their carbon footprint but were not ready to engage with experts.

This episode, he shares how companies can most effectively tackle their energy and carbon management, and the science behind carbon reductions...

You’ll learn

• How Will helps organizations find the carbon footprint of their products.
• The importance of knowing the life cycle of your products.
• How to find out how much of an effect on the environment your product has.
• How long it takes to find out the life cycle of a product.
• How ‘Compare your Footprint’ helps organizations understand their carbon footprint and benchmark it.
• Different types of benchmarking you can do and how to do it.
• The science we know around carbon reductions.
• Why offsetting causes organizations to increase their emissions.

Resources

• Blackmores
• The Green Element Website
• Compare your Footprint
• Sustainable Business Podcast
• Science Based Targets

In this episode, we talk about:

[01:10] How Will got involved with sustainable energy and carbon management.

[02:14] Why Will started his own business and how it’s changed over the years.

[03:58] How Green Element helps organizations become more environmental.

[05:15] The difference between the life cycle analysis for products or services.

[06:24] How long it takes to work out a product’s life cycle.

[07:30] The two different ways there are to look at carbon footprinting.

[10:51] Different types of benchmarking you can do and how to do it.

[14:26] How to successfully carry out energy data reporting and why you shouldn’t rush it.

[17:59] The problems with net carbon zero and carbon neutral targets, and the benefits of Science Based Targets.

[22:36] The complex nature of effective environmental strategies.

If you need assistance with implementing sustainable practices – Contact us!

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud

Implementing an ISO can seem like a daunting task at first – There’s a lot to consider! Most importantly, are you implementing the Standard for the whole business – just one location? For just one Service?

In today’s podcast – I’m going to share with you ‘how to establish the scope of your ISO System’ as it’s the number one consideration when you start planning your ISO Project. This will also help to determine timescales, costs and resources needed for your ISO Project.

What is the ‘Scope’?...

The scope of the EMS will clarify the organisational and physical boundaries to which your activities applies, particularly if the company is part of a larger organisation. 

Your organisation has the freedom and flexibility to define these boundaries. Your company may choose to only include a specific activity, location, product, or service delivery. 

How to calculate the scope…

Most organisation’s, particularly if they are an SME (Small and medium enterprises with less than 250 employees) will include all aspects of their business activities within the scope of their EMS, and also their scope of certification to ISO 14001.

Larger organisations, or SME’s across multiple locations (including international) may want to carefully consider the scope of certification as there will be additional costs and time factors to take into consideration. 

Why defining the scope is so Important…

Once your scope has been defined within your EMS, that this is what is included in ‘black and white’ on your certificate. Therefore, if one of the reasons to achieve certification is to impress your stakeholders with your environmental credentials, then being fully inclusive and transparent with a wider scope covering all your company activities, services and locations will be far more credible then a restricted scope.

Consider what will have the biggest impact – where you can make the biggest difference.

Further Resources:

We have a super useful checklist on how to plan, create, launch and implement your ISO Project so that you can successfully achieve certification. Download your FREE ISO Standards blueprint here.

Pssst!... Whilst your there, you may also want to check out our membership which includes all the tutorials, check sheets, templates and training to implement ISO Standards. As a member of the isologyhub we give you all the support that you need to make your ISO Project a reality and success.

In this episode I will cover:

[01.55] – What is the Scope?

[03.45] – How to establish your scope

[05.40] – Why defining the scope is so Important

[06.20] – Expanding the scope of your certification

[07.40] – Further considerations

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help, and we read each one.

Today, we’re joined by our resident Carbonologist David Algar to discuss SECR.

What is SECR?

SECR stands for Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting, it stemmed from The Companies Act (2006) which was updated in 2013 to require quoted companies to report annual emissions in their directors’ report.

In 2018, the regulations were updated and an additional disclosure requirement for quoted companies was brought in. They now require energy use and associated GHG emissions to be reported by quoted companies, as well as by large, limited liability partnerships (LLPs).

Why was it introduced?

To increase awareness of a business’ energy use and emissions and to encourage the introduction of initiatives to reduce energy usage.

To provide organisations with the relevant data to make informed decisions.

To help increase visibility to key decision makers who may not have been aware of how much carbon their organisation is producing.

Provides transparency on an organisation’s emissions and energy use to external stakeholders.

Is it applicable to you?

SECR reporting is designed to apply to all quoted companies in the UK, as well as unquoted companies and LLPs defined as ‘large’ under the Companies Act 2006.

To be defined as ‘large’ under the Companies Act and therefore qualify for SECR reporting they must meet 2 or more of the following criteria:

• Have a turnover of £36m or more.
• Have a balance sheet of £18m or more.
• Have 250 or more employees.

Who does it not apply to?

Low energy users, those using less than 40MWh per year.

If disclosing energy use data could inadvertently reveal sensitive information about your business, or seriously detrimental to the interests of your business.

Not all public bodies are required to report.

If your data would not be practical to obtain.

What needs to be included?

This is where it gets slightly more complex as this is where reporting guidelines specify what you must report depending on if you are a quoted company compared to a large unquoted or LLP.

Similarities (what everyone needs to report):

• Their energy use in kWh and GHG emissions in tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
• Scope 1 and scope 2 emissions you are responsible for and a subset of scope 3 emissions relating to transport.
• Methodologies, at least one intensity ratio and finally, everyone must report on energy efficiency improvements.

Differences:

• A key difference between quoted companies and the other two types is that quoted companies must reference their global Scope 1 and 2 emissions they are responsible for, and what proportion of their emissions comes from international sources.
• For unquoted companies and LLPs there is more of a focus on Scope 3 emissions. You will need to report on the energy and emissions associated with Scope 3 transport. This mainly refers to leased road vehicles and vehicles staff own but use for business purposes (grey fleet), but also covers larger vehicles such as ships, planes and trains if you have directly paid for the fuel yourself.

What are the benefits for your organisation?

You would have quantified a significant proportion of your emissions, which paints a good picture of where your largest emission sources are from.

You would have just taken one of the first steps towards achieving carbon neutrality.

SECR also helps provide greater transparency for investors and other stakeholders.

It also supports other reporting such as ESOS and the new requirement for businesses looking to obtain large government contracts to have a carbon reduction plan in place.

How can Blackmores help?

By quantifying your emissions for your reporting period, in the long term we can help quantify any remaining emissions that are not referred to in SECR, specifically any remaining Scope 3s

We can also help provide clarity on the definitions of each scope and the subcategories within them.

We have various templates that we have created and refined to help simplify the process.

We can produce the SECR report, meeting all the requirements of UK Environmental Reporting Guidance, and as well as the main SECR report, we can produce the summary of your Director’s Report.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help, and we read each one.

If you’d like further information on how we can help you with Carbon verification, SECR or Carbon Neutrality, check out our Carbonology Service.  

A standard that seems to be growing in demand, certainly this year, is ISO 20400 which is a guidance document on sustainable procurement.

However, because it’s a guidance document, this means it’s not a certifiable standard…

But, it is useful if you are looking at your procurement, supply chain and how sustainable it is as ISO 20400 provides you with everything that you need to know on how to manage your supply chain sustainably!

A little background on the standard…

The standard has been around for some time, but it was a British standard (BS 8903: 2010), we’ve been familiar with it for a number of years, and we’ve aligned this standard with some of our client’s environmental management systems.

Why should it be something you want to consider doing?

It could be beneficial for your organisation, not only from an operational point of view but also in terms of having a competitive advantage.

So, let’s take a look at the standard…

As we know, every single organisation on the planet has an environmental, social and economic impact regardless of the size of the organisation…

Therefore, this particular guidance document is applicable to ANY size organisation across ANY type of industry, because those impacts have an influence throughout the supply chain.

Procurement is a powerful vehicle for organisations wishing to behave in a responsible way and contribute to the sustainable development goals.

By integrating sustainability in procurement policies and practices, it helps you to be able to manage your opportunities, risks and to focus in on those sustainable, environmental, social and economic development issues.

Ultimately, sustainable procurement represents a real opportunity to improve productivity, assess value and performance throughout your supply chain, enabling communication between purchase’s, suppliers and all other key stakeholders and helps to encourage innovation.

In this episode I will cover:

[05:00] The definition of procurement and sustainable procurement within this standard.

[06:16] Drivers for sustainable procurement within your organisation.

[13:20] Clauses 1,2 and 3.

[14:05] Clause 4- Understanding the fundamentals.

[14:40] Clause 5- Integration of sustainability at a strategic level

[16:06] Clause 6- Management techniques needed to successfully implement and to continually improve sustainable procurement.

[17:00] Clause 7- Considerations for the integration into existing procurement processes.

[19:08] The key principles of sustainable procurement.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help, and we read each one.

If you’d like to get access to further information on ISO 20400, plus many other ISO Standards, check out the isologyhub which is an online membership platform, it’s a cost efficient and time effective way to implement your ISO standards and to get access to a wealth of information and guidance. There is an eLearning course you can get access to and an ISO 20400 checklist. So, if you want to find out more head over to: www.isologyhub.com

Today, we’re joined by Morgan Sindall’s Head of Information Security and Compliance Neil Binnie, to discuss the Information Security Standard ISO 27001.

Morgan Sindall has been ahead of the curb when it comes to information security having been certified to ISO 27001 for almost 3 years, but with information breaches becoming more common it’s even more vital to get ISO 27001 certified to prove you have a robust information security framework.

Neil explains the importance of information security, the new cloud security standards that are coming out, and the benefits of using ISO 27001.

Website: https://www.morgansindall.com/

You’ll learn

• The importance of information security in the construction industry.
• The benefits of using ISO 27001 as your information security framework.
• How to implement ISO 27001 within your business.
• The recent shift in mindset around data usage.
• How hackers are using supply chains to attack businesses.
• The new standards that are coming out to tackle cloud security.

Resources

• Blackmores
• Morgan Sindall Group plc

In this episode, we talk about:

[02:27] Why information security is so important in the construction industry.

[03:34] The benefits of having the ISO 27001 framework in place.

[05:28] Why supply chain security is so important.

[06:20] How a construction company can help to secure their supply chain.

[08:34] Neil’s experience implementing ISO 27001 in Morgan Sindall.

[12:43] The cloud security standards that are coming out.

[14:52] The benefits of having ISO 27001 in place prior to the Covid lockdowns.

[17:21] The incorrect assumptions people have about ISO 27001.

[18:37] The importance of having a collaborative approach when implementing ISO 27001.

If you need assistance with implementing ISO 27001 – Contact us!

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud

Today we’re joined by Senior Information Security Consultant, Steve Mason to discuss how working from home has affected our online security.

Remote working has become the norm during the pandemic and it’s proven that it can be an effective way for people to have a good work-life balance.

But with working from home comes many security risks, we need secure Wi-Fi connections, virus-free laptops, and to be working in environments where we can’t be listened in to.

Steve is an information security expert and as data security risks for homeworkers have shot up, he’s here to explain what we can do to negate this risk.

We talk about the general security risks of working remotely, and the importance of businesses taking this seriously and creating effective processes to mitigate that risk across their business...

You’ll learn

• How our approach to technology is changing.
• The increased security risks involved with working from home.
• The necessity of training your staff in home security.
• How to access our policy around virtual meeting room security.
• How to improve your home security and safety.
• How to reduce the chances of getting a virus or trojan.

Resources

• Isology Hub
• The Virtual Meeting Room Policy – Email us for a copy!

In this episode, we talk about:

[02:30] The added difficulties involved with improving remote client’s security.

[04:06] The benefits of using company devices and the security risks of using your own device and working from home.

[05:47] How to know you’re using a good VPN and adequate virus protection.

[06:36] Using a working from home policy and the benefits that can have.

[09:30] How to monitor employee’s software usage if they are working remotely.

[10:50] Issues some remote workers have with backing up their documents securely.

[12:17] The ways working from home affects your home insurance.

[14:09] The importance of fixing all security weaknesses you become aware of.

[16:56] The necessity of proper security training being given to staff working from home.

[18:38] Security in virtual meeting rooms and the policy we created around that.

[21:10] The main risks involved with working in public places like a coffee shop.

If you need assistance with implementing ISO 27001 – Contact us!

Today, we’re joined by our resident Carbonologist David Algar to discuss the seven vital steps to Carbonology.

If you’re looking for a sustainability roadmap for your business and looking to address the climate emergency while also meeting your stakeholders needs you’re in the right place.

Over the last 2 episodes Carbonoloigst David Algar and Mel have been going through ISO 14064 the Carbon Verification Standard and PAS 2060 the Carbon Neutrality Standard.

Today, David and Mel will be explaining how you can meet the requirements of both standards, gain verification, and demonstrate your business as carbon neutral.

That’s all going to be based on our game-changing route to sustainability, Carbonology.

What makes Carbonolgy unique is rather than paying lip service to the climate change emergency, Carbonolgy provides a proven methodology for sustainable success, allowing businesses to become carbon neutral and to achieve ISO standards successfully.

You’ll learn

• The seven steps of carbonology.
• How to achieve carbon neutrality.
• Why it’s cheaper to reduce your emissions rather than offset them.
• The importance of re-quantifying carbon emissions.
• How to prove you’ve offset your emissions.
• How becoming carbon neutral can benefit your shareholders.

Resources

• Carbonology

In this episode, we talk about:

[03:12] The seven steps of Carbonology to achieve carbon neutrality.

[7:54] The different options there are to verify that you are carbon neutral.

[9:07] The different areas you need to define when starting off in your Carbonology journey.

[11:45] How to quantify the emissions embedded in different products that you sell.

[14:22] What’s included in a Carbon Footprint Management Plan.

[16:50] The importance of including working from home in your scope 3 emissions.

[17:57] How long a reduction period lasts and what in involves.

[19:27] The benefits or re-quantification and how it works.

[21:14] How offsetting works as part of Carbonology.

[23:31] How making a declaration of achievement of neutrality works.

If you’d like a quote for Carbonology – Contact us!

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud

Today, we’re joined by our resident Carbonologist David Algar who shares with us everything he knows about the Carbon Neutrality Standard PAS 2060.

Customers are demanding more environmentally friendly products and services, and to remain competitive organizations need to reduce their emissions and improve their environmental records.

Having a sustainability roadmap is critical to both government and industry now and in the future.

When implementing effective climate change mitigation measures the ability to differentiate between real and false claims of carbon neutrality is absolutely critical.

If you’re looking for a credible roadmap for your sustainability journey PAS 2060 can help you cut through the cynicism and doubt and maintain trust in your ethics to manage and reduce your greenhouse gas emissions.

You’ll learn

• How to make a positive impact on the environment.
• Why a company can never be net carbon zero.
• What PAS 2060 consists of and how it helps businesses quantify and reduce emissions.
• How to build credibility and confidence with your shareholders.
• What Carbonology is and how it can help businesses become carbon neutral.
• Why it’s so important to quantify your emissions before reducing them.

Resources

• Blackmores – PAS 2060

In this episode, we talk about:

[02:13] What PAS 2060 is and how it assists companies to become carbon neutral.

[2:55] The difference between being ‘net carbon zero’ and ‘carbon neutrality’.

[3:48] The importance of quantifying and reducing your emissions.

[4:18] What carbon offsetting is and how it works.

[6:54] The main benefits for a business in adopting PAS 2060.

[7:46] What a carbon footprint management plan is and how it can help save money.

[8:50] The benefits of validating your carbon neutrality.

[10:20] How Carbonology can help businesses become carbon neutral.

If you need assistance with implementing PAS 2060 – Contact us!

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud

If businesses aren’t talking about COVID-19, they are discussing how to become carbon neutral.

