Steph Churchman, Author at Blackmores

On average, international events emit over 2,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases, which is the equivalent to what 270 UK citizens emit in a whole year.

The events industry has been under scrutiny for a number of years in regard to its sustainability, with many factors such as international and domestic travel and exhibition waste to consider, it’s quite a beast to tackle!

Back in 2012, to coincide with the London Olympics, a new Standard dedicated to Sustainable Events Management was launched. ISO 20121 provides a robust framework for those seeking to take actionable steps to tackle their sustainability, such as todays’ guest FESPA.

In this episode Ian is joined by Graeme Richardson-Locke, Head of Associations & Technical Lead at FESPA, to discuss FESPA’s journey towards achieving ISO 20121, the challenges faced along the way and benefits felt from certification.

You’ll learn

Who is Graeme Richardson-Locke?
Who are FESPA?
What was the main driver behind obtaining ISO 20121?
What was the biggest gap identified in the initial Gap Analysis?
What did FESPA learn from the experience of implementing ISO 20121?
What are the main benefits of ISO 20121 certification?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[02:05] Episode Summary – We welcome today’s guest, Graeme Richardson-Locke, Head of Associations & Technical Lead at FESPA, to discuss their journey towards achieving the best practice standard for Sustainable Event Management – ISO 20121.

[02:40] Who is Graeme?: Graeme has spent 40 years in the print sector, from textiles to graphics to industrial printing. Starting from an apprenticeship in screen printing, which moved onto industrial printing and then finally into digital print.

A little known fact about Graeme, he used to live on a goat farm on the Isle of Isla in the inner Hebrides. He speaks fondly of his time in a small community of just over 3,000 people, taking long walks and admiring the rich landscape.

[06:00] Who are FESPA? – FESPA is the global Federation of National Specialty Print Trade Association.

They work to support visual communication businesses in wide format and production of wide format products, so this includes things like garment decoration, interior décor, signage and industrial products.

Their association have members across 37 countries with around 1400 businesses within their membership. They ultimately seek to reinvest their profits for the purpose of inspiring, educating and growing the industry.

Their roots can be found in creativity, with some of their founding members coming from a background of screen printing.

[09:55] What is the scope of FESPA’s ISO 20121 certification? Currently it extends to their major European based exhibition – Global Print Expo, which also includes their European Sign Expo.

They thought it best to roll out certification to the Standard against their largest event.

Outside of the certification scope (so far) they do run events in Mexico, Brazil, Africa and the Middle East. It would be much too large of an undertaking trying to certify all their events initially, so they started with the European events with a view to expand their scope of certification at a later date.

[11:05] What was the main driver for achieving ISO 20121? Their was a clear need for sustainability related materials to be made available to their members. So FESPA started to develop a guide on sustainability certification schemes, a glossary of terms and a calculating carbon guide.

As a result, they set-up a feature on their website called Sustainability Spotlight, which highlights new sustainability produced materials coming to market. So it was clearly a topic of focus for their members.

They also sought to increase the positive impact they can have within their community, reduce the negative impacts and further develop their overall value.

[13:05] The ethical way forward – As an internal advocate, Graeme wanted to put forward a proposal for something that was really meaningful and not just a greenwashing exercise. This is something that seeking certification, which includes third-party verification, can provide.

[13:35] How long did it take FESPA to achieve ISO 20121? – FESPA began looking into the Standard back in 2022, but it was mired with other turbulence that needed their focus. The pandemic, the war in Ukraine, supply disruption and inflation, there was a lot happening in a short space of time.

They made a start on their journey in the Summer of 2022, but it was slow going as they were still building back from the pandemic. The slow burn picked up speed in 2023, with their certification being secured in May 2024.

[15:45] What was the biggest Gap identified during the Gap Analysis? FESPA have a lot of talented members, with a lot of competence, but the experience of creating formalised policies, procedures and a Management System that had to meet the set requirements of the Standard was a learning curve.

FESPA didn’t have the benefit of other ISO certifications, and this was the first time they were implementing an audited Standard, so the whole process was very eye opening.

[16:40] What impact did Implementing ISO 20121 have on FESPA? It provided a new perspective on their business, and has helped to develop a greater awareness of sustainable development opportunities.

An example of this includes when they started to really dig deeper into how they build and run events, from stand materials to catering. They found that switching their stand build materials to fiber build materials reduced their carbon footprint by 90%!

By simply thinking more carefully about what they were doing, they managed to make a massive carbon reduction, with an appetite to reduce this even further.

They worked with a company called Quota to calculate their carbon emissions, as they didn’t have that particular expertise in-house.

With that massive reduction as a motivator, they are now looking at stand material lifecycle, with a view to use more recycled materials that can be reprocessed.

[19:00] An eye opening experience – Completing exercises like a SWOT and PESTLE and rolling out a risk register which is reviewed on a quarterly basis, allows them to really keep an eye on how things are changing and any available opportunities.

All of these feed into their objective setting for the next year, establishing a solid path of progression to drive the business forward.

[20:10] Keeping up with an ever changing world: FESPA have molded their Management to suit the way they work, which is not linear.

Venues change ever year, and it’s critical that their management system assist in asking the right questions for new event locations.

One of their recent events took place in The Rye in Amsterdam, and they had zero emissions relating to energy because the Rye had their own sustainability related policies and procedures in place.

[21:15] The event industry’s collective effort: Many venues and other businesses involved in the events sector are large organisations with high energy consumption.

Many will already fall under legislative requirements to address and reduce their energy consumption. So, everyone is working in step with each other for the most part.

FESPA’s own members are showing trends of steering more towards utilising more sustainable materials such as recycled fabrics, as these have less weight, less cost to ship and more opportunity for reprocessing.

It’s still very much a work in progress, but it’s being driven in the right direction.

[24:20] Graeme’s Top Tip: The power of systematic thinking, Implementing a Management System requires a new way of working.

Graeme ran into trouble when first providing auditable evidence, as it was not something FESPA had ever done before. They encountered a minor non-conformance for F gas leakage in their head office air conditioning, and while they could confirm that their provider was F gas certified but they hadn’t checked to make sure the certificate was in date.

Little examples like this proved that they need a more systematic approach in all aspects of the business to ensure they complied with all relevant regulations, while also providing a solid framework for continual improvement.

[26:15] Celebrating ISO Success: Graeme was fortunate to attend a Certificate ceremony, put on by their Certification Body, BSI. The acknowledgement of not only his effort, but others who had been through a similar experience made for a fantastic celebration of FESPA’s achievements.

[27:20] Graeme’s book recommendation: Green Swans, The Coming Boom in Regenerative Capitalism – By John Elkington

[29:15] Chris’s favourite quote: The biggest threat to this planet is the belief that someone else will save it – Robert Swan

If you would like to learn more about FESPA, and their sustainability initiatives, visit their website.

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AI has been integrated into almost every aspect of our lives, from everyday software we use at work, to the algorithms that determine what content is recommended to us at home.

While extraordinary in its capabilities, it isn’t infallible and will open up everyone to new and emerging risks. Legislation and regulations are finally catching up to the rapid adoption of this technology, such as the EU AI Act and new Best Practice Standards such as ISO 42001.

For those looking to integrate AI in a safe and ethical manner, ISO 42001 may be the answer.

