is the online magazine of BSI Group, highlighting the vital role that standards play in today's business environment - delivering ROI, saving costs, improving quality and mitigating risk. Features include interviews with leading business figures, as well as news on the latest developments in management systems, standards, testing, healthcare and certification.
Sustainability: more than "green"
30 Nov 2009
Topics: Environment, ISO 14001, Climate change, Carbon footprint, Carbon market, Carbon neutral, Emissions trading, GHG, PAS 2050, CSR, Ethical trading, Health & safety, OHSAS 18001, PAS 2020, SA8000, Social responsibility, Sustainability, Social accountability, CFV
Sustainable development means taking into account the social, economic and environmental impacts of business activities, not only for the present but also for future generations.
Many in industry believe that a triple bottom line best describes sustainability. The triple bottom line goes by a few different names, 3Ps (people, planet, profit), 3Es (equality, environment, economy) or economic, social and environmental.
To tackle all three areas, sustainable thinking and practices have to be built into the way a business is managed and reflected in the way decisions are made. Long-term sustainable development objectives should be backed up with short-term targets and action plans. Leaders need to think beyond the five-year plan and start looking at the impact their business will have 50 years down the line, and then translate that into policies and practices that filter all the way through their organizations. Management system standards will help organizations adapt and evolve the way the business operates. They provide a robust framework for good practice to ensure an organization has an enduring and balanced approach to economic activity, environmental responsibility and social progress.
For further information on building a greener business, visit www.bsigroup.co.uk/sustainable
Business Standards © 2010. Editorial produced by Caspian Publishing in association with The British Standards Institution. Editorial opinions expressed on are not necessarily those of BSI Group or Caspian Publishing. Neither Caspian Publishing nor BSI Group accept responsibility for advertising or editorial content, nor for that appearing on linked third-party websites. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden without written permission from BSI Group or Caspian Publishing.
Security is a challenge at the best of times for a retail bank. If you offer services via the internet, security becomes even more complicated. For Barclays UK Retail Online Banking, information security is at the core of their business, which is one of the main reasons the organization pursued and achieved certification to ISO/IEC 27001 Information security from BSI.
Sapphire earns a standards hat-trick
Sapphire Energy Recovery, the waste processing and resource recovery business owned by Lafarge Cement, has achieved certification to three management systems standards (ISO 9001 Quality management, ISO 14001 Environmental management and BS OHSAS 18001 Health and safety management) from BSI. Sapphire is the UK's leading processor of used tyres, and sources and manages the logistics of a range of waste-derived fuels and raw materials for the cement industry.
How do you put a price on a brand? An international standard in the making will provide a consistent, reliable approach to brand valuation.
As part of its evolving governance, risk and compliance strategy, BSI has acquired the Supply Chain Security Division of First Advantage Corporation.
Gerda, a leading developer and manufacturer of products for the security industry, has become the first company to be awarded the Kitemark for thief-resistant lock assemblies, in line with BS 10621:2007 Thief resistant dual-mode lock assembly.
Question: Is the contribution made by standards always positive?
Standards can make an enormous contribution to organizations, businesses and society - a number of recent studies have confirmed this as an indisputable fact. But is the contribution they make always positive? In my role as chairman of the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), I have a close understanding of the world of standards. Most of UKAS' accreditation work is based on standards - from the certification of quality and environmental management systems to a huge range of product testing and beyond.
Have a standards-related question for BSI or a comment on the website? We'll find the right person to answer.