To show their commitment to protecting the environment, companies are often claiming to be carbon neutral, but the issue is…where is the actual proof? Where is the credible framework that demonstrates that carbon verification?

Today we’re excited to share how to get started with introducing ISO 14064 (the carbon footprint verification standard). So, if you're looking for a sustainability roadmap for your business and are wondering where to begin, then you’re in luck as we're going to be providing you with information on that over the next couple of podcasts! We’re delighted to be joined by David Algar, our resident Carbonologist at Blackmores, over the next few podcasts as he’s going to share with you information about the international standards that everybody's talking about when it comes to demonstrating your carbon neutrality. This includes ISO 14064 for carbon footprint verification and PAS 2060 on carbon neutrality.

So, in this episode, let's kick off with ISO 14064 and find out what's it all about!

What you’ll learn:

• What is ISO 14064?
• What are upstream and downstream emissions?
• Certification methods
• Benefits of ISO 14064
• How Carbonology helps meet ISO 14064 requirements

ISO 14064 is a specification with guidance at the organisational level for the quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and their removals. So, essentially, ISO 14064 is a standard for an organisation of any type, size, quantity, or location globally to quantify its emissions of greenhouse gases, with the end product of this being the creation of a greenhouse gas inventory.

Now, let’s find out where we would begin with ISO 14064…

In ISO 14064, the standard begins with defining  the organisational boundaries and the reporting boundaries. So essentially what you're covering in your greenhouse gas inventory and what the reporting boundaries are. This will also include any exclusions you decide to make i.e. elements of your business that will not be have their associated GHGs quantified.

An organisation embarking on its sustainability roadmap could carve out part of the business. So, for example by year one the UK operations, and then have a roadmap in place so that they include other locations and services as time goes on.

David expands on the greenhouse gas inventory by highlighting that this is where you would document all your emission sources. So, they are divided up into scope one, scope two, and scope three sources. Scope one is the direct ones, so for example stationary or mobile combustion, or anything your organisation directly burns. Then it goes into scope two, which is your purchased energy (the electricity, steam, heating and cooling that you would use in the building that you own or lease). Finally going into scope three can be a bit more complicated. This would be your other indirect sources, upstream and downstream. For example, if you are a manufacturing company, the upstream emissions would be the emissions associated with activities, for example, before your products are delivered to your manufacturing or warehouse. So that would include the extraction of the raw materials, the processing, packaging, and then the transport and distribution. The upstream emissions associated with a vehicle, for example, include putting it in a cargo ship and shipping it across the world. So, once  it leaves your warehouse or plant, it would then go off to the customer. This is where you are looking at the downstream emissions, including emissions associated with the product’s use

The greenhouse gas inventory does split the scopes up for you, so you don't have to worry about memorising every single little part of the scopes! It is very useful in that aspect and it lays it out in a list for you.

Let’s take a quick dive into the vertification options for ISO 14064…

If you do decide to go for a third-party vertification from a certification board, the chances are that they're going to ask you questions on why you decided to include and exclude certain things within your greenhouse gas inventories. For example, certain operations in your business or why you have made certain exclusions. Another key element of producing greenhouse gas inventories is that you must use emission factors. These are how you quantify and convert, for example kilowatts, into tonnes of Co2 equivalent. So, the certification body may ask you why you've chosen to use a certain metric. That’s why it would always be a very good idea to document these choices, as you may be asked about them. So, in essence, this provides complete transparency on your carbon emissions across the organisation because you've justified the reason for including or excluding them.

Now, moving on to some of the benefits of ISO 14064…

Because it's an ISO standard and internationally recognised, it provides a reliable and proven framework for quantifying your emissions. So as a result of this, this helps identify individual sources of emissions and enables you to identify the biggest source of emissions, energy usage, and vehicle usage. Therefore, you can use it to identify areas for improvement by setting targets. However, the result of going down this road is that once you've implemented those improvements, it can actually save you costs in many instances, for instance through lower energy usage.

Another benefit is that it helps demonstrate your public commitment to environmental protection. This is excellent for your corporate image and CSR. Combined with third-party verification, it really does help show you are committed to environmental protection, and you're not just pursuing this activity for greenwashing purposes.

It can also be a tendering requirement for a lot of new businesses as it can support a lot of governmental requirements. So, it can be a framework to help you support any mandatory reporting of emissions, such as the SECR (Streamline Energy and Carbon Reporting) and ESOS (Energy Saving Opportunities Scheme) which are requirements essentially based on quantifying emissions and energy usage. So, if you've implemented ISO 14064, you've (almost) already built that framework to help you with the data collection and data presentation that you'll need for the SECR and ESOS reporting.

One thing which makes ISO 14064 very different from any of the ISO standards that we have implemented over the last 15 years at Blackmores is the fact that you don't actually get certification to this standard. It's classed as a verification, which has options for self-verification and third-party verification.

There are three main tiers to it, let’s find out what they are.

The first tier is the self-verification method, where you essentially pour over the data yourself and decide internally within your company that you’re happy to publish this publicly. Although, this is slightly less credible because your company is essentially verifying itself. The second level to that is a second-party verification, where you get an external body (such as Blackmores) to go over the data and essentially audit you on it. But what is generally regarded as the most credible is a third-party certification, the third tier. This would be done through a UKAS accredited certification body (such as BSI, or NQA). This method demonstrates confidence to all your stakeholders that the verification has been done properly because an independent third party has approved it.

Unlike certificates to management system standards like ISO 14001 (where they're valid for three years). This is just valid for the period that you've actually defined within the scope. So, that could be a period of 12 months, then you would have to go through the re-verification process.

We do have a podcast coming up on Carbonology which focuses on the process to meet the requirements of ISO 14064 and PAS 2060 to be carbon neutral…so, let’s get a sneak peek and find out how Carbonology might help with meeting the requirements of ISO 14064.

Carbonology is based on a seven-step process to help an organisation become carbon neutral. The first step of Carbonology is the Quantify stage. This is where ISO 14064 comes in because this is where you would essentially quantify and document all your greenhouse gas emission sources for scope one, two, and three. So, essentially, ISO 14064 really does form the bedrock of the Carbonology service.

That’s it for today, watch out for our future blogs as we'll be joining David on the next podcast where we'll be talking all about the next stage in your journey to becoming carbon neutral.

ISO Standards provide a framework to help businesses manage various aspects of their activities. Whether that’s quality, risk, environmental or Information Security management, they provide invaluable guidance to establish an effective Management System. 

However, for those who are new to ISO Standards, the Standards themselves can seem rather intimidating to interpret.

Back in 2015, the Annex SL format was introduced to provide a common high-level structure for Management Systems. With 10 clauses now common in most widely adopted ISO Standards, it can still be a bit difficult to understand exactly how these all work together.

Today Ian Battersby will explain how ISO Standard clauses work in tandem to create a cohesive cycle, from context of the organisation through to Improvement.   

You’ll learn

·      What is the high-level structure?

·      What are ISO Standards structured this way?

·      How do ISO Standard clauses interconnect?

·      How does this apply to Quality Management?

Resources

·      Isologyhub

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:30] Join the isologyhub – To get access to a suite of ISO related tools, training and templates. Simply head on over to isologyhub.com to either sign-up or book a demo.

[02:05] Episode summary: Ian will be discussing the interconnectedness of clauses, which basically just means explaining the key links between the clauses and how that applies to your management system.    

[02:40] High level structure – 10 years ago, Annex SL was introduced to create a common framework for ISO Standards. Today, Ian will focus on ISO 9001 as that really is the grandfather of all Management System Standards. ISO 9001 includes elements which are applied to most commonly adopted ISO Standards, and sets the scene in terms of how the clauses link together.

[03:20] Why are ISO Standards structured this way? – On their surface, ISO Standards can seem very repetitive in the way that they’re written, but there is a good reason for that.

There are all based around the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle.

[04:10] What is the Plan Do Check Act cycle? – This is a simple process that all Management System Standards adhere to.

So you start with a ‘Plan’ to establish objectives, the resources which you need to deliver results, you identify risks and opportunities. From that point you fulfil the ‘Do’ part through Implementation and using the Management System.

From there you ‘Check’ so you monitor against the policies, objectives and any other requirements. Basically monitor against what you said you'd do and then you ‘Act’ if you find anything that needs to change, you make that change and you improve as an organisation and you improve that management system.

[05:00] A logical path – Management System Standards are designed in such a way that they flow from one clause to the other. One cannot exist without the other.

[05:20] How does Clause 4 Context of the Organisation link with Clause 6 Planning? – As clause 4 Context of the Organisation states:

 ‘external and internal issues relevant to your purpose and strategic direction…

…and that affect your ability to achieve intended results’

The scope of your management system depends entirely on this.

The world in which you operate - what you buy, the people you employ, what you make, who you sell to, the laws you follow…

Clause 4 also requires us to identify all interested parties (which we’ll address later!).

With careful planning, you can align documentation you develop for one clause with other clauses.

Clause 4 doesn’t tell us how we should work out our context, but it provides some very good clues

·      NOTE 1 Issues can include positive and negative factors

·      NOTE 2 Understand the external context by considering issues arising from legal, technological, competitive, market, cultural, social and economic environments

So they’re not saying how to do it, but they’ve said what you can consider

This sounds a lot like a traditional SWOT/PESTLE analysis…

If we skip to Clause 6, Planning, the first thing we must do when we plan is to identify actions to address risks and opps

A SWOT will mean you’ve covered these elements, consider the following =

·      Weakness = Risk

·      Threat = Risk

·      Opportunity = Opportunity

We can similarly view the PESTLE in the same light.

So you can see that with careful planning, as mentioned you can align documentation for one clause with other clauses.

[10:00] How does Clause 6 link with Clause 7 & 8? – Skipping from Clause 6.1

If you’ve identified what might go wrong (aka - risk), you need to plan to ensure it doesn’t happen again. That may involve a single improvement action, which is linked to clause 10 (funnily enough, Improvement)

It may be that you need something bigger, involving many steps, over a period of time, say an objective (clause 6.2)?

So, the planning of objectives links directly to the context of the organisation, the world in which you operate. It may be that you need an operational control to mitigate risk, a process or procedure that helps to manage the situation as a business as usual situation (clause 7 documented info and clause 8, operation)

So the planning of processes and procedures links directly to the context of the organisation, the world in which you operate. In all these circumstances, it’s the same for opportunities, except you’re putting in place measures to take advantage of the opportunities.

[13:05] Join the isologyhub and get access to limitless ISO resources  – From as little as £99 a month, you can have unlimited access to hundreds of online training courses and achieve certification for completion of courses along the way, which will take you from learner to practitioner to leader in no time. Simply head on over to the isologyhub to sign-up or book a demo.

[15:10] Clause 7 Support and related links – Moving through the standard, clause 7.4 relates to Communications.

You need to determine internal and external communications relevant to the QMS (for 9001). In clause 4, you would have looked at interested parties (i.e. stakeholders). You need to determine who affects the way in which you operate and what they need/expect from you. Parties to consider include:

·      Customers

·      Employees

·      Shareholders

·      Suppliers

·      Regulators

·      Neighbours

·      Media

So, by Clause 7 you will have already identified who’s interested and what interests them, so it’s only a small step to add to this the communications plan.  ISO 9001 doesn’t ask for one specifically, but it’s a good way to fulfil the requirements of clause 7.3.

Clause 7 also mentions Monitoring and measuring resources (7.1.5).  This is a very brief clause, but central to establishing the means for demonstrating performance.

We need reliable results when monitoring or measuring is used to verify the conformity of products and services to requirements, i.e. do we do what we say we do?

Clause 7.5 requires us to document how we do things.  Again it’s very brief in its requirements (leaves it up to you to decide), but clause 8 is all about operation – which is the way you do things.

It’s much more specific about understanding what the customer wants, designing it correctly, controlling changes, making it, delivery and addressing issues.

This is what you measure: 7.1.5 requires you to ensure you can measure, 7.5 requires you to document how you do things, 8 requires you to do things according to the way you’ve said you will.

[20:10] Clause 9 Performance Evaluation and related links – Moving onto Clause 9, Performance Evaluation, again risk appears.  We’ve already assessed risk right at the start, now we evaluate whether we’ve successfully controlled risk.

We decide what to audit based on the level of risk attached to certain controls (policies, procedures, processes…). We’ve set objectives based on risks and opportunities and now we must measure performance.

We’ve put in place operational controls to mitigate risk (clause 8) and now we measure whether those controls work.

[21:30] Clause 10 Improvement and related links – This one is fairly self-evident. If something goes wrong, find out why and put it right and make sure it doesn’t happen again. Look at your system and continually improve based on your evaluations in Clause 9.

If you’d like to book a demo for the isologyhub, simply contact us and we’d be happy to give you a tour.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

●     Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin

●     Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud | Mailing List

A question that we get every single time somebody asks about an ISO standard is ‘how long does it take to implement an ISO’, or ‘how long does it take to get certified to an ISO’?

In this episode, you’re going to find out what you need to take into consideration when it comes to timescales for implementing and getting certified to an ISO standard. ISO 14001 (the environmental standard) will be used as an example, but don’t worry -this can be applied to most other ISO standards.

So, are you looking to help your business? Create a system for success? To be kind to the planet, and improve your company's brand reputation? Then we're going to be talking about realistic timescales for making this happen.

If you're ready to implement an Environmental Management System (EMS) to help reduce your company's damage to the climate, then you're in the right place!

First and foremost, make sure you download our FREE ISO standards blueprint here. This helps you to plan, create and launch your EMS, ready for getting certified.

Now, let's dive into finding out about timescales for your ISO project!

What you'll learn:

• Timescales for your ISO project
• The different variables involved with an ISO project
• Scope of your certification
• The assessment processes

The short and sweet answer is that most businesses take between 6 to 12 months to get certified. But it depends on the size of your organisation and the complexity of it.

Let’s get to know the different variables involved with this project because there is actually a way that you can implement any EMS in a much quicker timescale (we have had companies that have achieved this in less than three months!). And in fact, you can achieve this also by going to www.isologyhub.com (our new online portal), where you can go at your own pace.

The main thing is to have a clear plan, which is well organised and disciplined. It's worthwhile optimising both your internal and external resources. That would include your environmental champions, or your ISO coach (if you have one) if you're looking at using the isology hub as well because that could have a detrimental impact on the timescales allowed. So, if you're wondering what you should be doing, then it's definitely worthwhile either getting help from someone that does know what they're doing or finding other people within the business who have a bit more knowledge about environmental management and ISO 14001.

Now for larger organisations, it can take longer. You may take up to 12 months or even longer than that. What you need to do is consider breaking the project down into incremental phases. So, let's say you had 10 locations across the globe. You may decide to break that down into incremental phases so that you get certain locations certified in year one, and then you can have other locations included in the scope of certification in years two and three. So, don't think that you have to implement an EMS and get certified across all locations and services. You can go at your own pace. But ultimately, the scope would be for whatever you have set in your objectives for achieving implementation. What we do find is that some businesses implement an EMS across the entire organisation, but they might just get certified for a part of that business (this covered in a previous episode, where we look at assessments and getting quotes for certification as well!).

Remember you can extend your scope of certification at any time. It can be revisited at the annual surveillance visits that you get. Ultimately you want to build your ambitions, your objectives, and your targets for environmental management and achieving certification into your sustainability roadmap.

Now, it was mentioned earlier that you could fast-track creating an EMS, but you do need to establish a time to gather evidence and make sure that the system is working and is effective. So, when you're planning your launch just make sure that you're effectively targeting all key stakeholders (all stakeholders must be aware of this). And the general rule of thumb is to allow three months past the launch to make sure that your system is fully established because when it comes to certification, your certification body will expect to see some evidence and records. So, let's say, within your EMS you say that you have provided training for employees. You need to be able to show the evidence of that on the records and that doesn't happen overnight (obviously). So, with monitoring and measuring information on your environmental footprint, you need to allow time to do that. Ultimately what you're doing is proving that you ‘walk the walk’, and you will allow plenty of time to demonstrate that you're serious about reducing your company's environmental footprint.