Today Rachel Churchman, Technical Director at Blackmores, explains what ISO 42001 is, why you should conduct an ISO 42001 Gap analysis and what’s involved with taking the first step towards ISO 42001 Implementation.

You’ll learn

What is ISO 42001?
What are the key principles of ISO 42001?
Why is ISO 42001 Important for companies either using or developing AI?
Why conduct an ISO 42001 Gap Analysis?
What should you be looking at in an ISO 42001 Gap Analysis?

Resources

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: Rachel Churchman joins Steph to discuss what ISO 42001 is, it’s key principles and the importance of implementing ISO 42001 regardless of if you’re developing AI or simply just utilising it.

Rachel will also explain the first step towards implementation – an ISO 42001 Gap Analysis.

[02:45] Upcoming ISO 42001 Workshop– We have an upcoming ISO 42001 workshop where you can learn how to complete an AI System Impact Assessment, which is a key tool to help you effectively assess the potential risks and benefits of utilising AI.

Rachel Churchman, our Technical Director, will be hosting that workshop on the 5th December at 2pm GMT, but places are limited so make sure you register your place sooner rather than later!

[03:20] The impact of AI – AI is everywhere, and has largely outpaced any sort of regulation or legislation up until very recently. These are both needed as AI is like any other technology, and will bring it’s own risks, which is why a best practice Standard for AI Management has been created.

If you’d like a more in-depth breakdown of ISO 42001, check out our previous episodes: 166 & 173

[04:30] A brief summary of ISO 42001 – ISO 42001 is an Internationally recognised Standard for developing an Artificial Intelligence Management System. It provides a comprehensive framework for organisations to establish, implement, maintain, and continually improve how they implement and develop or consume AI in their business. It aims to ensure that AI risks are understood and mitigated and that AI systems are developed or deployed in an ethical, secure, and transparent manner, taking a fully risk-based approach to responsible use of AI.

Much like other ISO Standards, it follows the High-Level Structure and therefore can be integrated with existing ISO Management systems as many of the core requirements are very similar in nature.

[05:45] Why is ISO 42001 important for companies both developing and using AI? – AI is now becoming commonplace in our world, and has been for some time. A good example is the use or Alexa or Siri – both of these are Large Language AI Models that we all use routinely in our lives. But AI is now being introduced in many technologies that we consume in our working lives – all designed to help make us more efficient and effective. Some examples being:

Microsoft 365 Copilot
GitHub Copilot
Google Workspace
Adobe Photoshop
Search Engines i.e. Google

Organisations need to be aware of where they’re consuming AI in their business as it may have crept in without them being fully aware. Awareness and governance of AI is crucial for several reasons:

For companies using AI they need to ensure they have assessed the potential risks of the AI such as unintended consequences and negative societal impacts, or potential commercial data leakage. They also need to ensure that if they are using AI to support decision making, that they have ensured that decisions made or supported by AI systems are fair and unbiased. It’s not all about risk – organisations can also use AI to streamlining processes helping to become more efficient and effective, or it could support innovation in ways previously not considered.

For companies developing AI, the standard promotes the ethical development and deployment of AI systems, ensuring they are fair, transparent, and accountable. It provides a structured approach to risk assessment and governance associated with AI, such as bias, data privacy breaches, and security vulnerabilities.

And for all, using ISO 42001 as the best practice framework, organisations can ensure that their AI initiatives are aligned with ethical principles, legal requirements, and industry best practices. This will ultimately lead to more trustworthy, reliable, and beneficial AI systems for all.

[10:00] Clause 7.4 Communication – The organisation shall determine the internal and external communications relevant to the system, and that includes what should be communicated when and to who.

[09:00] What are the key principles outlined in ISO 42001? –

Fairness and Non-Discrimination – ensuring AI systems treat all individuals and groups fairly and without bias.
Transparency and Explainability – Making AI systems understandable and accountable by providing clear explanations of their decision-making processes.
Privacy and Security – Protecting personal data and privacy while ensuring the security of AI systems.
Safety and Security – Prioritising the safety and well-being of individuals and the environment by mitigating potential risks associated with AI systems.
Environmental & Social – Considering the impact of AI on the environment and society, promoting sustainable and responsible practices.
Accountability and Human Oversight – Maintaining human control and responsibility for AI systems, ensuring they operate within ethical and legal boundaries. You’ll often hear the term ‘Human in the loop’. This is vital to ensure that AI is sanity checked by a human to ensure it hasn’t hallucinated or result ‘drifted’ in any way.

[11:10] Why conduct an ISO 42001 Gap Analysis? What is the main aim? – Any gap analysis is a strategic planning activity to help you understand where you are, where you want to be and how you’re going to get there. The ISO 42001 gap analysis will identify gaps and pinpoint areas where your AI practices need to meet the ISO 42001 requirements.

It aims to conduct a systematic review of how your organisation uses or develops AI to then assess your current AI management practices against the requirements of the ISO 42001 standard. This analysis will then help you to identify any “gaps” where your current practices do not fully meet the standard’s requirements. It also helps organisations to understand ‘what good looks like’ in terms of responsible use of AI.

It will help you to prioritise improvement areas that may require immediate attention, and those that can be addressed in a phased approach.

It will help you to understand and mitigate the risks associated with AI.

It will also help you to develop a roadmap for compliance to include plans with clear actions identified that can then be project managed through to completion, and as with all ISO standards it will support and enhance AI Governance.

[13:15] Does an ISO 42001 gap analysis differ from gap analysis for other standards? – Ultimately, no. The ISO 42001 gap analysis doesn’t differ massively from other ISO standard gap analysis, so anyone who already has an ISO Standard and has been through the gap analysis process will be familiar with it.

In terms of likeness, ISO 42001 is similar in nature to ISO 27001 in as much as there is a supporting ‘Annex’ of controls and objectives that need to be considered by the organisation. Therefore the questions being asked will extend beyond the standard High Level Structure format.

Now is probably a good time to note that the Standard itself is very informative and includes additional annex guidance information to include

implementation guidance for the specific AI controls,
an Annex for potential AI-related organisational objectives and risk sources,
and an Annex that provides guidance on use of the AI management system across domains and sectors and integration with other management system standards.

[14:55] What should people be looking at in an ISO 42001 gap analysis? – The Gap Analysis will include areas such as looking at the ‘Context’ of your organisation to better understand what it is that you do, or the issues you are facing internally and externally in relation to AI – both now and in the reasonably foreseeable future, and also how you currently engage with AI in your business. This will help to identify your role in terms of AI.

It will also look at all the main areas typically captured within any ISO standard to include leadership and governance, policy, roles and responsibilities, AI Risks and your approach to risk assessment and treatment and AI system impact assessments. It also looks at AI objectives, the support resources you have in place to manage requirements, awareness within your business for AI best practice and use, through to KPI’s, internal audit, management review and how you manage and track issues through to completion in your business.

The AI specific controls look more in-depth at Policies related to AI, your internal organisation in relation to key roles & responsibilities and reporting of concerns, The resources for AI Systems, how you assess the impacts of AI Systems, The AI system lifecycle (AI Development), Data for AI Systems, Information provided to interested parties of AI Systems, and the use of AI Systems and 3rd party and customer relationships.

