Sustainability
People sometimes imagine that standards are more complicated than is actuallu the case. In the end, what a standard boils down to is an expert consensus on a point of best practice.
Like all the best ideas, it's a simple one. Importantly, it's an idea that can be appllied with the same effectiveness in the public sector as in the private.
Use standards to drive sustainability
A good example is the issue of environmental sustainability, a key objective now for the activities of government at every level. Standards provide an important tool to help you deliver on sustainability commitments.
The key standard in this area is ISO 14001, which:
- shows organisations how to set the necessary targets and put the required strategies in place to control the environmental impact of their activities
- provides a convenient and cost-effective way of ensuring that you don't breach any of your environmental obligations
- helps you to introduce sustainability-driven efficiencies and savings across your organisation - from small steps such as improved ebergy-efficiency in the workplace, to more fundamental changes such as a supply-chain overhaul
Understand the breadth of application
Delivering on sustainability is a serious business. Regulations demand it, and adverse publicity for those who fail in this area can have serious consequences.
But this isn't the only area in which public-sector bodies can work with standards. We've produced a guide highlighting a range of applications for standards, which you can download here.