Finally, one of the things that a lot of businesses don't really take into consideration is the time allowed for the assessment.  Make sure that you have briefed your employees ahead of the dates of an assessment. Essentially, ensure you consider the timescales for your stage one and stage two assessments.

Let’s find out what’s involved in the assessment process…

Typically stage one is completed first, and then stage two could be within a few weeks or up to a couple of months after. You need to manage timescales so you can go through stage two relatively quickly. You just need to allow a few days in case there are any findings and if you need to implement any corrective action! Once you’ve completed the assessment, you're not actually formally certified as an organisation. There’s a due diligence process that takes place behind the scenes with the certification body, and it can even take several weeks before you actually get a copy of the certificate. Try and factor that into your overall planning, if you're looking at having a communications plan for celebrating your success, that's why six months is typically a good timescale.

A final factor to bear in mind is that if you've already got a management system in place, you could potentially fast-track the integration of ISO 14001 if you're developing an integrated management system.

Now, hopefully, that’s been helpful to you for implementing an EMS and getting certified to ISO 14001.

Remember the isology hub is now live, so feel free to join as a member to get access to all the support that you need on our online membership portal. It's the one and only go-to place for all things ISO. We've got video tutorials, check sheets, quick wins, and we've even got a module on timescales as part of the Planning stage. We take you through all seven stages of isology, in the isology hub. There's everything that you need in there to create, launch, and build your ISO system for success. So head over to www.isologyhub.com!

And finally, don't forget your FREE ISO standards blueprint here, where we cover timescales and there's even a planner within it on timescales which you can use to get your ISO management system kick-started.

Today Mel Blackmore is joined by David Ball, the CEO and founder of Brandfuel, a leading event management company. David's here to tell us all about Brandfuel and its sustainability journey. It's an inspirational and interesting story to hear about this journey and their experience of implementing ISO 20121, the sustainable event management standards.

First and foremost, let’s find out more about Brandfuel! 

Brandfuel is a creative events agency, and they specialise in creating experiences which can be anything from very different types of virtual events, broadcast programmes, exhibitions, conferences, demos, dinners, to award ceremonies. The key thing about Brandfuel as an organisation is that they work hard with clients over a long-term period to translate their business needs and objectives into measurable results for their business.

Brandfuel started with some incredible clients; David has been working with Google for the last 18 years before he even started the company. They have a phenomenally strong class of clients ranging from companies like Slack, Stripe, Snapchat, BlackRock, Barclays and Deloitte and of course, Google and YouTube.

Now let’s find out about David’s thoughts on sustainability in the events industry…

What you’ll learn:

• Sustainability in the events industry
• How did Brandfuel adapt business during the pandemic?
• How did Brandfuel manage the transformation of physical events to virtual events?
• Benefits of ISO 20121

Sustainability in the events industry

David believes that transport travel accounts for the majority of the carbon emissions at Brandfuel. It's almost an impossible scenario to imagine if you take the travel away in the events industry. But it has to be measured and mitigated. David is confident that there will be substantial changes following this year of very little travel. He was typically required to take an excess of 100 flights a year, and last year…he flew twice!

So, that's the big elephant in the room in Brandfuel as 75% of the job is related to travel and transport in some way.

However, there are some simple things that can be done to create a change. But you need your clients on board with you to make this change happen. David is happy to say that they're past what was an attitude within clients when they wanted to be seen as ‘doing the right thing’. But actually, if it cost more money, they wouldn't take action. And now they are in a new realm where clients not only want to be seen doing the right thing, but they also actively want to be able to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability now and in the future, and they're willing to pay for it. So, Brandfuel seems to be heading into a very exciting journey, where sustainability is on the clients requirement list of what they want from an agency to deliver for them.

So now before we dive into ISO 20121, the sustainable event management standard, let’s find out how Brandfuel adapted during the pandemic. The pandemic was a major upheaval in the events industry, yet Brandfuel managed to achieve certification to ISO 20121. So, let’s understand how Brandfuel made it happen.

How did Brandfuel adapt business during the pandemic?

David is accurate in saying it's been a quite catastrophic year! But it's also been an exciting year.

The adaptation was really quick. They decided, instantaneously that switch to working online. So, they had to learn about arranging virtual events, and to become a broadcast business they had to learn every facet of broadcast as quickly as possible. They were fortunate in being agile and they were very quick to practice.

David set up some vehicles to help Brandfuel achieve this. One of which was an internal brand called Fuel Studios, which was the overarching umbrella that allowed Brandfuel to play, train, learn and get as much experience in broadcast as possible within the bounds of the agency to then be able to use it for clients.

They did things like turn company meetings into broadcasts and events into shows, and they started segmentizing. So, for example, they would mimic in a short video someone sharing their home with them and practice the filming, the editing and other interesting things like using triggered audio and watermarking on mobile devices to add content into video via broadcasts. So, some really clever stuff!

They also arranged a ‘lockdown low-down’, which was getting everyone at home to video what they were up to during lockdown. The studio also learned to design three-dimensional virtual sets. They also learned about green screens, lighting, camera work, multi-camera work and camera tracking -they did everything! And it really proved so useful because within a few months, they were given an incredible opportunity with an existing client to organise the global planning summit with three and a half thousand attendees. It was super complicated, massive scale, and very quick, but it gave them a lot of confidence, and they never looked back.

This really is incredible, just talk about diversification and innovation!

So, moving onto 20121 then…let’s find out how Brandfuel diversified in terms of the actual events that they were running, to then switch to online events via investment.

How did Brandfuel manage the transformation of physical events to virtual events?

David reveals that this was quite tricky! First and foremost, they needed to find a suitable set of events to be mentioned. They needed a balance of some in person and the actual event deliveries. This needed permissions from clients, and it needed a lot more planning. So, the first one they were fortunate with was the annual event for VGC partners, the world's largest electronic data brokerage. It's their charity day on September 11th and it's a recognition of all the staff that they lost in the Twin Towers tragedy. It's a very emotional and important day for them and regularly they would raise between $10 to $12 million in a day.

They achieve this by having almost 100 celebrities appear on the trading floor in London, and trade with their clients over the phone. Now, to do that virtually was a challenge in itself, but David reveals that the client was willing to give it a go. Brandfuel had a big team that had to go on site and fortunately, VGC had relocated from their building. So, Brandfuel was able to use this building to social distance and managed to bring celebrities in virtually to have video conversations with BDCs clients who were also virtual. This gave them access to talent that they never got physically. They had Kelly Osborne attend virtually, along with famous cricketers and golfers. So, it was very different, and it worked really well as they raised phenomenal $10 million, with only 25 celebrities!

So, now that Brandfuel is certified to ISO 20121, let’s find out what David identifies as some of the benefits of this standard...

Benefits of ISO 20121

Well, David believes that the benefits are huge! He identifies the obvious benefit to be that they are now commercially classified as being an agency that can be trusted to work to the highest standards in sustainability This is helpful for them as David believes this is going to be one of the biggest buying signals and cues that clients will show in the future. The other key thing for Brandfuel now is management systems; their internal management systems have improved so much. That gives them an incredibly strong platform to build on and to keep building.

David believes that ISO certification comes down to focus and to allocate the right amount of resources internally. It is a time commitment and resource commitment, but when you manage this and really stand behind as a business, it runs incredibly smoothly.

Brandfuel has successfully brought ISO standards into its DNA because it's part of the fuelling station, which in effect is their ‘go-to’ place within the business; it’s their intranet. The fuelling station as their intranet has been incredibly important currently as they’re all working from home. So, they made sure that all those management systems were fully integrated into new processes, and this meant being fully integrated into their communication processes. Their fuelling station was the centre of that, so they can really use it as a resource.

Brandfuel are also currently in the process of implementing ISO 27001 Blackmores. The ISO 27001 progress is going really well, and straight after that they’re going to implement the Health & Safety, ISO 45001 standard. This will open new sectors and new opportunities for Branfuel commercially.

That’s it from David! We hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know his journey and inspirational stories.

There are many resources to consider if you are planning to implement ISO 14001 to ensure that the project is successful, including time, people, finance, infrastructure, technology, and suppliers.

The resources you’ll learn about in this episode includes:

• Time
• People
• Finance
• Infrastructure
• Technology
• Suppliers

Time

The amount of time you spend on the Environmental Management system (EMS) will pay back in dividends once you’ve achieved certification. So, if you apply minimal effort and commitment, that’s what you’ll get out at the end! You need to allow time for how much waste your business is producing and the environmental life cycle analysis of your products and services, so that you have an easy to manage EMS. 

People

The most successful 14001 projects involve leadership commitment, a project leader, and environmental champions.

Let’s find out exactly what this means…

Project leads: The project lead will be responsible for planning, creating, implementing, compliance, and the overall delivery of the implementation project. The isology hub is a great place for the project leader to gain a deeper understanding of ISO 14001!

Environmental champions: It can be tremendously valuable to have a group of people who are passionate about helping to make your company more environmentally friendly. It works really well if you can get a cross-representation from across the key functions within your business.

Finance

One of the aims of the isology hub is to provide a low-cost ‘Do it yourself’ (DIY) solution to implementing an ISO 14001 EMS. Should you find that you are struggling for time, and have extra budget for support, then there is an option to upgrade your membership to the ‘ISO Coach’ level. This is a fantastic opportunity for you to have an ISO Coach for 6 months to take you through the seven isology steps, or you may simply wish to outsource to a consultancy firm such as Blackmores UK Ltd, the team behind isology.

Infrastructure

Through implementing an EMS, your aim is to reduce costs associated with your buildings, activities, equipment, and supply chain. Many opportunities for reductions are no-cost or low-cost solutions i.e., ‘Switch-off’ Campaign, switching to renewable energy, printing double-sided, or (even better) not printing at all!

Technology

Try and use the current technology you already have within your business to your advantage i.e., communications channels and apps. Some organisations choose to implement software to assist them. 

And now finally…

Suppliers

Many of your suppliers will be able to provide essential support and evidence to support your environmental initiatives. These can include facilities management and waste management, for example.

If you would like any help implementing ISO 14001, then make sure to sign up to the isology hub waitlist. This is a game-changing innovation in the ISO standards field. All the resources that you need on ISO 14001 will be available on www.isologyhub.com.

And let’s not forget your FREE ISO standards blueprint to kick start your EMS! You can download this here.

The aim of this episode is to have a clear plan for your ISO System for Success – from choosing the ISO Standard, to branding and establishing a place where everyone can access the system – so that you can move onto creating your ISO System.

You’ll learn about:

• Setting your expectations
• Deciding which ISO standard(s) and scope
• Getting leadership buy-in
• Resourcing
• Choosing a certification body
• Creating a Project Plan
• Deciding on branding of your ISO system
• Establishing a ‘home’ for your system
• Creating a Communications Plan
• Identifying your current level of compliance

1. Set your expectations

• Clarify why you want to achieve an ISO certification
• Identify what you’ve already got in place
• Decide on your goals for the set time
• Shortlist which ISO Standard (s) to implement
• Decide whether ISO Certification is the right choice

1. Decide which ISO Standard(s) and scope

• Research your standards options
• Identify what your stakeholders are seeking reassurance for
• Brainstorm where your operational weaknesses are
• Where do you need to raise standards within your business?
• What would be beneficial from a Sales and Marketing perspective?
• Establish the scope of your system
• Decide what your scope of certification will be

1. Get leadership buy-in

• Validate your ISO initiative
• Present the benefits and ROI
• Establish timescales and resources

1. Resourcing

• Establish project sponsor
• Establish a project lead
• Establish your ISO Champions
• Consider getting assistance i.e., at isologyhub.com

1. Choosing a Certification body

• Get quotes from an accredited Certification body
• Review the costs of certification over the 3 years your certificate is valid.
• Check if the Certification body has experience in your sector for the standard you are interested in.

1. Create a Project Plan

• Establish roles, responsibilities, accountabilities
• Establish Project milestones
• Decide on timescales for project milestones
• Identify key dependencies

1. Decide on the branding of your ISO system

• Decide how you want to position your system within the company
• Choose a name for your system
• Choose your system branding

1. Establish a ‘home’ for your system

• Where will your system live?
• Identify how employees will access the system
• Decide if the system is to be integrated with other systems
• Determine how you would like employees to get the most from the system

1. Create a Communications Plan

• Establish what you are going to communicate, when, how, and with whom
• Brainstorm ideas for your Launch
• Start to consider the communication of your success once your company has achieved certification.

1. Identify your current level of compliance

• Purchase a copy of the ISO Standard
• Review your company policies and procedures against the requirements of the standard
• Create an Action Plan with responsibilities and timelines for the completion of tasks.

Hopefully, that's helped understand what's involved at the planning stage of introducing an EMS.

If you would like any help implementing ISO 14001, then make sure to sign up to the isology hub waitlist! This is going to be a game-changer in the ISO standards field, which is why we won the support of the UK government through their sustainable innovation grant. All the resources that you need on ISO 14001 will be available on www.isologyhub.com. So, click on the link to join the waitlist to be notified of when you can get access to our online membership portal. It is the go-to place for all things ISO. We've got video tutorials, check sheets, quick wins, eLearning courses, and just about everything you need to create, launch and build your ISO system for success.

Don't forget to download your FREE ISO standards blueprint here to get your EMS kick started!

Today Mel Blackmore is joined by Richard Turner, the Head of Asset Management at Greater Anglia, a train operating company in the UK.

We're going to be talking about his journey in relation to asset management and ISO 55001. Greater Anglia have been certified to this standard for a few years now, and they're a bit of a trendsetter, as far as asset management and certification to ISO 55001 is concerned.

What you’ll learn:

• What is Asset Management?
• What made Greater Anglia consider ISO 55001?
• Tackling the challenge of total buy-in
• Coordinating with stakeholders
• Benefits for Greater Anglia

First of all, let’s talk about what Greater Anglia is and does…

What does Greater Anglia do?

Greater Anglia was one of the first train operating companies to embark on a full repairing lease in 2012. That means having a full responsibility as opposed to the normal setup (with Network Rail as the landlord and the train operating company as a tenant). It was a first for a train operating company to have their own Asset Management Department and it was a really big deal for a lot of those that joined asset management. Richard came from Network Rail, doing asset management in a department where a train operating company was leading from an asset management point of view.

Let’s get to know more about Richard’s background…

Richard joined Network Rail around the year 2000. He was an asset manager at the start, and then the senior asset manager, soon after becoming a root asset manager – he went right through the asset management field! So, when the Greater Anglia job came around in 2012, Richard jumped at it because it was a massive new challenge for him, as it was a new thing for a train operating company to start off with an Asset Management Department which never existed before.

Now for those of you who aren't actually familiar with asset management, let’s take a moment to understand what it is and why it’s important to an organisation…

Asset Management

From the asset management side for Greater Anglia, they look after the stations, depots, all the assets within the station demise that sit under their responsibility, maintain, renew, enhance and they look at longevity. They see themselves literally from inception to completion…they are like a landlord effectively. From an asset management point, it’s really, really key that they are involved every step of the way from design to construction essentially. It's an interesting role that is very varied. One day you could get involved in the refurbishment of a waiting room, then the next day, you would be discussing a brand-new station that's going to be built. It's so varied and what Richard loves about his job is that every day is so different.

It’s safe to say he definitely needs to work in collaboration with lots of different stakeholders in this role!