[18:10] Who should be involved in an ISO 42001 Gap analysis? – An ISO 42001 gap analysis looks at AI from a number of different angles to include organisational governance that includes strategic plans, policies and risk management, through to training and awareness of AI for all staff, through to technical knowledge of how and where AI is either used or potentially developed within the organisation. This means that it is likely that there will need to be multiple roles involved over the duration of a gap Analysis.

At Blackmores we always provide a Gap Analysis ‘Agenda’ that clearly defines what will be covered over the duration of the gap analysis, and who typically could be involved in the different sessions. We find this is the best way to help organisations plan the support needed to answer all the questions required.

It’s also important to treat the gap analysis as a ‘drains up’ review, to help get the most benefit out of the gap analysis. This will ensure that all gaps are identified so that a plan can then be devised to support the organisation to bridge these gaps, putting them on the path to AI best practice for their business.

If you’d find out more about ISO 42001 implementation, register for our upcoming Workshop on the 5^th December 2024.

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

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One of the biggest contributors to a stagnating ISO Management System is a failure to communicate.

This has certainly been true in our experience with implementing ISO Standards for over 18 years, and as a result, we make sure to highlight awareness and communication as an integral step of the Implementation process.

It’s a wasted effort only to have your management system gathering dust in a rarely visited folder on your server. If you want to reap the benefits of ISO implementation, it’s in your best interest to make everyone aware of their role in relation to your management system and its continual improvement.

Today Ian Battersby explains what ISO Standards mean by awareness and communication, why they are so integral to a successful management system and how you can effectively communicate your management system.

You’ll learn

What does awareness and communication mean in relation to ISO Standards?
Why should you communicate your management system?
The benefits of management system awareness
How can you effectively communicate your ISO management system?

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 Battersby will be explaining what ISO Standards mean by awareness and communication, and why they are so integral to a successful Management System.

[02:30] What is awareness and communication so important?– The success and failure of a management system depends on it’s existence being known and understood within an organisation.

Staff have a key part to play, and they need to know their part in the Management System and how it aligns with the organisations direction.

[03:20] Extra guidance available for awareness and communication – There is a Standard that accompanies ISO 9001, called ISO 9004:2018 – Quality of an Organisation: Guidance to achieve sustained success.

This is a great companion to any Standard, as it provides general guidance on how to properly embed a management system within your business.

It talks at length about people and the need to ensure that they are competent, engaged, empowered and motivated. These are crucial as:

Engagement of people enhances the organisations ability to create value for interested parties.

Empowerment motivates people to take responsibility for their work and the results of their work.

These can be achieved by providing people with necessary information with authority and the freedom to make decisions related to their own work.

People should understand the significance and importance of their role, specifically in creating that value to meet and exceed customer expectations.

[05:30] What should be communicating according to ISO Standards? – Taking ISO 9001 as the example, because it is the basis for most ISO Standards, it has a specifies the following:

5.2.2 Quality Policy – The policy should be available and maintained as documented information, so must be issued somewhere so that people can see it. But it also, quite importantly, must be communicated, understood and deployed within the organisation. It also needs to be made available to other relevant and trusted parties.

5.3 Organisational roles, responsibilities and authorities – Top management have a responsibility here. They must ensure that responsibilities and authorities for relevant rules are assigned, communicated and understood within the organisation. There’s a lot to consider here as this will also take into account for ensuring processes are delivering expected outputs, the reporting of system performance and improvement and the promotion of customer focus throughout the organisation.

6.2 Objectives – The organisation should establish objectives. These will be targeted at relevant functions, levels and processes and should be communicated to the relevant people affected by those objectives.

7.3 Awareness – Includes the specification that anyone working under the organisations control, so this could include indirect workers, must be aware of your quality policy. Also included is the awareness of objectives and staff’s contribution to the effectiveness of the management system. People aslo have to be aware of the implications of not conforming to the requirements of the management system or standard.

[09:30] The implications of not following requirements – You need to consider what happens if someone doesn’t follow a process. For Standards such as ISO 45001 Health & Safety management, following processes could be a matter of someone getting hurt or breaking the law.

[10:30] When should you deliver ISO Management System awareness and communication training? – If you’re just starting out on your ISO Implementation journey, it’s crucial to communicate at the outset the importance of the process of achieving certification.

The level of awareness will vary depending on people’s roles, i.e:

Top Management: Top management must understand the role of the management system in relation to the strategic direction of the organisation as part of context, they must understand what the management system contributes to the overall business outcomes. While top management don’t need to know standards inside out, they must be aware and must have understanding of the overall purpose of the standard and the benefits that standard will bring to the organisation.

To gauge the level of awareness top management need, ask yourself, would you be happy to let them be interviewed in private by a third-party assessor in regards to all of their responsibilities in relation to the management system?

[13:20] General awareness for the workforce– While leadership require a greater level of awareness, there is still a need for general staff to have a certain level of management system awareness.

For those on their first implementation journey, you should bring people in from the very beginning, this includes all staff and those working indirectly under your organisation.

You will want to make them aware of the following:

What is a quality management system? – Define what it is and what it means

What’s important about the Standard? – People don’t need to know the intricacies of standard subclauses, so just select important aspects such as the Plan Do Check Act (PDCA) cycle

If you’re integrating Standards, what are some common requirements? – If you’re integrating a new standard, what requirements specific to that new standard need to communicated?

[15:15] 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.

[17:20] General awareness for the workforce continued – You will also need to make sure people are aware of:

What do they need to know in relation to certification? – This can include the date you’re working towards, what might be expected of them during an ISO assessment, what does the certification actually mean for the business?

Accessing the Management system – How can people find your management system? What documents does it hold? How do you use it? And how does this impact on staff’s day to day activities?

Staff’s role in relation to the Management system – How do staff contribute to the management system on a daily basis? How do they contribute to business objectives?

How does the management system benefit them? – Your management system will include tools and guidance on how to carry out certain activities. It explains how improvements can be suggested and made and how audits work. Ultimately it provides a structured approach to ensure everyone is singing from the same song sheet.

The importance of complying with policies, processes and procedures – including the consequences of not complying with them.

Raising issues relating to non-conformity, the effectiveness of the management system and any potential improvements – You can’t have eyes everywhere, and the people working in alignment with your processes can better highlight where something may not be working. This also increases engagement as people will have a real impact on how your business operates.

[20:15] Specific standard considerations for communication – The focus of elements of your communication will be tied to the specific ISO Standard you’re implementing.

I.e. A Health & Safety management system will include communication of key risks and hazards, how to report safety issues and abiding by Health & Safety law

Environmental management systems may include awareness of the need to protect the world we live in, how each person can help lessen their impact on an individual scale ect.

[21:00] Other key roles and related communication – There are other key roles within the organisation which will have specific communication requirements.

These will be people like operational functional managers with key roles in processes they may be involved in, i.e. sales, design, purchasing, calibration ect.

If they’ve got specific functions in the organisation with respect to the management system, they need to understand them as much as top management needs to know theirs and the general workforce need to know theirs.

[21:50] Communicating key changes to the Management system – You need to continually communicate to the workforce when changes occur to the management system. That communication doesn’t stop as soon as you’re certified!

For first time implementation, you’ll want to communicate when you’ve achieved certification.

[22:30] The importance of communication within a Management System – If people are aware of their role and importance to a management system, they will be more engaged with its operation.

This can include reporting on objectives progress during team briefs, raising potential issues and non-conformities or opportunities for improvement, highlighting customer complaints, monitoring number of incidents at work ect

All of these contribute to the success of the business and need to be reported on continually.

