Companies with certification to the earlier version have an 18 month transition period to make the transition to ISO 14001:2004, the newly revised and improved version.
After May 2006 only certificates to ISO 14001:2004 will be recognized by members of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), an international association that represents accreditation bodies around the world.
“Certificates issued by accredited certification bodies may be perceived on the market as more credible than non-accredited ones,” the International Organization for Standardization said in a press release.
The IAF released its transition plan for accredited certification from ISO 14001:1996 to ISO 14001:2004, developed in consultation with ISO, in December 2004.
"I encourage all organisations to begin implementing ISO 14001:2004 as soon as possible in order to benefit from its easier-to-understand language, clearer intention, and increased compatibility with the ISO 9001:2000 quality management system standard that many of them also implement," ISO secretary-general Alan Bryden said.
Bryden said it was not necessary for organizations to be certified to attain the benefits of implementing the standard but added that over 66 000 organisations around the world have chosen to have their Environmental Management Systems independently certified.
"ISO has therefore supported the IAF in developing a transition plan for certification to ISO 14001:2004, accredited by IAF members. We are now counting on the IAF and its members to implement that policy for the benefit of current and new users of ISO 14001 which is one of ISO's most important standards in the service of organisations aspiring to sustainable development."
EMS certification to ISO 14001 is growing at a faster rate than the quality standard ISO 9001 and mining companies are increasingly having minesites verified to international standards.