And that's a key point, actually…Richard tells us that one thing you learn through asset management is how to meet the expectations of your stakeholders, how you have performed, and what their expectations are. So, the stakeholder internally and externally is vital for any business to succeed. Because if you haven't got the buy-in of your stakeholders, then you're going to really struggle.

Now let's dive into ISO 55001…

What made Greater Anglia consider ISO 55001?

Striving for excellence, once the franchise agreement was in place, Richard was keen to set a high standard and embed Asset Management ‘Best practice’ into the DNA of the organisation.  ISO 55001 was the ideal framework for this.

So, let’s find out how Greater Anglia went about tackling the challenge of achieving certification…

Tackling the challenge

There was a massive change of direction in everything Greater Anglia did with regards to presentations, training, updating their process strategy and getting everybody's buy-in, and inductions in what they do within the company. Richard thinks they got this from the ISO standard itself -in terms of the structure of how it was set out and what they did going forward.

The improvement within the team at Greater Anglia and the structure are more defined. And even the line of sight, when it goes right up to the managing director and down to the person at the station…you can see that link. Richard sees this as the most impressive part. At one point, when going on an ISO audit with BSI (British Standards Institution), they were speaking to a member of staff at a ticket office and asked him ‘Do you know much about asset management and the asset management system here?’…And he said ‘Yes!’. This really goes to show that how far it filters down.

It definitely is very challenging to ensure everyone is on the same page. But it’s so rewarding when you see it happening. At Greater Anglia, they learned so many lessons from when they started, they were in such a different position to where they are now. Richard sees this as a massive learning curve for them!

What’s interesting is that Greater Anglia has a broad range of different suppliers. So, let’s find out how having structure, policies and systems in place helped to coordinate operations with stakeholders…

Coordinating with stakeholders

When they started the franchise in 2012, they’d inherited the existing asset management system via Network Rail. Stakeholder engagement and collaboration were key, so to encourage feedback they liaised with various parties to ask the question about the current systems, ‘what do you want it to do for you?’ this included their commercial team, project team, assets team, and so on. This resulted in constructive feedback which helped Greater Anglia to initiate various improvements. Their supply chain now is very consistent, and there's a link to their system with regards to reactive and renewals, etc.

So, let’s find out what benefits Greater Anglia have seen as a result of having that asset management system in place...

Benefits for Greater Anglia

Richard reveals that prior to setting up their new system, everything was managed so differently. Now they have one big unit that manages all assets. So, information with regards to surveys, renewals, stakeholder projects, or third party is all linked. Whereas before, it would have been harder to manage…now, it's all unified.

This clearly saves Greater Anglia a lot of time by having information at their fingertips, together with knowing how it all connects with other areas of the business

Now finally, let’s see what kind of hints and tips Richard has for individuals that are responsible for asset management within an organisation and are considering implementing ISO 55001 and some kind of framework to have that structure.

Richard sees it as absolutely crucial that you find somebody (like Blackmores!) to help you, as they will guide you through the process. You need someone to look at your setup, and how your structure and strategy are, etc so they can tell you what you need and how to improve. The daunting part is actually looking at the standard as a technical specification and wondering ‘how is this going to be interpreted for our business?’ and so that’s how Blackmores helped.

Greater Anglia is now up to its third year of recertification, which is just fantastic!

If you're wondering where to begin with strengthening your environmental credentials, a great way to do this is to implement ISO 14001. This is a world-leading standard for businesses on environmental management.

In the last episode, I shared with you what an environmental Management System (EMS) is. So, if you haven't heard that yet, I'd recommend that you have a quick listen before listening to this one because it's essential listening, it provides an overview of what an EMS is.

Now, I'm going to just provide a high-level overview of ISO 14001. But if you'd like to get all the resources on implementing ISO 14001, then the isology hub membership is the place to go. It has everything that you need, including video tutorials, downloads, workbooks, check sheets, and also a stack of training classes as well to help you to create your very own bespoke ISO 14001 compliant EMS. We're super excited to be launching this game-changer in ISO standards. So, if you don't want to miss out, go over to the membership site, which is www.isologyhub.com to join the waitlist, and don’t forget to download our free ISO Standards Blueprint here, which provides you with all the information that you need on the key steps to plan, create, launch and get certified to an ISO standard.

Let's dive into ISO 14001!

What you’ll learn:

• The purpose of ISO 14001 and why it exists.
• The structure of the standard (including the key clauses)
• Key ISO 14001 principles
• Key benefits of ISO 14001

Let's start right back at the beginning…

Key purpose of ISO 14001

• This standard is a specification. It's a document that you can purchase online, which provides a framework for actually building an EMS

• An EMS is to provide a framework to help support any organisation to improve its overall environmental performance and provide a sound basis for sustainable development initiatives.​

• It's designed to embrace continual improvement, and enhance operational performance, which is similar to any other ISO standard. So, if you've already got an ISO standard in place, the chances are that you're in a really good position to integrate the elements of ISO 14001 because there are quite a lot of similarities.

The structure of ISO 14001

• The first 3 clauses within the standard are actually auditable.
• Clause 4 is all about understanding your organisation and its context.
• Clause 5 is leadership commitment. This is all about leadership and commitment, roles, responsibilities and authorities.
• Clause 6 is the planning stage, which is all about addressing actions to mitigate risks, and enhancing your opportunities as well.
• Clause 7 is called support. This is actually around things like resources, both physical, processes, facilities, competence, and awareness.
• Clause 8 is all about operations. So, these are your operational controls for reducing your environmental footprint, and also having controls in place for things like emergency preparedness, and how you respond to an environmental incident.
• Clause 9 is performance evaluation. So, once you've got your operational controls in place, it's really important that you evaluate the effectiveness of those controls.
• Finally, clause 10 is the improvement clause that focuses on non-conformity, corrective action, and continual improvement​.

So, by just running through that briefly, you'll probably be thinking, “oh yeah, well we've got that and yep we've got that too”…but it might just not cover environmental management. So, that's where you need to make those tweaks and changes.

For those of you that aren't familiar with ISO standards you might be thinking, “well that's pretty comprehensive”. And yes, it is actually! It does provide you with a holistic framework for managing environmental performance.

Key principles of ISO 14001

Now, looking at the key principles then of ISO 14001…ultimately, it's down to:

• Protecting the environment by preventing or mitigating adverse environmental impacts​
• Mitigating the potential adverse effect of environmental conditions on the organization​
• Assisting the organisation in the fulfilment of compliance obligations​
• Enhancing environmental performance​
• Controlling and/or influencing product and services design, manufacturing, distribution, consumption, and disposal, using a life cycle perspective​

​

So, those are the fundamental principles of ISO 14001. If you’re focusing on achieving certification to this standard, then you really need to focus on clauses 4 to 10 of the standard. These are the elements that are implemented within your business and they are the areas that the independent third-party body will be looking at when it comes to your stage one and stage two assessment.

There’s a lot more advice and information on that over at www.isologyhub.com, which provides a full list of the key and essential documents, what is desirable and provides examples of those using templates, guidance, and training.

So, to wrap up…

What are the benefits of ISO 14001?

• Reduced costs due to less wastage​
• Simplified and effective documentation​
• Improved sales and marketing opportunities​
• Improved communication and morale company-wide​
• The acquisition of a symbol representing the internationally recognised environmental standard ISO 14001.​

​

If you'd like all the resources needed to implement ISO 14001 yourself or if you'd like to join one of our ISO 14001 six-month coaching programmes, we've got seven places available! So, head over to www.isologyhub.com to find out more, and don’t forget to download your FREE ISO Standards Blueprint here. 

I look forward to catching up with you on the next episode, where I'm going to be sharing with you how to plan your ISO 14001 implementation project!

 An exciting announcement about a game-changer in the world of ISO standards was made in the last episode….which was about the isology hub!

Let’s have a little reminder…

What is the isology hub?

It's a Netflix version of unlimited ISO standards support, which includes videos, checklists, sample policies, templates, plus many other things such as eLearning courses! You’ll get access to binge-worthy content to help you raise your game and take your business to the next level.

So, what is it that makes the isology hub such a game-changer you ask?

Well, it's a game-changer because it provides a DIY (do it yourself) solution to implementing an ISO standard. Our inaugural ISO Roadmap is for an Environmental Management System (EMS). So, in effect, it’s a roadmap for you to implement an ISO 14001 EMS.

Over the next few episodes, I'm going to be sharing with you some of the topics that we cover in the isology hub in terms of ISO 14001. We have an ISO 14001 roadmap, and we kick off by explaining what an EMS is, and we feature step by step, specific actions that you can take to make your business more sustainable and take it to the next level!

But before I kick off with explaining what an EMS is in this episode, I’d just like to announce that we have an awesome ebook guide for your ISO project.

And it's free of charge!

It's called the ISO Standards Blueprint simply go to isologyhub.com to download it for free. The great thing about it is that it's a guide for any ISO standard. So that's why the ISO Standards Blueprint is a blueprint for implementing any ISO standard.

Now, let's dive into explaining what an EMS actually is…

What is an EMS?

• An EMS is a blueprint for how you run your business sustainably and be kinder to the planet.
• It provides a framework (a home) for your policies and procedures
• Helps you to identify and reduce its impact on the environment.
• A system to optimise your resources to be as efficient as possible
• Leads to reduced operational costs, and therefore increase in bottom-line profitability.

So…what is actually inside an EMS?

• Policies
• Procedures
• Documents
• Records

Which documents must you include?

• Where the standards say ‘SHALL’ you must obey….
• Scope and boundaries of the EMS (4.3)
• Environmental Policy (5.2)
• Environmental Aspects and Impacts (6.1.2)
• Compliance obligations (6.1.3)
• Environmental Objectives (6.2)

And…

• Documented information determined by your organisation as being necessary for the effectiveness of the Environmental management system.

Examples of Documented Information include:

• Aspects and Impacts Register  - captures your environmental footprint
• Roles and responsibilities – Who does what
• Operational procedures – How things are done
• Core ISO System procedures – document control, communication, Management Review, Internal audit – these all help you keep on top of the management of your business.
• Environmental legal register
• Risk Register
• Environmental objectives/KPI’s
• Environmental Policy
• Metrics to monitor and measure  – what do you need to monitor and measure that will help shift the needle in the direction you want to go.
• Meeting minutes
• Samples / Supplier records

In Summary…What can an EMS help with?

• Assign roles and responsibilities, and see exactly where there are bottlenecks,
• Ensure value-adding monitoring, measurement, and analysis of data, that in turn will assist the business to make better-informed business decisions,
• Identifies all the statutory and regulatory requirements – and helps keeps your business compliant and avoid reputational damage and fines.
• Understand where corrective action needs to be taken, and how this can be potentially avoided in future

Hopefully, that's given you a snapshot of what an EMS is!

We go into this in a lot more detail in the isology which is where you’ll find everything you need to implement an EMS and achieve certification to ISO 14001

So, don't forget to download your FREE ISO Standards Blueprint over at isologyhub.com

Today’s podcast is unlike any other podcast we’ve recorded before. That’s because we’ve got a special announcement to make about a ground-breaking innovative gamechanger in the ISO Standards landscape – the isology hub, which is due to be launched in May 2021.

What you’ll learn:

• March 2020 - how the isology concept was born
• Innovate UK competition
• The isology hub
• Who is the isology hub not for?
• B1G1
• ISO Coach

Now, I’m recording this in April 2021, but I’d like to take you back to March 2020 to explain when and why my journey began with initiating this innovative online solution. I think it’s quite important to appreciate that this sort of innovation probably would have taken us three to four years to come up with. But COIVD-19 has encouraged many organisations to think outside of the box, to think differently, and to look at sustainability in a very different way.

So, let’s go back to March 2020 and find out how the isology concept was born!

March 2020

In March 2020, the UK like many other countries across the globe were thrown into lockdown, and life was turned upside down, as we were hit with a global pandemic. Little did we know…that life as we know it was never going to be quite the same again!

Now, at the time, we felt that we had the curve. Partly because we’d already been using Teams to have meetings online and to do internal audits, mostly with some of our international clients at Blackmores.

Many of you know me as the Managing Director of Blackmores (as well as the podcaster on the ISO Show). Blackmores is my primary business and very dear to my heart. I’ve been running that business for 15 years and immediately I was concerned about the welfare of our employees and clients, and like many other businesses thinking “Okay, so how are we going to best get through this?!”. We went into our BCP mode (Business Continuity Planning mode) and we actually shared a lot of that information on the ISO Show!

We felt that we owed it to our listeners and our clients at Blackmores to share examples of pandemic business continuity plans. And at the time, it was really well received! In fact, we didn’t realise until we did that how much of a wide global reach of listeners we had. It was amazing! We had people contacting us from Papua New Guinea, Kula Lumpur and places all across the globe saying “thank you this is great!” or “this is really helpful” because at the time, businesses were looking for reassurance as well. So, we were more than happy to provide the support.

Not long after that…

it was just before the Easter weekend, so April last year. We had a quarter of our clients cancel within the span of 10 days! Straightaway we thought ‘okay, this is going to affect us’. We quickly realised that a lot of our clients are in manufacturing or in the events industry, and they simply could not operate!

So, we had to shift gear…and adapt!

We had to change the way assessments were undertaken and the way we deliver our consultancy services to do it all remotely. That’s when I realised that actually…there is an opportunity for certification bodies to do part of their assessments remotely. Obviously, for some types of assessments this wouldn’t be applicable. But in many cases, I could see that there was a significant opportunity for us to reduce our environmental footprint and work remotely!

At that time, we were already creating eLearning courses, and there was some work taking place internally within our team on developing a learner profile. So, taking an individual from a grassroot level, with no knowledge whatsoever about an ISO standard, right through to professional status. So, work was already underway. When we looked at the possibility of offering our services online and after the research we did, we realised that actually, it would be really good if we could provide an online solution that all of our ISO show listeners could also access!

That was when the initial concept was born for creating a state-of-the-art online, learning and support membership.

This was made for organisations looking to not only achieve ISO certification, but also for those businesses that are already certified to ISO standards, but their system just isn't working for them. They might be stuck in a rut…they're stuck in the trenches there because there may be certain issues like a lack of engagement, leadership, or even compliance. So, I came up with this concept of creating an online membership platform so that it was accessible to all regardless of the industry, the location, the time zone, and to be able to provide the equivalent of a Netflix version of ISO standards support!

I had heard from a funding body, within the government in the UK, about an Innovate UK competition. This competition was all about helping businesses to be innovative and provide sustainability solutions as well and to help businesses through COVID.

It was then that the penny dropped…

I thought well, actually, why not go for it! If we win it, we win it. If we don't, then we don't! So, I put together a business plan and got a lot of advice from a European enterprise network and put together a bid for this competition.

There were actually three rounds to it! Let’s find out how they went…

Innovate UK competition

So, round one…

I hadn't done anything like this before and it had taken weeks to put together that bid. We found out about a month later...that we had failed! But only by a very slim margin, which was very frustrating. But this encouraged me, particularly as a result of the positive comments from the assessors, that assess the application, saying that there was quite a bit of mileage in this innovation.

Now onto the next round…

The deadline for the second round was only two days after we got the feedback from the first round. My advisor said “you know there isn't much point in rushing this, you want to spend time to get this absolutely perfect, so that you can absolutely smash it at round three”. This was the final bite of the cherry…it was a last chance saloon. I thought well…if we get it, we get it, and this is going to be a game-changer. If we don't, that's it.

Fortunately…we won the competition; we won the funding!