These can turn into lessons learned, which could lead to major system changes where documentation or processes need to be updated and communicated.

[24:30] What’s the best way to communicate your ISO management system? – Not all organisations are the same, so there is no right or wrong way to do so. A few suggestions include:

SharePoint
Teams Channel
E-mail / internal newsletters
Bulletins
In-person training
Videos

For any of the above you may need to consider how to record who has completed set awareness training.

[25:30] A final thought – If an auditor stops and asks a worker about your quality policy, what will that person say to that auditor?

We understand that the quality policy must be communicated, but how does each person understand it?

Your awareness raising needs to capture methods of ensuring that that happens, which is a tricky task!

They do not need to know a Standard verbatim, but they should know the importance of complying with it, what a non-conformity within that system means, and what are the consequences are if they don’t follow the rules.

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
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A crucial part of Implementing any ISO Standard is addressing your risks and opportunities.

This is a key part of Clause 4 Context of the organisation, which expresses and explicit need to review and assess what internal and external factors could help and hinder in achieving your business goals.

While ISO Standards don’t define a definitive method of doing so, many have adopted the practice of carrying out a SWOT and PESTLE analysis.

Today Ian Battersby explains what a SWOT and PESTLE analysis is, the key questions you should be asking and the importance of continually reviewing and updating the results as your management system matures.

You’ll learn

What is a SWOT analysis?
What is a PESTLE analysis?
Examples of questions you should be asking during a SWOT and PESTLE
How often should a SWOT and PESTLE be conducted?
Examples of SWOT and PESTLE in practice

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 Battersby will be explaining what a SWOT and PESTLE exercise is, it’s role in fufilling key requirements in Clause 4 of any ISO Standard, and the key questions you should be asking during the exercise.

[02:30] What is a SWOT and PESTLE analysis? – This is one is the tools you can use to look at various factors that affect your organisation.

SWOT standards for:

Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats

PESTLE standards for:

Political
Economical
Social
Technological
Legal
Environmental

And in recent years, people have added ethical into PESTLE too. Whether that’s on its own or integrated within the other elements is up to the organisation and how they want to run the exercise.

Both analysis are fundamental in helping organisations understand the benefits and pitfalls of a project, management system implementation included.

[05:05] Where in the Standard is there a need for a SWOT and PESTLE? – Clause 4 in all ISO Standards is known as ‘Context of the organisation’, which you need to establish early on in order to set the foundations for building your management system.

Context is the world in which an organisation works, it is the considerations of the internal and external factors that affect what you do.

SWOT and PESTLE, while not specifically referenced in the Standard, is a highly recommended tool as it directly assesses multiple internal and external factors and can fulfil the requirements of any ISO Standard.

[06:20] Addressing Context of the Organisation – Clause 4, Context of the organisation states:

“The organisation shall determine external and internal issues that are relevant to its purpose and its strategic direction, and that affects its ability to achieve the intended results of its management system.

The organisation shall monitor and review information about these external issues.”

There are also 3 additional notes:

#1: Issues can include positive and negative factors or conditions

#2: Understanding the external context can be facilitated by considering issues arriving from legal, technological, competitive, market, cultural, ect

3#: Understanding the internal context can be facilitated by considering Issues related to values, culture, knowledge and performance of the organisation.

So, there’s a lot to consider!

[08:10] How SWOT and PESTLE address Context of the Organisation – Taking a look at SWOT, strengths and weaknesses would refer to factors internal to your organisation, while the opportunities and threats would be external.

Depending on the focus of your management system, you may also want to complete this exercise through a certain lens. That could be information security, health & safety or environmental.

The Standard requires you to align your management system with the strategic direction of the organisation, so even if you are viewing this exercise through a certain lens, don’t do so in complete isolation.

[09:55] How to conduct a SWOT and PESTLE – The people involved in completing this exercise are important, not just the questions you ask.

Senior management should be included as they will have key insight to the strategic direction of the business.

You should also include operational managers or other functional managers as they will have more context for how things actually work in practice.

The point of a SWOT and PESTLE is to ascertain where you stand in terms of your risks and opportunities, and issues relating to resources, people, information, process, technology, equipment, laws, markets, environment, finance, economy ect from both an internal and external lens.

This will give you a solid foundation to build your management system on, which will ultimately help you achieve your intended outcomes and lead to a cycle of continual improvement.

[11:55] Considerations for Strengths – Strengths is an internal factor. Questions you could ask include:

What do we control through good processes?
What are we known for?
What does our marketplace and competitors say about us?
What are we good at?
What assets do we have?
What resources and knowledge do we have readily available?
What’s the strength in our products and in the processes for delivering those products and the people that run those processes and deliver those products, their skills, their knowledge, their strengths, their weaknesses and their expertise?
What areas in our organisation are already at a high standard and don’t necessarily need improvement?

Do we have objectives and targets that we measure against, i.e. KPIs, metrics, success factors and service level agreements, that demonstrate we’re good?

[13:10] Considerations for Weaknesses – Weakness is another internal factor, one that you have to be brutally honest conducting. Questions you could ask include:

What could you improve?
Where is money being spent poorly, or being lost?
What do your competitors do better than you?
What resources / knowledge / people / expertise do you lack?
What processes do you lack?
Where can your products or services be improved?
What are the constraints on your ability to meet changes in market need or demand?
What does your customer feedback look like?
Do your suppliers meet your requirements or the requirements of your clients?

[14:45] Considerations for Opportunities – Opportunities are considered an external factor. Questions you could ask include:

What new opportunities are available in your market?
What data do you have available on market trends, and how can you leverage that?
How changes in compliance requirements in your specific industry or your locality might provide you with opportunity to gain an edge?
What are past identified opportunities that we’ve not acted on?
What is the competition not taking advantage of that you could?
How can you increase customer satisfaction based on both positive and negative feedback received?

[16:00] Considerations for Threats – Threats are also considered an external factor, they are obstacles for you achieving your goals. Questions you could ask include:

What new environmental effects may affect you? Note: there is a new climate change amendment added to many commonly adopted ISO Standards, so this is something you will need to address.
What competitors are a threat to you?
Are other competitors taking advantage of markets that you have not accessed?
Why might competitors be getting ahead?
Are the habits of customers changing, and if so, how?
Are there other interested parties other than customers who present obstacles to you?
Are there any foreseeable resource issues? i.e. loss of experienced staff, lack of relevant talent in the pool of available people ect
Are you adapting to changes in the world?

[16:00] PESTLE: Addressing political factors – When you’re looking at political factors affecting your intended outcomes, consider the following:

What is happening politically in your environment? – That could be international or local on scale
What is the impact of policy or tax?
What is the impacts of employment trends / trade restrictions / tariffs?
What is the impact of unemployment rates on your organisation?
What is the impact of workforce shortages that may affect you?
Is there any form of Government intervention in your specific market?
Would this government intervention be considered an opportunity or threat? i.e. offering grants

[19:20] 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.

[21:25] PESTLE: Addressing economic factors – When you’re looking at economic factors affecting your intended outcomes, consider the following:

What is the impact of interest rates / exchange rates / inflation?
What is economic policy doing to you and your industry and your clients?
What are the impacts on wage rates / minimum wage changes /affordable living cost of living?

[21:50] PESTLE: Addressing social factors – When you’re looking at social factors affecting your intended outcomes, consider the following:

What’s the impact of changes in the cultural landscape?
What’s the impact of the expectation of people?
What’s the impact on working people’s lives and what their expectations are for working life in general? i.e. working hours and career aspirations
What is the and the emphasis on ethics, safety, Environmental Protection and data privacy for your clients / workforce / suppliers?

[22:50] PESTLE: Addressing technology factors – When you’re looking at technological factors affecting your intended outcomes, consider the following:

What is happening technology wise which impacts on what you do?
How does this affect the equipment you use? i.e. automation, the age of your equipment ect
What’s the impact of emerging technology?
How you decide on the costs and benefits of investing in new technology?
How do you use your website / blogs / social media to interact with your marketplace?
Have you got intellectual property you need to protect? i.e copyright pins that need consideration.

[23:40] PESTLE: Addressing legal factors – When you’re looking at legal factors affecting your intended outcomes, consider the following:

How does the law affect how you do business? i.e company law, health & safety law, HR law, trade law?
What changes in legislation have occurred recently that you need to have considered?
How do you horizon scan for changes in legislation that affect you in your market?
What’s the impact on employment on imports, exports, labour departments?
Have you considered other compliance obligations, such as certification to certain standards?

[24:50] PESTLE: Addressing environmental factors – When you’re looking at environmental factors affecting your intended outcomes, consider the following:

How do environmental aspects impact you, and how does the way you operate affect the environment? This includes consideration for air, water, land, natural resources, flora, fauna.
How do changes in the energy and utilities markets affect you?
How does your organisation fit in with any carbon reduction targets that your Government may have in place?
Are you required to create a carbon reduction plan?
Do you need to comply with certain environmental reporting requirements? i.e. here in the UK we have schemes like ESOS and SECR

[24:50] PESTLE: Addressing ethical factors – This one is optional, but many are choosing to include it as part of their PESTLE now.When you’re looking at ethical factors affecting your intended outcomes, consider the following:

How do you stay on the right side of the law with respect to the use of money?
Have you considered human rights / labour / children in the workforce / slavery / health & safety and well-being of local populations?
What charitable contributions do you make as an organisation?

[27:15] Assigning significance – The next part of a SWOT and PESTLE requires you to assign significance to the various factors affecting your organisation.

So, make sure you document every factor and how those factors affect your ability to achieve what you intend. Ensure that this all remains in alignment with the strategic direction of the business, as ultimately, you want your Management System to help drive those goals forward.

[30:25] Frequency of a SWOT and PESTLE: This isn’t just a one-off exercise. You should be continually monitoring these internal and external factors, and only updating the exercise during a management review meeting will do you a disservice.

This is an ever-changing world, it’s the one in which you operate, and you need to ensure you’re keeping up with it.

You could look at various factors in monthly or even weekly meeting with the appropriate parties, and see if circumstances have changed.

[31:25] Examples of why you should continually update your SWOT and PESTLE: Ian recounts an experience he had with a client where they had failed to disclose where they had switched to a digital system for competence related documentation, but it had not met their needs and so they needed to return to manual documentation.

This switch made finding the required documentation for internal audits difficult. None of this was recorded in their SWOT and PESTLE.

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Business travel remains one of our largest sources of greenhouse emissions, accounting for 26% of the UK’s total emissions.

In an ideal world, no one would have to travel to work or events, some might even point to the way everyone adapted in COVID as a prime example of this in practice. However, for many that model of work is not feasible in the long-term.

So, how can we reduce this unavoidable stream of emissions?

Businesses are starting to take the right steps, however, today’s guest is paving the way as a shining example of sustainable business travel and events management.

In this episode, Mel is joined by Christopher Truss, Global Sustainability Director at Reed & Mackay, to discuss their impressive existing ISO Standard portfolio and their journey towards ISO 14064 carbon verification.

You’ll learn

Who is Chris Truss?
Who are Reed & Mackay?
What are the highlights from Reed & Mackay’s latest Sustainability and Responsible Business report?
What Standards are Reed & Mackay certified to?
What is the demand for sustainability within the business travel and events management sector?
Why get ISO 14064 verified?
What were the challenges with obtaining ISO 14064 verification?
What are the benefits of obtaining ISO 14064 Verification?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[02:05] Episode Summary – We welcome today’s guest, Chris Truss, Global Sustainability Director at Reed & Mackay, to explore their ISO Standards portfolio and journey towards ISO 14064 verification.

[02:40] Who is Chris?: Chris has had over 20 years experience in the business travel industry. He is currently responsible for driving the sustainability agenda at Reed & Mackay, which includes the development of services and solutions that their clients require to meet their own sustainability initiatives.

He also manages a wide range of third-party suppliers.

A lesser know fact about Chris is in a band, playing the folk fiddle and singing in pubs around Yorkshire. He also plays tennis in the over 45 category for Yorkshire!

[04:50] Who are Reed & Mackay? – Reed & Mackay are a global travel management and event management business. They help clients all the way from picking up the telephone and making bookings on their behalf, helping them source appropriate venues for their events and then managing the overall spend, the supply chain and ultimately reporting back to them on what they’ve been up to and how they can improve their processes and save money.

Reed & Mackay are highly regarded for their quality of services, especially within the professional services sector, and they proudly boast a number of large blue chip clients.

[05:50] What are some of the highlights in Reed & Mackay’s Sustainability and Responsible Business Report? When Chris came into his latest role, he looked to tackle two main points:

How can Reed & Mackay operate sustainably?
How can we articulate that to our clients?

As a result of the work Chris has done, Reed & Mackay have signed up to the United Nations Global Compact and have aligned themselves with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

They have also become an EcoVadis rated supplier and are undertaking their first Carbon Reduction Plan disclosure.

From a corporate responsibility point of view, they have made great strides to improve their gender pay gap. They are also ensuring the integrity of their charitable partnerships.

[08:00] What are some of the sustainability initiatives that Reed & Mackay have started? Reed & Mackay support a charity called 4Ocean, who are trying to remove as much plastic from our oceans as possible.

They selected this charity in particular due to it’s global reach, embodying the nature of Reed & Mackay’s global influence in 13 countries for the past 10 years. They recognised the need to support a sustainability based charity as corporate travel is highly polluting, so this is a form of taking responsibility and looking at where they can assist to reduce environmental damage.

4Oceans also allows their employees to get involved directly, should they choose to take some time out of the office to help with ocean clean-up.

[09:55] What ISO Standards are Reed & Mackay certified to? They are currently certified to:

All of which they have been certified to for over 10 years now! They acted as a foundation for Chris to drive his sustainability agenda.

[11:10] How are these ISO Standards managed across the business? – Reed & Mackay have a dedicated Security and Trust team that manage all ISO certifications, in addition to their other responsibilities.

All of the ISO Standards are a part of their Integrated Management System, which sits alongside their policies and procedures for the business that are managed by a central team.

This has provided them with an invaluable foundation to ensure the delivery of quality services, client satisfaction and continual improvement.

[12:45] What is the demand for sustainability within the business travel sector? They are receiving more requirements and requests from clients in regard to their own operational CO2 footprint, which is needed for clients own reporting requirements as Reed & Mackay would count towards many clients Scope 3 emissions.

There is also a need for more transparency with carbon reporting, including the use of credible calculation methodology’s.