There are five different assessors from all sorts of different industries that recognise this as being a game-changer in our field. They believe it could have a significant positive impact on the environment. Because our MVP (minimum viable product) is a part of this membership platform and is all about environmental management standards. So, we've been working hard over the last few months to bring together this MVP, and we're due to launch it in May 2021. It's going to be called the isology hub and it's based on isology methodology…which is ultimately seven steps to implementing any ISO standard!

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering…who is isology for?

The isology hub

This membership platform is for anybody who needs to achieve ISO certification. This might be because you need to win a tender, or you just want to raise standards within your business, or you may have stakeholders that are demanding that you provide some type of commitment in some area, whether it be sustainability or information security. It's also for those people that have spent countless frustrating hours trying to understand how an ISO standard could actually be interpreted within their business. It's also for those people who have an ISO management system…but it's archaic. It was written in the dark ages! And it doesn't bear any resemblance to how you operate as a business right now. In effect, it's working against you. So, you need some type of solution to revamp it, give it a makeover, getting engagement and in making sure that it is a system that helps you to build success for the future of your business.

It's also for those of you that would like to integrate other standards into your existing management system. So, you might be looking at cloud security standards, or carbon neutrality standards. So, it's for those businesses that are already working hard to raise standards within their business, but they want to go the extra mile…they want to go above and beyond, and they need the systems, tools, templates, eLearning and guidance to help them to do that. It's also for those individuals that would like to achieve qualifications in ISO standards to improve their knowledge and to support career development as well.

So, what we're trying to avoid here is having any overly technical and expensive training courses. You can access it whenever you want, from wherever you want. It's a place for organisations to learn how to achieve ISO standards, and also to get gameplans for raising their game. It's packed with in depth, practical training and resources on all aspects of planning, creating and managing a successful ISO system.

Now, we have also created an ISO standards blueprint, which is a free download for you to get access to, if you come over to the isology hub website. All you need to do is Google www.isologyhub.com and you'll be able to download your free ebook on how to plan, create and manage a successful ISO system ready to get you certified

And that applies to all ISO standards!

Now, I’m sure you must be thinking…what makes isology hub so different?

Well, this is a ground-breaking approach. It's the quickest and easiest way to get ISO certification that gets results. But it's not just about the accolade of getting certification through your certification body, but having that results driven, systemised way of managing your business, to give you that freedom and time so that you can grow your business.

It also gives access to expertise. Over the last 15 years, we have implemented ISO standards for hundreds of organisations across the 19 standards and over 25 different countries. So, you're actually tapping into over 200 years of combined experience now (that's not me personally obviously) that's our team! It's our team that's helped put this together. All our intellectual property and all of the work that we've been doing over the years to support businesses in all industries is going to be put together in the isology hub. That's where you can get access to that.

And, of course, we walk the talk…

We have done this time and time again. These are the proven concepts. Isology and the seven steps have been put to the test and it's been successful…time after time!

And we are pretty straight talking!

We are very friendly, very approachable and we want that to come across with the membership platform. So, you'll be able to listen to our tutorials and join us for our monthly live Q&A sessions if you've got any questions or if you'd like to discuss anything at all to do with ISO standards.

Ultimately, we live and breathe ISO standards…you get our full commitment, and you get that team behind you through the membership portal.

But I must say…the isology hub isn't for everybody!

Who is the isology hub not for?

If you simply want to tick a few boxes and get the badge…this isn't the right solution for you. If you want to go down the non-accredited certification body route…it's not for you. And If you're looking for ISO in a box so you don't have to do any work at all…it's not for you either. It's also not for you if you're expecting guaranteed results. That's because it is down to you to put the effort in to actually make it happen. Although we've got 100% success rate in helping our clients get through certification because we've helped to do a lot of the work with them, the membership portal is there to guide and support you…so you have to put the work in yourself. The templates, tutorials, guidance, action plans are all provided for you. But you do need to spend the time to actually completing them and implementing them within your business.

B1G1

One of the things that we're passionate about at Blackmores is acting responsibly and doing the right thing. With having an online system, we are donating for every new member that joins the isology hub.

This will be done through B1G1 (buy one, give one!)

We will tackle climate change and poverty, one member at a time. The project we have selected is in Madagascar. Unfortunately, Madagascar is a country in crisis. 70% of the country lives in poverty and half of its rainforest has been eradicated due to the strain of population growth in the country. So, we’ve picked out a project whereby we can support the planting of trees and also provide sustainable agriculture training as well so that the communities are self-sufficient. This will enable them to send their children to school to be educated. We'll also have a live widget on the isology hub website. So that we can see our STG goals are updated whenever a new member joins!

Now let’s get back to isology!

There is a wealth of information in there, and it's not just about documents…we've got a unique roadmap that's been trademarked, and this is based on our seven-step isology concept! We've provided an ISO roadmap for ISO 14,001 for the launch. This will take you through everything that you need to do to get ready for an assessment for ISO 14,001. It also provides everything that you need for an environmental management system, even if you don't want to go for certification! So, how to create an environmental policy, what to look for in terms of creating your objectives, how to identify your environmental aspects and impacts, and how to launch your management systems…it takes you through the seven steps. In addition to that, we've also given you access to our eLearning courses. A lot of the learning is through videos, to action plans, guiding you step by step through your ISO roadmap. We also include checklists workbooks, cheat sheets, and templates, as well, to support you. So, some examples of those could be a launch communications planner, or even an email launch sequence and templates to go with it. Things like internal audit scheduled templates, report templates, samples of policies and procedures and so on. As I said it's not ISO in a box, these are just examples of best practice. And we guide you through creating your own documentation for your own bespoke management system. And, of course, we’ve got our live Q&A’s, feel free to join us for those live Q&A’s within the membership, or we can answer any questions that you've got.

The other thing that we're really excited about launching as well is our ISO coach programme!

ISO Coach

We're conscious of the fact that some businesses might just want to join the membership and get on and do it all themselves. Or they might need some guidance and support. There is an upgrade available, which is the ISO coach programme and that's a six-month programme, where you'll be part of a small group of up to seven other individuals. On a fortnightly basis, you will have group coaching sessions on the seven steps. Then on the alternate fortnight's, you can book one-to-one sessions with your ISO coach to go through and discuss any queries concerns or review documents that you've created, just to help you on your journey and make sure that you stay on track as well. This programme does start at specific dates! The next date that we've got starting will be the 2nd of June. So, if any of you are interested in joining the ISO coach programme, please do get in touch with us!

Because the isology hub is new, we would absolutely love to hear about any suggestions or ideas on content that you'd like to include within the isology hub. Every single month we'll be adding new content, whether it's an ISO roadmap for implementing another ISO standard. So, I'd be delighted to hear from you and also to answer any questions that you might have about the isology hub.

So regardless of whether you're just starting out on your ISO journey, or you've already got a system in place but just want to raise your game that bit further, we would love for you to join us as a member on the isology hub!

Thanks very much for listening and I look forward to catching up with you on the next ISO show!

Dinesh Sharma, Director of Information Security Governance at Epiq, joins us on the ISO Show today. He discusses ISO 27001, his in-depth experience of this standard, how it’s working for Epiq, lessons learned, and how he manages this globally for Epiq Global.

We are so excited to interview Dinesh! He has a wealth of experience in terms of implementing frameworks like ISO 27001 and PCI DSS. He’s got plenty of experience ranging from developing information security policies, procedures, managing risk assessments, to delivering security training and awareness, and overseeing internal audits. He also has expert experience in security management and governance as his last 15 years focused on information security.

You’ll learn about:

• What Epiq does
• What it means to be Director of Information Security Governance
• Setting up a security team and managing it in terms of global responsibilities
• Continual improvement at Epiq
• Dispelling ISO 27001 myths
• What has worked well for Epiq in relation to ISO 27001

First and foremost, let’s dive into what Epiq is and does…

What does Epiq do?

Epiq, primarily based in the U.S, is a global professional services company, operating in approximately 25 countries including Germany, Belgium, India, London and so many more.

Epiq primarily provides support to the legal industry (so to law firms and the legal departments within large organisations). Their key service is around E-discovery. This is where there is potentially an investigation, or if two parties are about to enter a litigation. Some processes need to happen around data collection, data review, forensics, processing and document review. Epiq can make all of this so much more efficient and cost-effective for clients! Another core service Epiq provides is court reporting and transcription services. Other services include business transformation services, class-action and a range of other services.

Now, let’s find out more about Dinesh’s role…

Role at Epiq

Dinesh is part of the Global information security function at Epiq. They have a dedicated Global information security team to support the business.

Dinesh’s specific role is to lead the security governance side of things. This means that he manages and helps to define the information security policy set and Information Security Management System (ISMS) within Epiq. He also leads and coordinates the internal security assessments (part of which is internal ISMS audits as well as internal security audits across Epiq). He even reviews and provides input on contracts of clients and vendors around security clauses to ensure they align with the policies of Epiq. His team also delivers staff security awareness and training. Finally, his team manages security certifications including ISO 27001 (very relevant for today!).

So, let’s explore how a mature ISMS is managed…

How to go about setting up a security team and manage it in terms of global responsibilities?

At Epiq they have a dedicated team within their information security function for security operations. This team oversees the security toolset, they monitor the alerts from this toolset, such as their end-point detection and the logging and alerting around network security. This security operations team also takes the lead on defining their processes and handling any security incidents. So, they have a separate team for this specifically.

They also have a separate team for security architecture and security engineering. These teams work very closely with the business to make sure that security is considered and embedded within the projects and new offerings Epiq has as a business, as well as developing their tools. So, if Epiq is looking to implement a new security tool, this team will be very involved in looking at the different vendors that provide that offering, how that would be embedded and work within the infrastructure of Epiq, and the environments with which they serve their clients. So, Epiq has got the structure of sub-teams within the security function well defined!

Of course, sitting on top of this, Epiq is very fortunate to have some very experienced and very qualified leadership come into that team. The governance and operations side is managed by a gentleman called Jason. He has lots of experience and brings experience from other industries he’s worked with. He has a peer called Andrew, who looks after the engineering and architecture side. Epiq also has a new Chief Security Officer (CSO) who is very knowledgeable and savvy. He is doing a really good job of lifting the profile of not only security within the organisation, but also Epiq’s security functions. So, they are fortunate to have that leadership as well.

This is fantastic…when organisations are starting with implementing an ISMS, we always find that leadership commitment is so key! It’s great to hear that Epiq has got a mature management system yet are still continuing to focus on leadership commitment and bringing that in from various angles across the organisation as well.

In terms of the ISMS then…

Epiq has got many other security standards, so what we want to know is how their ISMS helps them to manage all their activities.

Well, looking at the requirements of ISO 27001 and setting up an ISMS that works, Dinesh thinks the most important thing it gives an organisation, regardless of what level of maturity it is at, is what the basic components and principles are in terms of a framework that you should be having in place or that you should consider having. This is because if you want to go for certification to ISO 27001, then you must have some of these things in place.

Dinesh very much sees this as a baseline!

Once, you establish that baseline and you’ve got the documentation, the processes which support the documents and the staff in place who can deliver on those processes. You then think…‘what can you do to increase the maturity’?

A big part of ISO 27001 is continual improvement. This is something Dinesh thinks is very important and puts a lot of focus on in his role. So, that’s all tied with the kind of internal security reviews that they do with the internal assessments that happen. But any feedback they get from the business, or any input or discussions they have with the business which can raise or flag something, e.g., as a potential block, are put onto their continual improvement register to work with the team or the business area. It might be something they have to work on themselves. The important thing is to always look out for these kinds of things. That’s why this is a key area of focus for Dinesh, in his role, as he thinks about what can improve each step of the ISMS in Epiq.

However, a lot of companies, once they’ve completed the assessment, think that’s the job done. But you can’t put your feet up just yet! This is only the beginning of the journey, which is why Dinesh identifies this as the baseline and the foundation to be used for continual improvement.

So, let’s look at what Epiq has implemented in relation to continual improvement, which has been above and beyond this baseline.

Epiq and continual improvement

Epis has implemented a Critical Asset Reviews. They identified their 15 most critical assets and instead of doing a full security review, they pick the 10 most important controls and other controls they think would deliver the highest level of security if they had it in place. So, they have done a very focused security review, based on risk and what they think their most important assets are. They dig deep into what are the risks and issues and by acting on these, it moves Epiq to another level.

Now, let’s move onto the part where we dispel myths around ISO standards!

Dispelling ISO 27001 myths

Dinesh believes that a good understanding of ISO 27001 is needed to know what the standard actually means. There is a difference between being aligned and being certified to ISO 27001. So, an independent review of your ISMS is really important as it shows you haven’t just picked and chosen which parts of the core standard you’re going to implement. It shows that you’ve had to do them all and have had that verified and tested. This would provide a level of assurance to your organisation and stakeholders. That’s why there is such a big difference between being aligned to the standard and being compliant with it.

Finally, I’m sure our audience would love to know…

What has worked well from an information security perspective in relation to ISO 27001?

Dinesh identifies the top-level management commitment within a business as the most crucial thing in any implementation of a standard. The business needs to understand the importance of information security. So, everyone needs to be aware of what the benefits are, what’s going on and what is important…having this conversation in your business really makes everything easier according to Dinesh. Epiq does this during their management reviews, where all four of their CEOs attend. They take the management review section of ISO 27001 and cover most of it in their quarterly meetings, and because this is visibly supported by their CEO, the business leaders reporting to the CEO and all their directors attend the management reviews as well. So, they all understand what’s going on, what’s important and what the key risks are from the security team’s perspective. Having this conversation just makes everything a lot easier according to Dinesh.

That’s it from Dinesh! We hope you enjoyed learning about Epiq’s journey…it’s inspirational to hear how Epiq is still developing, evolving, improving and still getting such fantastic commitment from the very top as well. It clearly demonstrates Epiq Global’s commitment to information security without a shadow of a doubt!

Contact details for Dinesh, if you have any enquires or would simply like to connect with him, you can get in contact using one of the ways below:

Email: dsharma@epiqglobal.co.uk

Website URL : Epiqglobal.com

LinkedIn handle: uk.linkedin.com/in/dineshcsharma

Seacourt is the highest scoring B Corp printing company on the planet, they believe in business as a force for good for society.

Fun facts: Seacourt is the winner of the Queens award for sustainable development. They’ve won this three times! In 2017, they were also crowned Europe’s most sustainable SME! No wonder they are recognised as one of the top three leading environmental printers in the world!

Seacourt Managing Director, Gareth Dinnage, joined us for an interview to tell us about Seacourt’s journey and its initiatives. Gareth has been part of Seacourt’s sustainability journey from the very start. He started his journey first as apprentice and then heading up to Sales and Marketing and finally owner and Managing Director.

You’ll learn about:

• Seacourt’s sustainability journey
• Environmental management as a guiding principle for Seacourt and their contributions to the environment
• Seacourt’s journey to understanding their carbon footprint
• Significance of being Net Carbon Zero
• B Corp
• How ISO 9001 and 14001 helps Seacourt run their business
• Understanding your supply chain

Let’s start right back at the beginning of Seacourt’s journey!

Where did Seacourt begin and where did its sustainability journey begin?

Seacourt started in 1946! They were set up as a commercial printing company in Oxford, working with local businesses. Not much changed for them until the mid-90s, when the owners at the time had the good fortune to attend a seminar focused on sustainability.

We know what you must be thinking, whoever put together this seminar must have had incredible foresight, to have looked into commercial impacts and sustainability!

The owners realised that the printing industry is among the fifth largest manufacturing sectors in the UK since 1996…

And that it’s also the fourth worst polluter!

That’s when they decided that they don’t want to be part of the problem, but a part of the solution. This thought marks the moment of a change of goals and priorities for Seacourt. From this point in 1996, the business changed from a linear business model, focusing on outputs, to becoming a value-based business, to considering the impacts on the environment and society, as well as profits.