The verification of GHG emissions also gives clients more confidence that businesses are doing what they say they’re doing.

[14:15] What was the main driver behind Reed & Mackay gaining ISO 14064 verification?: While they felt confident in their sustainability efforts up to a certain point, they wanted someone to come in and mark their homework to make sure they were doing the right thing.

With the increase in client demand for credible sustainability reporting, it was vital to pursue various CPD disclosures such as EcoVadis and prepare for upcoming legislation like CSRD.

To ensure they were in the best possible shape to give the information requested by clients and other stakeholders, they needed am accurate and reliable method of verification, which is what ISO 14064 could provide.

[15:40] What were the main challenges in obtaining ISO 14064 verification?: Just getting a hold of the raw data was the most difficult part, although they found it to be a very enlightening experience too.

Having to dig to find the right information helped Chris to understand the business better, giving him a greater visibility on where their carbon emissions are coming from and where there are opportunities to reduce those.

You have to be very tenacious to get all the necessary data. Chris highlights purchased goods and services data as particularly challenging to obtain due to its granular nature.

Now they have been through this process once, they’ve got a system in place to make data collection a lot easier in future.

[18:55] What impact has ISO 14064 verification had on Reed & Mackay?: It’s helped from an internal perspective as people now have a greater visibility and understanding of the impact that have on an individual basis. This in turn creates a strong launchpad for their Net Zero strategy.

From an external perspective, it’s given Reed & Mackay a lot more confidence in their own processes and their ability to work with their clients towards sustainability goals.

[20:00] What were the main benefits of getting ISO 14064 verified?:

Giving clients, stakeholder and employees confidence: The verification calculation is reliable, and so they can be confident in relaying the facts and figures to interested parties.

A great insight: The data has provided huge insights into how the business operates and where it’s biggest emissions sources lie. This is vital to know before you take steps to try and reduce your current impact.

Ability to create an accurate Carbon Reduction Plan: Once again, with confidence in having the correct data to hand, they are able to formulate an accurate Carbon Reduction Plan which can be realistically achieved.

Anti Green-washing: Consumers are crying out for a reliable sign of credibility. Simply having an environmental policy statement may have been enough 10 years ago, but that’s not the case now. People expect evidence of your sustainability claims.

[21:50] Chris’s top tip for anyone considering ISO 14064 verification: Just get started and don’t be scared by the process.

Though it may seem daunting to start, you will actually be in a much better position than when you started. Having verified data and awareness of where that data comes from and what it means on a larger scale will be vital to looking for opportunities for improvement.

So, if you want to improve your sustainability, you just need to get cracking!

[23:20] How are Reed & Mackay helping organisations improve the sustainability of their travel?: Reed & Mackay’s ambition is to make sure that clients understand the impact of their choices at every single step of their journey.

To help, they provide the carbon footprint of every booking they make, whether that be through their site or with a consultant.

They also have approval processes built into their systems, which can be based on carbon. For example, if a client doesn’t want to take the lowest carbon option on a particular journey, they can add required approval from an additional person within that client’s organisation. So it adds a level of accountability over the choices people make.

They also provide full reporting on business travel activity and where potential savings have been missed. This is a valuable tool if they need to provide travel data to carbon consultants for example, they’ll already have all of those granular reports prepared.

These reports will highlight where clients haven’t taken the lowest carbon option, i.e. where they could travel in a group instead of individually. Reed & Mackay’s intention is to make sure people have visibility of carbon alongside cost so clients can make a fair and balanced decision.

Additional services include:

Able to set carbon budgets across a business
Ability to purchase carbon credits for offsetting purposes
Opportunities to mitigate carbon emissions through offsetting, or decarbonise through Carbon Reduction Plans over a period of time

[28:50] Chris’s book recommendation: His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

[29:15] Chris’s favourite quote: You can’t measure success if you have never failed – Steffi Graf

If you would like to learn more about Reed & Mackay, and their sustainability initiatives, visit their website.

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Purchasing goods and services is a necessity for any business, whether that’s simply stocking up on office supplies, or looking for someone to manage your IT environment.

Procurement has a key role to play in keeping things running smoothly, along with facilitating the core values of businesses as priorities change, such as a commitment to ESG compliance.

In this episode, Ian is joined by Philip Ideson, Founder & Managing Director of Art of Procurement, to discuss procurement’s role in ESG compliance, the challenges procurement faces with ESG, and learn about their mission to 10X the impact of procurement.

You’ll learn

Who is Philip Ideson and the Art of Procurement?
What are the current trends in procurement?
What is procurement’s role in relation to ESG?
How do ESG deliverables fit in with the other results procurement is expected to deliver?
What are the greatest challenges procurement currently faces with ESG?
What is Art of Procurement’s mission to 10X the impact of procurement?
What are the 6 principles of this mission?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:25] Episode Summary – We welcome today’s guest, Philip Ideson, Founder and Managing Director of the Art of Procurement, to discuss the role procurement has in ESG compliance. Additionally we will dive into Philip’s mission to increase the impact of procurement.

[03:00] Who is Philip?: Philip has been in the procurement space for almost 25 years now!

He started at Ford Motor company, in direct Procurement where he was purchasing parts for car manufacture. He later moved into indirect Procurement, which is essentially everything you need to operate on a day-to-day basis i.e. office supplies, childcare facilities ect.

Philip has worked in the UK, Europe, India and has been based in the US for the past 19 years.

To get a perspective on the other side, he joined a Service Provider who provided outsourced procurement, that company later got bought out by Accenture, which was when Philip decided to go out on his own and started ‘Art of Procurement.

His podcast has been running for 9 years, and has the aim to share inspiring stories of companies who think differently about procurement.

[06:05] Hard Truth: Inside the Football Industry Podcast – Philip also co-hosts another podcast in his spare time, which was awarded the EFL podcast of the year in 2023!

Hard Truth delves into the behind the scenes aspects of football, co-hosted by the owner and Chairman of Peterborough United, it also gives an owner perspective of the football season.

[07:05] What are some of the top trends and priorities in procurement currently?

Digitisation: Procurement was an area where technological change happened relatively slowly, at least up until around 5 years ago there weren’t many tech solutions built specifically for procurement. However, a lot of money has been poured into the space, so now there’s the challenge of ‘How can we digitise?’

The problem with a lot of technology solutions is that they often become obsolete quickly, and with the rise of AI it’s trickly to keep up, let alone get ahead.

[08:10] What is something about procurement that might surprise people who don’t work in the field? Procurement gets a bad rep for trying to save every last penny at the cost of bullying suppliers. However, they are a lot more passionate around the role that suppliers can play in the growth of a business.

It’s all about marrying together the capabilities of supply chains with the needs of a business, rather than trying to squeeze every last penny’s worth out of suppliers.

[09:15] Procurement put into a box: In a lot of businesses, procurement kind of professionalised the profession based on an ROI which was tied to cost savings, because procurement sold that value proposition to get the investment, it means that that’s the only thing businesses think they can do.

Procurement gets put in this box within a business of when I need to save money, you know break the glass, bring out procurement and they can do that.

Where you actually get a much better result by working more collaboratively with your procurement team. There’s a lot more tied to business objectives than with procurement objectives, instead of focusing on what procurement can do to save you money, look at what other objectives they can help you achieve.