This marked the magic transformation of Seacourt!

For the last 25 years, their philosophy has been “will this improve the environmental performance of our business. If the answer is “yes!”, then they do it regardless of the financial cost. So, without this fundamental change in mindset, Seacourt would not have been where it is today.

Guiding principle for Seacourt

Environmental management has been a guiding principle for Seacourt for the past 25 years. It’s fundamental and core to the company.

Currently:

• Seacourt runs on 100% renewal energy (and have done so for decades)
• They invented their own printing process called ‘LightTouch’. This has saved them gallons of fresh litres of water
• Seacourt no longer uses water or chemicals in their printing process!
• They have been zero waste to landfill for over a decade.
• They are carbon positive -and that’s scope 1,2 and 3! What this means, for those of you that aren’t familiar with this concept, is that Seacourt sees their impact in every element that they as a business effect. This includes their supply chain, so as a printing industry, they take their impact all the way back to forestry they use for their natural resources. They consider how trees are transported to the papermill, how papermills are run, the energy this it is run on and much more!
• They consider the end-of-life process by producing a natural material that has a massive recycling rate.

So, when you wrap all of this up in its entirety, Seacourt has created a concept called Planet Positive Thinking -which means that they give back more carbon into the atmosphere than they are responsible for consuming.

Seacourt’s journey to understanding their carbon footprint

A lot of businesses are new to the concept of Net Carbon Zero. So, let’s find out how Seacourt went about understanding what their carbon footprint was.

Seacourt does this by unravelling their entire supply chain and ask challenging questions to their supply chain, such as how they power their plants, what is the carbon impact per tonne of paper they are using, how they transport their materials from the forest and much more never before asked questions! They used the amount of paper they have purchased over a 12-month period and worked with their suppliers to get an accurate carbon impact figure. They created their own methodology and matrix, using the same process to identify the carbon impact figure that they used for their paper, for other areas in their operations, for example their ink.

By this point, Seacourt knew their carbon impact holistically for a 12-month period and sought to work on a regenerative project in the Amazonian basin. In this project, Seacourt safeguards 86,000 hectares of endangered forestry and are reforesting 12,000 hectares of deforested lands. They also have a social element where they support a programme with indigenous people. So, this is how Seacourt maintains their Planet Positive Thinking element, as they give back more than they consume in everything they have an impact on.

Significance of being Net carbon zero

Of course, we are conscious of the fact that we are in a lockdown where many businesses are struggling financially. So, this is for those of you thinking “is it going to be really costly for me to be Net Carbon Zero or Carbon positive?”. Gareth emphases the need to understand the impact of sustainability, to have a strategic plan and an idea of what goal you want to reach and how you will achieve it. Otherwise, your business will get left behind! Other business will pick up this leadership agenda and show exactly what business can do. Gareth identifies these businesses as the ones to be the most successful. This is already evident among investors refusing to work with fossil fuel-based business. That’s why business need to act responsibly to stay ahead of the game!

How management systems help Seacourt run their business

Seacourt has been certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 for years. These management tool helps Seacourt set the business up to the highest standards and ensure continual improvement. The quality environmental management system provides a framework for delivering sustainable best practice.

B Corp

Now let’s move on to talk about B Corp!

B Corp is the global movement that aligns businesses who share the same philosophy, which is that businesses can and should be a force for good. Certified B Corps meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. The unifying goal of B Corps is that the main driver is stakeholder value, not shareholder value.  

Understanding your supply chain

For those of you who have not yet looked into their supply chain, Gareth recommends:

• Observing and controlling your building in terms of energy efficiency (make sure its insulated and you use renewable power)
• Then send out supplier surveys to find out what your suppliers are doing or working on that you are not aware of
• Then look at your key supply chain and identify if you can start mapping the carbon impact.

These steps would give you key findings and insights that you can use in your goals and strategy.

Contact details for Gareth, if you have any enquires or would simply like to connect with him, get in contact using one of the ways below:

Email: garethdinnage@seacourt.net

Website URL : www.seacourt.net

Twitter handle: @seacourtltd

LinkedIn handle: Garethdinnage

After 5 years of hosting the ISO Show, Mel Blackmore will be taking a step back as she focuses on her sustainability related endeavors.

She’s passing the baton onto our new host – Ian Battersby. Ian is a Senior isologist at Blackmores, and while relatively new to the team, he has a wealth of Standard and ISO related knowledge to share with you all.

Today we Introduce Ian Battersby as the new host for the ISO Show and learn about his background in Standards and ISO.    

You’ll learn

·      Taking a step back

·      Introduction to Steph Churchman

·      Introduction to Ian Battersby

·      What Standards has Ian worked with?

·      What Sectors has Ian worked in?

Resources

·      Isologyhub

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:30] Join the isologyhub – To get access to a suite of ISO related tools, training and templates. Simply head on over to isologyhub.com to either sign-up or book a demo.

[02:05] Episode summary: After 5 years of the ISO Show, Mel Blackmore is handing the hosting baton over to Ian Battersby   

[02:25] Interim host – Ian will be the main host going forward, but there will be additions from Blackmores’ Communication Manager – Steph Churchman.

You may recognise her from recent episode such as:

·      Top 10 Reasons to use ISO 42001 AI Management

·      Top ISO Standard Trends in the Data Centre Industry

Steph will be sharing findings from our own research, standards updates and conducting interviews with our isologists.

[03:35] An Introduction to Ian Battersby – Ian has been working for Blackmores since August 2023. Although he is meant to be part-time, he’s had a very busy first few months here!

Ian began working in British Aerospace, specifically manufacturing, in 1984. He later decided to return to university to study electrical and electronic engineering, which was promptly dropped.

His return to BAE lasted a few years before he moved onto the civil service for the Department of Health, working with them to conduct safety investigations and helped to create a broader risk profile.

When he moved to work with the NHS, firstly, with the litigation authority setting up governance and risk standards and then as a risk manager.

Surprisingly, after moving up a few levels, he decided to move onto run a restaurant! A Curry House to be specific, but after a year of rather stressful work that ended up costing a lot more than expected, he returned to work within the construction industry which is where he became more involved with ISO Standards.

From there he went onto work in manufacturing of high pressure pumps for a while before moving onto an organisation who rant he estate for the Department of Work and Pensions.

In the end, Ian left them due to being unable to live the life he wanted to live.

[05:15] What Standards has Ian worked with? – He started with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 (now ISO 45001).

[06:00] Digital Nomad – Ian currently splits his time between Leeds in the UK and Malaga in Spain.

Having a lot of experience working remotely in previous industries, this leap didn’t impede on his work in any way.

[07:15] What other Standards has Ian worked with? – He has assisted with ISO 44001 (Collaborative Business Management), but admittedly it was not his favorite ISO Standard to work with. It’s one of the rare instances in ISO where the Standard doesn’t quite align with others.

[08:00] What Sectors has Ian worked in – Ian’s extensive work history has afforded him the opportunity to work in a number of sectors, including:

·      Construction and Fit out

·      Manufacturing

·      Estate Management

·      Private enterprise

·      Healthcare / NHS

·      Facilities

With this list growing at a rapid pace since his introduction at Blackmores!

[09:45] What’s a big challenge that Ian’s had to overcome in the past? – In terms of ISO, it has to be Leadership. Ian’s found that to always be an issue within businesses attempting to implement ISO Standards.

A good looking Management System will only go so far without leadership commitment.

While working in facilitating Standards for an organisation, you won’t be implementing the whole system yourself. It’s more a case of delivering through others, the organisation controls and delivers their own processes and improvements, and so it’s imperative that Leadership are also embedding and encouraging these actions.

Ian will be going more in-depth on this topic in a future episode.

If you’d like to book a demo for the isologyhub, simply contact us and we’d be happy to give you a tour.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

●     Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin

●     Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud | Mailing List

Today, we’re joined by the Director of Corporate Assurance at Totally PLC, Falu Bharmal.

Falu plays a key role in working with NHS England and has in-depth knowledge and understanding of ISO implementation, Legal Policy relating to corporate governance, health and safety, and integrated Risk Management. He has extensive experience in establishing new corporate governance structures, systems, and processes to ensure organizations are fit for purpose.

Today, Falu is here to discuss ISO 27001 (Information Security Management), and why it’s so important to have consistent practices throughout a company.

Falu explains how he’s able to implement new ISO’s so effectively and some of the biggest improvements ISO 27001 has allowed him to make.

We talk about how best you can prepare before implementing a new standard, and how ISO’s can help systemise your way of working across a company.

Website:

Mobile phone:

Email:

You’ll learn

• The benefits of working as a group with consistent practices throughout a company.
• How to effectively prepare for and implement new standards.
• How ISO 27001 is used as a best practice mechanism.
• How implementing standards can help to systemise the ways of working across a company.
• How many people you need to be involved with the implementation of new standards.

Resources

• Blackmores
• Totally PLC

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:29] The services Totally PLC supplies and how they support the NHS and reduce A&E waiting times.

[03:30] The different divisions that makeup Totally PLC.

[05:36] The ways Falu as Director of Corporate Assurance is involved with ISO implementations.

[06:34] How Falu implements ISO standards effectively.

[07:21] How ISO 27001 is used as a best practice mechanism for Totally PLC.

[08:20] Some of the biggest improvements Falu’s made through using ISO 27001.

[09:25] How ISO standards help to systemise ways of working across a company.

[10:14] The different roles Totally PLC has dedicated to ISO implementation.

[12:18] The best things you can do before implementing a new standard.

[13:46] The extra pressures Totally PLC has faced due to the pandemic, and the new opportunities this has brought.

If you need assistance with implementing ISO 27001 – Contact us!

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud

Steve Mason is a Senior Consultant at Blackmores (UK) Ltd, and has a 100% success rate of supporting clients in achieving their ISO 9001 & ISO 27001 certifications on their first time.

With over 38 years of experience working with standards, Steve is incredibly knowledgeable about how to ensure companies get the best benefits when implementing new standards. Steve has never stopped advancing himself and continues to broaden his knowledge of new standards as they come into existence.

Today, Steve is back to discuss the new ISO 27017 (Information Security Controls for Cloud Services Standard), and why it is needed in addition to ISO 27001.

The current publication of ISO 27001 was released back in 2013 before cloud security was as big of a concern. Due to this, it does not adequately cover cloud security and hence the new standard ISO 27017 was released.

It is wise not to assume that the cloud is secure on its own, you need a provider that can demonstrate protection from hacking and guarantee you security.

There are 7 new controls that the ISO 27017 standard brings -

• 3.1 Shared roles and responsibilities within a cloud computing environment
• 1.5 Removal of cloud service customer assets
• 5.1 Segregation in virtual computing environments
• 5.2 Virtual machine hardening
• 1.5 Administrator’s operational security
• 4.5 Monitoring of cloud services
• 1.4 Alignment of security management for virtual and physical networks

In this episode, Steve talks through some of these new controls, explains why they’re so important, and describes who can benefit from implementing this new standard.

You’ll learn

• How the ISO 27017 standard works for both customers and providers.
• How ISO 27017 works as a unique selling point for businesses.
• The new controls that ISO 27017 has and how it demonstrates security within the cloud.
• The benefits of adopting ISO 27017.
• How doing a gap analysis can help you to understand what cloud controls you already have in place.

Resources

• Blackmores

In this episode, we talk about:

[01:30] Why it’s important to have a standard for cloud security when we already have ISO 27001.

[02:46] The type of new controls in ISO 27017 and how they make the standard ‘cloud effective’.

[05:37] Some examples of the new controls that ISO 27017 has.

[07:20] The prerequisites you need before implementing ISO 27017.

[08:37] The type of certificate you get with ISO 27017.

[10:22] How ISO 27017 can set companies apart from their competitors.

[11:03] What the future for ISO 27001 and ISO 27017 looks like.

[13:03] Advice for anyone thinking of implementing ISO 27017.

[14:20] The main benefits there are from implementing ISO 27017.

If you need assistance with implementing ISO 27017 – Contact us!

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud

Steve Mason is a Senior Consultant at Blackmores (UK) Ltd, and has a 100% success rate of supporting clients in achieving their ISO9001 & ISO27001 certifications on their first time.

With over 38 years of experience working with standards, Steve is incredibly knowledgeable about how to ensure companies get the best benefits when implementing new standards. Steve has never stopped advancing himself and continues to broaden his knowledge of new standards as they come into existence.

Today, Steve is here to discuss ISO 27701 (Data Privacy), and why it’s so important to have so that you can prove you are GDPR compliant.

Since the new European Data Privacy Laws were introduced in May 2018 there have been over 150,000 personal data breaches within Europe, and the estimated total of GDPR fines total a little over 220 million euros.

Steve explains why GDPR is so important, how companies can avoid having data breaches, and what makes ISO 27701 different from previous standards.

You’ll learn

• How ISO 27701 can help companies demonstrate compliance with the requirements of GDPR.
• The ways ISO 27701 is different from ISO 27001 and why you need both standards.
• Who you can share PII with while still maintaining GDPR compliance.
• The correlations ISO 27701 has with ISO 27002.
• The potential impact implementing ISO 27702 can have.

Resources

• Blackmores

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:29] The big personal data breaches that have happened in the last 2 years, and the fines the companies received for not being compliant with the data protection laws.

[04:11] Why we have General Data Protection Regulations and what they are there to protect.

[06:36] What ISO 27701 is and how it helps companies be GDPR compliant.

[09:26] What PII (Personally Identifiable Information) is.

[11:41] An overview of ISO 27701 and what its main clauses are.

[14:04] What the two control sets of the standard are and what the difference between a data controller and a data processor is.

[17:20] How this standard helps companies know what needs to be put in place to be GDPR compliant.

[18:51] What makes ISO 27701 better than BS 10012 and why it will eventually completely replace it.

[22:14] What you already need in place to get ISO 27701 certified.

[24:10] The main benefits for companies implementing this standard has.

If you need assistance with implementing ISO 27701 – Contact us!

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud

So this is for our ISO Show listeners that are already certified to ISO Standards, in some cases – not that often, some companies can get really fed up or frustrated with their certification body provider.

Now on the whole, accredited CB’s are great – however over the last 14 years we’ve come across the good, the bad and the ugly too!

So, this podcast is for those companies that maybe looking to switch, so we’ll cover…….

• Why companies decide to change CB’s

• Can’t get hold of anyone to help them – inform them of change in business and the CB is not adaptable.

• Frustrated with lack of organisation – not keeping client informed, assessor showing up to audit the wrong standard.

• Their CB is not listening to them

• Not happy with the assessor – No really a hard reason – Just request a different Assessor

• Lack of value – assessor shows up later and leaves at 2.00pm and you don’t get the report for another 2 -3 weeks after chasing.

• Why switch?

Because you can – you have a choice

• You are the customer – if you raise your concerns and are not being heard, go to another CB that will look after your every need.
• You may get a more competitive service and costs - example clients grown through acquisition
• You are expanding internationally – need a CB with an international presence

• How to switch

1. Here in the UK - If you are certified by a UKAS accredited certification body the switch is free of charge to another UKAS accredited CB.
2. Establish your scope of certification and requirements – sites, services, standards.
3. Review your timings – should it be before or after your next surveillance visit?
4. Get three quotes from accredited Certification bodies – explain you’d like a quote for the period of certification including the recertification costs.
5. Provide your requirements – also explain why you are looking to change CB’s as you want assurance that they will be able to provide you with the service you need.

1. Consider –
   • Costs
   • number of assessors for your standards on the payrole,
   • Continuity of assessors
   • Location of assessors and your locations
   • Support
   • Key Account Manager / customer services
   • Experience/reputation in your sector / standards
   • Any value adds i.e. webinars, whitepapers, events.