[10:35] What is procurement’s role with regard to ESG? – Philip was involved in a research study that was done by The Economist, where they surveyed approximately 2300 C-Suite executives, procurement and non-procurement individuals. It was revealed that ESG was the number 2 priority right now, specifically where sustainability was concerned.

Modern slavery is also becoming more of a concern.

[12:00] A fad or long term change? Priorities like this for any business are subject to the politics of the day. They are important now as that’s where a lot of focus in from many different sources, but they are likely temporary and will be dependent on geographical location and available investment.

However, the impact of emissions reporting as a result of ESG will have a longer term affect as scope 3 emissions include supply chains. More businesses will be expecting their supply chains to meet their emissions reporting requirements going forward.

[13:20] How long has procurement been doing ESG/CSR type work?: Back 14 years ago, when they had to report back on supplier diversity spend, they had very little data. It involved a lot of extrapolating data so that you have something to report back with.

More accurate data reporting has picked up in the last 6 years, and is more on an organisation by organisation basis.

The key driver for procurement involvement in any aspect of sustainability is due to regulatory requirements.

[15:00] Innovation for a better future: The digitisation and other technological advancements will allow for better ESG support, with more accurate data and reporting capabilities.

Back in the day, it may have been a case of sampling some 100 suppliers out of a pool of 10,000 listed on a simple spreadsheet, and then googling them to see which ones would be considered diverse suppliers. It short, it used to involve a lot of manual data gathering, which is rapidly getting replaced by new tech tools.

[26:20] What are the greatest challenges procurement currently faces with ESG? One of the challenges is internal. When ESG is brought to the table, decisions have to be made about selecting suppliers who would align with their ESG requirements, which is a decision that is ultimately made by the budget holder.

Procurement can do everything they can to mitigate any additional cost, but they do not decide who spends the money with who.

A lot of the role procurement can play in supporting ESG is dependent on the organisational focus on those initiatives and how well everything is communicated to all involved.

[17:20] Looking to the future of procurement: Procurement was once seen as a cost management function, now professionals like Philip are looking at how they can demonstrate the additional value they can bring to an organisation, including supporting ESG compliance.

Procurement has shifted more towards risk management, with a greater focus on risk factors such as cost and sustainability.

There’s still a lot of uncertainty around what the next 10 years will look like. Philip predicts that procurement will become a smaller, yet more impactful area than it is today.

The operating model will likely shift to a more service-based approach with a more nuanced approach to supporting businesses. Philip can see a world where sustainability and supply chains merge as third-party suppliers will have an increased effect on an organisations ability to meet its sustainability goals.

[20:30] What is Art of Procurements’ mission to 10X the impact of procurement?: Philip aims to change the mindset of procurement leaders, and get them to think outside of the box.

Procurement can have a significant impact on organisations, in the form of additional support like ESG, but also because they have a much wider field of view regarding potential suppliers.

It’s about going back to basics, asking:

What is procurement?
How should it operate?
How can procurement best support businesses?

Their mission aims to rethink how procurement works, and refining how to best work with organisations to achieve their goals.

[22:25] What are the principles of this mission?: Philip highlights a few that he’s passionate about, including:

Focus on driving business outcomes: How can procurement build their capabilities around what the business truly needs? There can be conflict between an organisation and its procurement, whether that be with stakeholders or selecting suppliers. So, it’s about finding a balance between doing what can be done to further an organisations goals while also saving them money.

Procurement facilitating differentiated decision making: Procurement can offer some crucial insight into potential suppliers for organisations, but they can only do so if they have the correct data to help make those decisions. When it comes to measurable data, like many aspects of how sustainable a supplier may be, this is where procurement can help businesses make smarter decisions.

Overseeing not managing spend: Procurement should not necessarily have complete control over the spend of an organisations, but using technology they should be able to understand what is being spent and with who. It’s keeping an eye on potential risk factors with suppliers and helping organisations decide who to continue to work with.

[28:00] How are the Art of Procurement philosophically different? They see procurement as a journey, where many organisations are on a different part of the maturity curve and may need help bridging those gaps to keep moving forward.

Art of Procurement seek to accelerate that speed of maturity by working smarter with new technology, and in alignment with an organisations goals.

Procurement is facing a battle currently, where if they don’t adapt, they run the risk of losing out to purely AI driven tools. This is of course, not a concern unique to the world of procurement, it’s actively affecting HR, IT support and the creative industry in a huge way.

[30:40] Connect over common goals: Procurement professionals often want to be more collaborative than people may think. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your procurement team to see what common goals you can try to achieve.

They are there to work with you, not against you.

[32:45] Procurement and ISO: Philip has seen a lot of instances where an internal audit finding will lead to procurement success. In some cases, this may be from an identification of a need for investment in procurement, it’s seen as necessary tool for the organisation and so they approach it with that mindset in mind.

Internal Audits, a staple in the world of ISO, offer the opportunity to highlight where improvements can be made. They also compile credible evidence to put a case forward to relevant individuals, who may have not listened to previous grievances.

If you would like to learn more about the Art of Procurement, check out their podcast available on their website.

If you’d like to hear more from Philip, he also co-hosts the hard truth – inside the Football Industry podcast.

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.

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Sustainability is an area that affects all businesses, no matter the sector. We are all currently contributing to the climate crisis, from travel and hospitality to manufacturing to those working in an office or from home.

You may be surprised to hear that the legal sector is currently one of the leaders in championing sustainability, not just in enforcing new environmental legislation, but also leading by example in the race to net zero.

One such stand out leader is today’s guest – Clyde & Co, a global law firm that have made great strides in their sustainability journey.

In this episode, Mel is joined by Paddy Linighan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Clyde & Co, to discuss their ambitious net zero targets, sustainability initiatives and their journey towards ISO 14064 Carbon Verification.

You’ll learn

What is Paddy Linighan’s role as CSO?
Who are Clyde & Co?
What are their net zero targets according to their responsible Business report?
What sustainability initiatives have Clyde & Co introduced?
Why get ISO 14064 verified?
What were the challenges with obtaining ISO 14064 verification?
What are the benefits of obtaining ISO 14064 Verification?

Resources

In this episode, we talk about:

[00:25] Episode Summary – We welcome today’s guest, Paddy Linighan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Clyde & Co, to dive into their responsible business report, discuss their net zero ambitions and journey towards ISO 14064 Carbon Verification.

[01:40] Introduction to Paddy: Paddy has 30 years experience in the legal sector, and was formerly the Chief Operating Officer for Clyde & Co before transitioning to the role of Chief Sustainability Officer. Paddy is also a Director at the Legal Sustainability Alliance, which is an association committed to supporting the legal sector to measure and manage their carbon emissions to achieve net zero.

One lesser-known fact is that Paddy was a Latin and ballroom dancer!

[02:30] Who are Clyde & Co? – They are a global law firm with 500 partners, 2700 lawyers and 3216 legal professionals across the world and operating out of 70 offices. They set out to help organisations successfully navigate risk and maximise the opportunity in the sectors that underpin global trade, namely insurance, aviation, marine construction, energy, trade and natural resources.

They offer a comprehensive range of contentious and non-contentious legal services and commercially minded legal advice to businesses operating across the world in seamless fashion.

Clyde & Co are committed to operating in a responsible way by progressing a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities and the clients it serves, and provides an environment in which hopefully everyone can realise their potential. They use their legal and professional skills to support communities through pro bono work, volunteering charitable partnerships, and minimisation of environmental impact through the pursuit of sustainability standards.