How we can help? – Free service to send an RFQ to CB’s so you can get comparative quotes. We don’t have an exclusive relationship with any 1 Certification Body, but we can help you gain a quote as a free service we offer. If you need help getting a quote, contact us!

Look out for our directory of recommended CB’s in 2021.

Fail to prepare, then prepare to fail.  If you don’t want to fail an assessment before you’ve even begun, be prepared.

I’m just going to take you through the top 5 mistakes companies make that can lead to stress and failure – now this isn’t a definitive list – there are of course many things that could go wrong, I’m just going to share with you my 5 favourite blunders that you can very easily avoid.

• Not informing employees

Yes – pretty obvious, but you’d be surprised to hear how many times a Management systems is just kept to one person and a communications plan has not been implemented to inform all employees.  The best informed employees make the best people to be assessed.

Imagine – you are an assessor and you rock up only to hear an employee when asked about their process say ‘What process? What Environmental Policy?

• Business Continuity Planning – What’s the point in having a BCP if no one know how to how to respond to an incident?
• By not informing employees – As it triggers bad vibes i.e nervous, wary, stressed
• Communication plan – CEO, Champions, agenda of meetings, launch, newsletter updates, online comms i.e. slack

• Not having access to the right people
• The assessor doesn’t need to see every single person.
• Does need to see the key process owners and some representatives from the leadership team.
• Quality – operations, HR, key process owners i.e. heads of functions
• Environment – Facilities Managers, an Environnemental Champion.
• Information Security – IT, back-ups, incident reporting, HR (starters/leavers) and physical security i.e. Office Manager or if you are in services offices – give the person on reception the heads up.
• Make sure you have the agenda for the visits well in advance – all reputable UKAS accredited certification bodies should send this to you weeks in advance – if they haven’t chase it.
• This helps you to ensure that the right people are available at the right time.

• Not having access to your management system

Sounds silly, but you’d be surprised.

• We’ve even come across cases of rogue consultants where the Management system is owned (IP and all) by the consultant – not the company. Scary!
• Make sure you have access to your policies, procedures, documents and templates
• These can be online, displayed, hard copy or audio/visual
• Nothing more embarrassing than missing a key document or you’ve got 3 versions of it, and no one know which is the right one.
• Accessiblity is key – Sharepoint/intranet/wiki’s/dropboc

• Not having access to your records.
• Stage 2 Assessment is a ‘Show and tell’ –make sure the right people and have access to the right records.
• Pre-empt any pitfalls - a disorganised business will have records all over the place – because there is no structure.
• Also, make sure your supplier records are compliant – one of the main causes of non-conformities in Environmental management and Health and Safety is lack of accurate supplier records
• Waste records, Lift maintenance records, FGas records – most of these aren’t ISO Standards requirements – they are LEGAL requirements.
• Legal register/due diligence

And last but not least……

• Don’t make any assumptions
• Don’t make any assumptions that that your assessor will know your business inside out – they won’t understand your culture, vision, values and USP’s.
• Use this as an opportunity to showcase all the strengths of your business and how well managed it is. With our clients we’ll always get the representative of the leadership in the room for the kick-off meeting –
• Don’t worry the assessor doesn’t need to be glued to the assessors hip all day every day, 30 mins attendance at the kick-off meeting max is suffice. This shows the business is serious about their ISO Commitment and demonstrates that there is full leadership support and that employees are onboard.
• Likewise – don’t assume that your assessor knows nothing about your industry – in many cases, if you are in a sector, chances are that your assessor i.e. construction, engineering, manufacturing your assessor has seen the good, the bad and the ugly.
• Take notes, so you can refer back to these – as there can be some valuable observations that an assessor may make which you could take back to your continual improvement process. Don’t assume that these will be captured in the report at the end of the assessment.

So to recap – the 5 mistakes to avoid in an ISO assessment are……

• Not informing employees
• Not having access to the right people on the days of the assessment
• Not having access to your management system
• Not having access to your records.
• Don’t make any assumptions

And don’t forget, these mistakes can easily be prevented if you prepare well before an assessment.

In the words of Benjamin Franklin, By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.

If you need any assistance with ISO standards, contact us!

Richard Matheron is the Quality and Continuous Improvement Manager at BP Chargemaster. He’s had a long career as a quality professional and hands-on Manager, with his background mostly being in engineering and manufacturing management.

Currently, Richard is working for BP Chargemaster helping them transform themselves from an SME to an international world-class business. BP Chargemaster is the UK's biggest name in electric vehicle charging. They design, build, sell and maintain the most popular charging units in the country, and have begun to expand their business worldwide.

Today, Richard is here to discuss his experience with implementing ISO 9001 (Quality Management) and ISO 14001 (Environmental Management). These have been a fundamental component in his management of transitioning the company from an SME to an international organisation.

Richard explains  why these ISO’s are so necessary, and why it's so important that a company has someone who can focus on continuous improvement within their business. He reiterates the importance of people to not be afraid of change and discusses  some of the most effective ways to carry out positive improvements within your organisation.

He explains the ways having a priority board and suggestion box can help to drive continuous improvement, and how often the best solution for an issue isn’t a complicated one but is one of the simplest...

Website: www.bpchargemaster.com

Mobile phone: 07813098736

Email: Richard.matheron@bp.com

You’ll learn

• How the demand for electric charge vehicles is changing.
• The types of tax incentives and grants that are available for businesses who use electric cars.
• Why digital security is more important now than ever before.
• How to grow your business from an SME to an international organization.
• The most effective ways to drive continuous improvement.
• The best ways to track the effectiveness of new improvement measures.
• How ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 have helped Richard.

Resources

• Blackmores
• BP Chargemaster
• Egonomics

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:30] Who Richard is, what he does for a living, and what he’ll be sharing with us today.

[01:50] The types of dance that Richard teaches in his free time.

[03:44] BP Chargemasters position in the electric vehicle charging market.

[04:55] How demand for electric cars has changed over the last year.

[05:39] The tax incentives and grants that are available for businesses for using electric cars.

[07:14] What Richard does as the Quality and Continuous Improvement Manager at BP Chargemaster.

[10:05] The value of data and the importance of digital security.

[12:29] How to best manage a company that’s growing from an SME to an international enterprise.

[18:22] The way Richard drives continuous improvement at BP Chargemaster.

[20:43] What ‘8 D’ is and how it can help to identify the causes of problems and the best ways to improve on them.

[25:06] How Richard tracks the different improvements that he puts in place.

[27:27] The book Richard recommends to those working in the business world.

If you need assistance with implementing ISO 9001 or ISO 14001 – Contact us!

This episode we are joined by Mark Frudd, Managing Director and Founder of Security and Software Development at company TriplePs.

Mark’s here to tell us about the information security Standard ISO 27001. It’s brought his business countless benefits, allowed them to expand, and win government contracts. But it hasn’t been all easy sailing, the ISO has brought up some unique challenges for Mark to overcome. He explains what these are, how he tackled them, and what he wishes he knew before embarking on this journey...

Mark Frudd is the Managing Director and Founder of Security expert at software development company TriplePs. His work history revolves around the cybersecurity industry and delivering high profile public sector projects.

With a personal motto that IT and security doesn’t need to be expensive to be effective, Mark now focuses on providing affordable security, and software solutions, that meet the needs of both his clients and their end-users.

This episode, Mark is here to talk  about his experience implementing and managing the information security standard ISO 27001. After putting the ISO into place his company quickly expanded in size and Mark soon realized that the standard wasn’t being effectively implemented across his business.

He explains  why this was, what he did to rectify it, and how he could have avoided that happening in the first place.

In his own words ‘An ISO isn’t just for Christmas, it’s there every single day. You don’t just manage it, you adopt it.’

Mark explains  how having ISO 27001 helped expand his business and why it’s so important when trying to gain government contracts.

Finally, he explains how following this standard has shaped TriplePs business strategy and the different benefits that it has brought to his business...

Website: https://www.triplepsltd.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TriplePsLtd

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/triplepsltd

You’ll learn

• How Mark ended up implementing ISO 27001.
• Why ISO 27001 is important for maintaining a high information and security standard.
• The challenges involved in implementing ISO 27001.
• The benefits of following ISO 27001 and how it can help with expansion.
• How Mark manages ISO 27001 across his business.
• The importance ISO 27001 has when gaining government contracts.
• Why Mark decided to bring in a specialist to help implement the standard properly.

Resources

• Blackmores
• TriplePs

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:33] Who Mark Frudd is and how he ended up implementing ISO 27001.

[01:04] Who TriplePs are.

[01:51] Mark’s history working in Butlins, and what he learnt there.

[02:51] The type of security work TriplePs does.

[05:35] Why TriplePs decided to work with Blackmores when implementing the ISO 27001 procedure.

[07:22] What Mark’s role in TriplePs is and what his daily work life looks like.

[09:00] What the process for implementing ISO 27001 looked like.

[11:16] The importance of maintaining the right ISO standards when your company goes through rapid growth.

[13:18] The importance of adopting ISO’s into the heart of your businesses culture.

[15:52] How ISO 27001 has shaped TriplePs business strategy.

[18:57] The best way to implement a new ISO standard.

[20:51] The benefits involved with following the ISO 27001 standard.

[23:34] Mark’s favorite book.

[24:36] How ISO’s are a constant and not ‘Just for Christmas’.

[25:27] How to find out more about TriplePs.

If you need assistance with implementing ISO 27001 – Contact us!

Andy Pavlovic is the Compliance director at Maris. Maris is certified to four ISO standards, ISO 9001 for quality, ISO 14001 for environmental management, ISO 45001 for health and safety, and ISO 37001 for anti-bribery standards. He manages and maintains all of these ISO standards for Maris and makes sure that the company upholds these standards across the board.

This episode, Andy Pavlovic is here to share with me what he’s learnt from his years working as Maris’s compliance director and overseeing the implementation of four different ISO standards.

Andy speaks about how ISO standards enable Maris to maintain consistency across the company in the quality of their work, their health and safety procedures, and their environmental impact.

He explains how implementing standards allow organisations to be scalable and how having multiple standards doesn’t necessarily mean spending more time on them.

With ISO 37001 being a relatively new standard, he explains the value following this standard has not only for the ethos of Maris but also to the commercial side of his business.

Finally, he explains how Maris keeps their employees compliant with their standards and what the key benefits of having an integrated management system are...

Website: https://www.maris.co.uk/

Linkedin:

You’ll learn

• How ISO standards allow organisations to be scalable.
• Why implementing the correct ISO standards is even more important than ever during COVID times.
• The importance of choosing the right systems for your organisation.
• How to maintain consistent adherence to standards across your company over long time periods.
• The best ways to train your staff to be compliant with new ISO standards.
• The benefits of having an integrated management system when dealing with multiple ISO standards.

Resources

• Blackmores

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:32] Who Andy Pavlovic is and the different ISO standards that Maris are certified with.

[01:48] Andy’s experience working with ISO standards.

[02:18] What Maris does and the industries they work in.

[03:05] Andy’s ISO responsibilities as the Compliance Director.

[04:00] How ISO standards work across different cultures and the importance of having these in place.

[05:12] How Andy manages four different ISO standards, and how having these standards enable companies to be scalable.

[08:07] The importance of organisations accepting standards as part of their culture.

[09:52] The importance of giving new employees a proper formal induction and what this process looks like.

[11:52] The commercial advantages of having ISO standards and how this has helped Maris win new business during the COVID pandemic.

[13:34] What the benefits of having an integrated management system are.

[15:16] Advice Andy has for anybody who is looking to implement ISO standards.

[16:45] Andy’s book recommendation to anyone looking for self-growth.

[18:19] The importance of having someone with the right expertise in house when implementing ISO procedures.

[19:14] How to get in touch with Maris or Andy himself.

If you need assistance with implementing ISO 14001, ISO 9001, ISO 45001 or ISO 37001 – Contact us!

Yousif Rajah is the Head of Info Sec at DotDigital, a UK-based tech company that builds software service solutions to help customers engage with their clients. He coordinated most of the work involved with creating the ISO 27001 system, and recently has contributed to DotDigital becoming ISO 27001 certified.

« It sounds dauting and it feels daunting, but if you have a program in place already, chances are you’re quite a long way down the road already. » - Yousif Rajah

Picture this: Your digital marketing company is expanding, and you know you need to comply with data protection requirements, protect your reputation and demonstrate to customers that you have taken the steps to protect your business and their personal information. You’ve heard of the importance of becoming ISO 27001 certified but are unsure where to start. Join us today as our guest, Yousif Rajah, explains his company’s journey in becoming ISO 27001 certified, the changes he has noticed since implementing this ISO standard, and how you can get started on becoming certified today.

Website: https://dotdigital.com/contact-us/

You’ll learn

• What DotDigital is, what it provides, and what Yousif’s role is
• The company’s main driver behind implementing ISO 27001
• How long it to become ISO 27001 certified
• The scope of the ISO 27001 certification
• Gap analysis after becoming ISO 27001 certified, and reaching the standard
• The benefits and risks associated with expanding globally, while maintaining the ISO 27001 standard
• The benefits, in general, of implementing ISO 27001
• Tips of implementing ISO 27001

In this episode, we talk about:

[01:13] What does DotDigital do?

[02:14] Something not many people know about Yousif

[03:34] Main driver behind implementing ISO 27001

[04:57] The journey of becoming certified and going through the assessment                

[05:52] What is the scope of the certification?

[7:56] What was the biggest gap in the gap analysis?  

[9:16] Reaching the gaps and the difference it made within DotDigital

[11:04] The benefits of certification on a global scope

[12:35] What Yousif has learned since implementing ISO 27001

[13:28] Main benefits to DotDigital in achieving certification

[15:30] If you could give any tips to someone implementing ISO 27001, what would they be?

[16:11] If you could gift a book to somebody what would it be and why?

[16:49] Favorite quote to leave listeners with  

9th September 2020

#52 Lloyd’s of London shares ISO Journey to HSE certification

Today’s Guest

Trevor Jennings is a Risk Manager with the Corporate Real Estate Department at Lloyd’s of London. He works to provide client facing advice and support on all matters of risk, excluding financial and contractual risk, and to ensure health and safety is co-ordinated across all building users within Lloyd’s UK and overseas premises.

« It’s steps at a time that will get you through to the certification aspect. »
                                             - Trevor Jennings

Picture this: An organization has set effective environmental, health, and safety standards for their company. Worker participation is high and the leadership is flourishing. Sounds marvelous, don’t you think? Tune in to this episode to learn from a man who has made this happen for the world's specialist insurance and reinsurance market. Trevor Jennings speaks about his journey to implementing environmental standards (ISO 14001), health and safety standards OHSAS (18001), and his experience with the migration to the latest health and safety standard ISO 45001. He details the main advantages of having an ISO compliant health and safety system in place and the key factors that led to Lloyd’s success, including employee engagement groups to foster worker participation. Trevor divulges the top environmental factors that Lloyds is focusing on and how it affects their bottom line, as well as his top tip for anyone who is looking to implement ISO 14001 or ISO 45001.

Website: https://www.lloyds.com/about-lloyds

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-jennings-msc-cmiosh-44917b37/

You’ll learn

• What Lloyd’s is, what it provides, and what Trevor’s role is
• How Trevor got started at Lloyd’s and how OHSAS 18001/ISO 45001 and ISO14001 got implemented
• The main advantages of having a health and safety system in place compliant to OHSAS 18001/ISO 45001/
• Why timing, worker participation, and leadership is key for Lloyd’s success
• The top environmental factors that Lloyds is focusing on and how it affects their bottom line
• How Lloyd’s is working on a Better Working Environment initiative
• The benefits of employee engagement groups
• How Lloyd’s manages suppliers
• Trevor’s top tip for implementing ISO14001 or ISO45001

Resources

• ISO Support Plan
• ISO Elearning
• ISO Steps to Success
• Fast After 50 by Joe Friel

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:51] What is Lloyd’s and what is Trevor’s role?

[03:36] Something not many people know about Trevor

[05:10] How Trevor got started at Lloyd’s

[07:34] The main advantages of having a health and safety system in place compliant to 18001

[08:44] Facing the challenge of implementing 14001

[12:12] The Health, Safety, and Environmental Coordination Group

[13:42] Energy is at the top of the list of targets to focus on

[14:54] The effect on the bottom line of operations

[16:52] The migration of OHSAS 18001 to ISO 45001

[21:24] Tips for organizations looking to implement ISO 14001 or ISO 45001

[23:48] If you could gift a book to somebody, which would you choose and why?

Can you believe we’ve been publishing the ISO Show for 5 years now! We certainly can’t!

The ISO Show began back in 2019, following a trip to Cumbria by the host Mel Blackmore. She was, and still is, an avid fan of podcasts and while listening to a few of her favourites on the 4 hour trip, she got to wondering if there were any podcasts about ISO Standards.

As it happened, there wasn’t at the time, and so the idea for the ISO Show was born. Not more than a few months later the first episode went live, and the rest is history.

For the past 5 years, we’ve had the honour of sharing our team’s combined 18 years of knowledge, including amazing insights from our clients and industry experts along the way.

Today Mel Blackmore will reflect on the ISO Show so far and share it’s next evolution as we introduce a new host.  

You’ll learn

·      Why was the ISO Show created?

·      Why is Mel taking a step back?

·      What will be the focus for the future?

·      An introduction to the new host(s)

Resources

·      Isologyhub

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:30] Join the isologyhub – To get access to a suite of ISO related tools, training and templates. Simply head on over to isologyhub.com to either sign-up or book a demo.

[02:05] Episode summary: After 5 years of the ISO Show, it’s hitting a turning point as we introduce a new host.  

[02:25] An amazing journey – It’s been an amazing 5 years of digging deep into some of the most pressing issues we’ve faced, sharing tips and dispelling myths about ISO Standards.

We’ve explored a lot of topics over the years, including:

·      Sharing our ISO 22301 (Business Continuity) knowledge when COVID hit, to help people with future and current response plans.

·      Transitioning to new versions of Standards, such as ISO 27001:2022

·      Interviewing leaders within the ISO space, such as Kit Oung, who helped to develop the UK’s current energy and climate change regulations.

[04:05] Mel’s sustainability journey – why she’s taking a step back as host – Mel’s made it no secret that her passion lies with Sustainability Standards. This podcast has helped to amplify their importance within our space, but she wants to take this a step further.

Going forward, Mel will be dedicating herself full-time to researching the crucial role of carbon standards in achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050.

[05:00] An evolution for the ISO Show – All this to say, the ISO Show isn’t going anywhere, rather we are introducing a new main host – Ian Battersby!

[05:05] Who is Ian Battersby? – Ian is a senior Isologist here at Blackmores. Ian brings a wealth of knowledge, expertise and a passion for helping businesses raise their game with ISO standards.

He’s a bit of a digital nomad, splitting his time between working from Span and England, he works part-time at Blackmores.

So he is very much involved in the day-to-day understanding of challenges of ISO Management, This includes the frustrations that businesses face and also how ISO standards support the achievement of greater productivity and profitability.

Ian will be introducing himself fully on the next episode 😊

[06:25] Thank you for making the ISO Show such a success! – We’ve now got a few thousand subscribers, with a global reach, we honestly never expected to have so many listeners when we started.

So whether you’re a regular or occasional listener, thank you for being here with us, we truly hope that our knowledge has helped you on your own journey to continual improvement within your own organisation.

[07:25] A long journey – A lot has happened over the past 5 years. In addition to being the CEO of Blackmores, Mel has also developed the isologyhub – an on-line learning platform which helps to raise awareness and understanding of ISO Standards.

She has also founded Carbonology – a sister company that specialises in carbon related Standards, which will be where focuses her main efforts over the next few years.

[07:44] Stepping back – but not gone – While you will be hearing less from Mel, she won’t be completely absent. She will be joining us at least once a month to explore how ISO Standards are shaping the landscape of Net Zero.

She will be sharing her journey to achieve net zero based on academic research, including primary and secondary research on how the various carbon related standards support the Sustainable Development goals and achieving net zero.

This will primarily be diving into Standards such as ISO 14064 (Carbon Verification) and ISO 14068 (Net Zero), in relation to how they support the Sustainable Development Goals, help to create a level playing field, providing transparency, reliability, accountability and without a doubt, credibility.

[09:20] Why the focus on sustainability? – Mel will be studying a masters by researching the role of Carbon Standards Verification in contributing to achieving Net Zero.

This focus hasn’t appeared out of the blue. Mel founded Carbonology with the goal of tacking Net Zero, one business at a time. They’ve already had great success over the past few years’ but there’s still so much more to do when it comes to understanding Greenhouse Gas emission verification, carbon removals, reductions and offsetting.

[10:10] Another big thank you – The ISO Show has been running for the past years with the assistance of Blackmores Communication Manager – Steph Churchman.

Starting from humble beginnings of recording using a mic housed in a shoebox, to being stuffed in a cupboard to combat our offices’ terrible acoustics. We’ve thankfully since upgraded our set-up to something much more comfortable.

Along the way we’ve experienced our fair share of technical issues, as you can’t really go 5 years of recording without something going wrong. However, there wasn’t much we couldn’t work around in some way or another.

As Steph has helped in researching topics we’ve discussed over the years, she will also be joining Ian on hosting the ISO Show in future episodes.  

[12:45] On to the next chapter – It’s not goodbye from Mel, but rather see you later. We’ll be bringing you all along on this next chapter of the ISO Show, so make sure you subscribe to stay up-to-date with our latest episodes.  

If you’d like to book a demo for the isologyhub, simply contact us and we’d be happy to give you a tour.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

●     Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin

●     Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud | Mailing List

Today’s Guest

Ian Van Der Pool is the chairman of the European Facilities Standards committee and co-author of ISO 41001 and ISO 41014. He also has his own business, which is ISO 41001 CSI. He currently works with the Dutch Ministry of Defence and is responsible for implementing a brand new FM system fully compliant to ISO 41001.

Tune in to this episode to learn from Ian Van Der Pool, who has lots of valuable experience implementing ISO standards for facilities management. Ian speaks about how he got involved with ISO 41001, why it’s important to have an ISO standard, and how such a standard is created. He details the commercial value in ISO 41001, the benefits and main drivers of having a facilities management system in place that is aligned with the standard, and the risk of not having one implemented. The uncertainty of returning to the office amid a pandemic is discussed, along with the effects of this uncertainty. Then, Ian shares his top tips for implementing facilities management systems, noting a valuable lesson he learned in all the organizations he has interviewed.

Website: www.iso41001csi.com

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/ianvanderpool

Course Date: 18th September 2020

Course cost: £500

You’ll learn

• How Ian got involved with ISO 41001
• Why it’s important to have an ISO standard for facilities management
• How multiple countries come together to create these standards
• What drives companies or venues to implement ISO 41001
• The commercial value in ISO 41001 and the risk of not implementing it
• The effects of uncertainty of returning the workplace during coronavirus
• The benefits of having a facilities management system in place
• Ian’s top tips for implementing facilities management systems: where do they begin and how do they comply with the standard?

Resources

• ISO Support Plan
• ISO Elearning
• ISO Steps to Success

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:43] A bit about Ian Van Der Pool

[02:50] Something not many people know about Ian

[03:40] How Ian got involved with ISO 41001

[06:51] Why is it important to have an ISO standard for facilities management?

[08:32] Is ISO 41001 the only certifiable standards that organizations can be certified against?

[09:30] How does a standard get created?

[12:25] Main drivers for implementing ISO 41001 for a facilities management company or venue

[14:39] The commercial value in ISO 41001

[17:39] The risk of not having it implemented

[18:55] The effects of uncertainty regarding going back into the workplace

[20:43] The benefits of having a facilities management system in place that is aligned with the standard

[22:37] Why would you need ISO 41001 in addition to or instead of other standards?

[27:30] Tips for implementing facilities management systems + A valuable lesson learned in all the organizations Ian has interviewed

[31:02] How to learn more about and contact Ian + About his foundation training course

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud

To celebrate hitting 50 episodes, I wanted to bring to bring to you something a little extra special today. and that is ‘How to implement any ISO’, but before we do, I’d just like to say a huge thank you to all our listeners.  Keep sharing the ISO Love, and share this episode with anyone who is looking to take their business to the next level.

In this episode I take you through 4 simple steps to implementing any ISO Standard.

• Understanding your business (I mean really understand your business – warts and all!)
• Create
• Share
• Engage

When you break it down, the same ingredients apply to how you approach to implementing and ISO Standard.

To celebrate hitting 50 episodes, I wanted to bring to bring to you something a little extra special today. and that is ‘How to implement any ISO’, but before we do, I’d just like to say …….

Thank you, thank you, thank you – for listening in, and giving your time to listen to the ISO Show, I’ve loved recording the last 50 episodes with some amazing guests, and I really hope you’ve found them beneficial and taken away some great tips and insights into how other businesses have succeeded and how they’ve transformed their businesses with ISO Standards.  So I hope you’ve enjoyed listening to them too, if you did please could leave a review and hit subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts, because that that means that we can continue to inspire and educate others, and it also means we can keep getting epic guests on the show.

I’d also like to give a quick shout out to Steph Churchman, our Communications Manager here at Blackmores, who has been my saviour in doing these recording – especially when we’ve had technical issues, and even lost guests midway through recording.  She’s been absolutely fabulous in making my vision for the ISO Show become a reality! So huge thank you Steph! You are a star!

So, onto today’s episode which is ‘How to implement any ISO Standard’ – you may think, hey that’s a bit of a bold statement, there are thousands of ISO Standards! Yep! But when you are implementing an ISO Standard to improve a business, there are a few secret ingredients, and I’m going to let you in on those today.  But I don’t just want to do that, I’m going to provide a free check-sheet on ‘How to implement any ISO Standard’ which will be available to download from the show notes.

I’m going to share with you our ISO Steps to Success – this is a proven methodology that, at we’ve refined over the last 14 years, and implemented for over 250 companies – 250 companies, in over 20 countries. Not only that – with a 100% success rate, yep, an awesome 100% success rate.  So here’s what we do

# 1   Understanding the organisation

You need to fully understand what your businesses biggest risks are but also establish where you most impactful opportunities are.

• Gap Analysis,
• Identify risks, opportunities, interested parties, - SWOT/PESTEL
• Understand legal requirements. – Statutory, regulatory and contractual requirements
• Finally – establish a clear SCOPE – what is your ISO Management system going to cover?

It’s only really when you’ve fully understood your organisation that you can create a roadmap to achieve success with where you are trying to get to.

# 2    Creation  

Create the Management System policies, procedures and templates – long gone are the days of Quality Manual or worse still ISO Manual – you label it to suit your company brand, culture and vision. Give it some thought, as this will be the central point that you want employees to go back to I they need any guidance and support on their way of working.  For the purposes of this podcast, I’ll simply refer to the Standards terminology of ‘Management System’.

So lets get down to the creation of your management system…..

Top tip alert – where the standard says ‘shall’ it is basically saying – don’t bullshit me – you’ve got to god damn have this in your system or it will fail an assessment!

So if the standard says’ top Management SHALL establish, implement and maintain an environmental Policy – it means, DO IT!

If the standard says ‘The organisation SHALL establish environmental objectives at relevant functions and levels – DO IT!

The standard is there to HELP your business, and it is crystal clear in the ‘SHALL’s’ exactly what you need to do to achieve success.

# 3 Sharing

There is no point having an awesome ISO Management System sitting in a manual or buried in a server somewhere if no one knows about it, or they can’t find it!

You need to SHARE it with everyone, after all its been created for the organisation to succeed – to be more profitable, productive, reduce risk, be more sustainable – so everyone needs to be AWARE of the management system AND be empowered to take responsibility for it!

There is no point in having an Information Security System in place, if know one knows what a security breach is in your business is or who to report it too!  What’s the point!

So you need to have….

• A Communications Plan – Internal Comms, External Comms – website, social, newsfeed.
• Awareness training (classroom or eLearning), recordings  
• Make it accessible – not everyone may have access to a PC – think outside the box – how can you get your ‘Way of Working’ to the workforce? – screens in meeting areas, virtual noticeboards.
• Themes – World Environment Day – Create a buzz, create energy and enthusiasm for getting involved and making a difference.  You can use this either for the launch or for refresher sessions.

 # 4 - Engagement

• You need to get the company ‘Way of working’ which are your policies and procedures, systems into the business DNA – be crystal clear on accountabilities and responsibilities.

Engagement is so critical to making this a success……

If you are launching a new client onboarding process to improve the customer experience – make it clear, how the process works, what results you expect to see, how you are going to monitor the results, and who is going to make it happen!

Get those responsible to own it and take pride in their achievements.

• Next, I know you may think you are wonderful, and I’m sure you are amazing, but in all honesty you can’t successfully embed an ISO System on your own!

In all businesses there are usually closet ISO Champions – just waiting to be asked to contribute – so why not encourage engagement?

Why not Create a hub for Champions? – give them the tools and platform to make it happen!

This isn’t just about when you launch a new ISO System, but to demonstrate how you are continually raising standards! so let’s say you have a Health and Safety System – ISO 45001 – Your H & S Champions could be championing the COVID-19 H & S Risk Assessments, controls and awareness for your employees across all area of your businesses.

Having these champions, will make Management’s life easier to communicate key issues and solutions, to create a better working environment and happier clients.

• Carrying out Internal Audits – So this another ‘Shall’.  It is not optional, and this is where ISO Standards can get bad press, as a result of lazy or incompetent auditors (or worse still lazy and incompetent) just using it as a ‘tick-box’ exercise.  Use this opportunity to really engage with your workforce – this is such a value tool in the tool box if done in the right way – it helps you to understand an employees:

• Level of understanding

• Opinions and views of the process

• Opportunities for improvement

• Gauge level of compliance and readiness for the assessment.

• Engaging in the Leadership Team through Management Review

So that’s it in a nutshell, that’s how you implement ANY ISO Standards. 

I’d love to hear what your top takeaways were on the show today, and share that with me, I absolutely love reading the reviews and suggestions.

Don’t forget to follow us on Linkedin. Also, ISO Show listeners will get a 10% discount on ISO Steps to Success, ISO Support Plans and ISO Elearning. Just quote ‘ISO Show’ in your enquiry.

………before I go I just wanted to say thank you so, so much for being here and  listening to the ISO Show, and showing up today – if you know anyone, colleagues, associates, friends in your life that would really benefit from having an awesome System in place to take their business to the next level – to be more efficient, sustainable and profitable then please share this episode with them.

Thanks once again for listening, and I look forward to catching you on the next ISO Show….

Awesome resources

ISO Steps to Success – Free consultation to discuss the feasibility of ISO for your business

ISO Support Plan – Free health check on your ISO Management System

ISO Elearning – Wide range of ISO Standards courses for just £50 per course.

We’d love to hear your views and comments about the ISO Show, here’s how:

• Share the ISO Show on twitter or Linkedin
• Leave an honest review on iTunes or Soundcloud. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one.

Subscribe to keep up-to-date with our latest episodes:

Stitcher | Spotify | YouTube |iTunes | Soundcloud