[04:25] What are some of the Net Zero targets highlighted in Clyde & Co’s responsible business report?

Near term target: Reduce their scope 1 and scope 2 emissions by 80% by 2030 and scope 3 emissions by 50% by 2030.
Long term target: Have a 90% reduction in emissions by 2038
Focused on decarbonizing their operations across the globe.

[06:25] What are some of the sustainability initiatives that Clyde & Co have started? All their initiatives can be broadly groups into 3 categories, but ultimately they seek to decarbonize their operations, address resource consumption and offset emissions where possible.

They found that 95% of their emissions reside in their scope 3, which is due to their supply chain. A few of their initiatives include rationalizing their supply chain to reduce the impact of purchasing goods and services.

They are also supporting their supply chain to measure and reduce their own emissions. Clyde & Co have also incorporated their sustainability requirements into their Procurement Process and Due Diligence Process.

One challenging area for a professional services business like Clydo & Co is sustainable business travel. They have adopted a global note on sustainable travel, which trickles down into regional travel policies. Working with travel management companies, they will implement those new policies, in addition to improving the quality of travel data collection and prioritisation of sustainability over cost.

Clyde & Co are also making the move to switch direct and in-direct consumption of fossil fuels to renewable energy in the heating and cooling of their buildings.

As of summer 2023, all UK offices were on 100% renewable energy! They aim to roll this out on a global scale, but understand that there are significant challenges with doing so.

[09:30] How did Clyde & Co celebrate Earth Day? They introduced climate change awareness training on Earth Day. It wasn’t mandatory in any way, and included the rolling out of several blogs and videos which were produced by AXA Climate School in Paris.

They ran these through Earth Day (April 22^nd) to World Environment Day (5^th June). Covering topics such as:

Financial disclosures
Plastic pollution
Saving water
Beekeeping
Composting

This led to a campaign called ‘Zero as One’ which helped to create of a network of sustainable champions across their organisation, who help to further raise awareness and where there may be regional issues with reducing resource consumption and energy use.

This campaign has continued and is beginning to facilitate a structured, bespoke training programme for all Clyde & Co staff which covers climate awareness to climate competency. It will encourage people to think ‘How can I, as an individual, make a difference?’

[15:30] The Clyde & Co Community Forest – A 6.2 hectare plot of land is shared with 2 other community groups, and is not only being used for reforestation but also biodiversity, focusing on red squirrels in particular.

Getting this project set up included:

Gauging the appetite of colleagues: They offered increased level of refforestation for every response they had to their annual ‘Have your Say’ survey. For every response received, they would add 2 square metres of forest. So, 5000 people would give them a hectare.
It was a knowledge gathering exercise and experience of what a carbon offset project would look like.

They know that they’ll never be able to 100% decarbonise their operations, but they hope to get it down to 10% remaining emissions which can be offset with more projects like the community forest.

[19:35] What does Paddy think of the sustainability reporting regulatory requirements affecting the legal sector? Not only do lawyers have a key part to play in supporting and advising clients in relation to how they navigate towards a low carbon economy, but they are also a part of many businesses supply chain – meaning they would be included in scope 3 emissions for others.

Putting in the work at their end enables them to proactively help and assist clients with their emissions reduction and reporting.

The drive in this sector is mostly due to client demand.

[21:10] The increase in sustainability targets in North American companies: Paddy highlights that a recent report issued by Climate Impact Partners found that 79% of North American companies now have climate targets, which is up 6% on Asian companies and just shy of European companies.

61% of those North American companies report under ISO 14064.

[23:00] What were the drivers behind Clyde & Co getting ISO 14064 verified?:

High Transparency: They wanted to ensure that any disclosed information was reliable and that they’d had third-party verification to back that up, making them much more comfortable putting that information out into the public.

Financial Benefits: Sustainability and greenhouse gas emission reduction was a part of their main KPI’s to tackle, the main reason being to save money through not only the reduction in energy use but also reduced interest rates as a result of their sustainability efforts.

[25:20] What were the main challenges in obtaining ISO 14064 verification?: Clyde & Co are a large organisation, so gathering and quantifying the necessary emissions information was like getting blood from a stone!

Nearly 65 – 70 sites only have a small team of 5 people, and getting data from each can be time consuming.

Also, the quality of data can vary a great degree with that many sites, especially on a global scale as you need to consider the conversion factors when collating all the data into something verifiable.

[26:50] What impact has ISO 14064 verification had on Clyde & Co’s sustainability credentials?: Very simply, it validates Clyde & Co’s claims.

With the third-party assessment, it shows that they are actually doing what they say they’re doing, and not simply paying lip service.

[27:45] What were the main benefits of getting ISO 14064 verified?:

Helping to secure financial benefits: ISO 14064 verification is proof enough for banks to issue discounts on interest rates

Ease of process: The audit process introduced for ISO 14064 can be repeated as needed. As a result of getting verified, Clyde & Co found the exercise a good stress test for existing auditing procedures, and found a way to simplify them further.

Credibility: Third-party verification adds a level of credibility which is lacking from internal calculation alone.

[29:00] Paddy’s top tip for anyone considering ISO 14064 verification: Do not let perfection get in the way of progress.

They found that people can become a bit defensive in audits, trying to avoid errors being picked up, however, audits are meant to be constructive. They are opportunities to pick up on areas for improvement.

[30:40] Paddy’s book recommendation: The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson

[32:10] Paddy’s favourite quote: The greatest threat to our planet, is the belief that someone else will save it – Robert Swan OBE

If you would like to learn more about Clyde & Co, and their sustainability initiatives, visit their website.

To find out more about verification visit www.carbonologyhub.com

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Did you know that only a third of the emissions reductions required to achieve the country’s 2030 target are currently covered by credible plans?

As a result, we can expect to see more mandatory and voluntary regulations that require carbon emissions reporting to verify your ESG and net zero claims.

In this episode, Mel closes out the ESG Reporting Disclosures series by explaining what Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) is, it’s key emissions reporting requirements, the verification requirements and who qualifies for CSDDD.

You’ll learn

What is CSRD?
Key requirements of CSDDD
Key emissions reporting requirements
the emissions verification requirements for CSRD?
Who qualifies for CSDDD?
The likely impact of CSDDD

Resources

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: Mel closes out the series on ESG reporting requirements by diving into CSDDD.

[03:10] What is CSDDD? – The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) is a new EU directive that promotes sustainable and responsible corporate behaviour in companies’ operations and across their global value chains.

Purpose: It aims to promote sustainable business practices, protect human rights, and address environmental challenges.

The CSDDD was adopted by the European Commission on the 23rd of February 2022 and approved by the Council of the European Union on the 24th of May 2024. The new rules ensure that companies in scope identify and address adverse human rights and environmental impacts of their actions inside and outside Europe. The CSDDD is expected to start affecting companies from 2027 at the earliest once the directive has been transposed into national legislation.

[05:10] What are the key requirements of CSDDD?:

Human rights due diligence: Companies must identify, prevent, and mitigate adverse human rights impacts within their value chains.
Environmental due diligence: They must assess and manage risks related to climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
Disclosure obligations: Companies must disclose their due diligence processes, findings, and any remedial actions taken.

[06:20] What are the Emissions Reporting Requirements? Under the CSDDDD, companies are required to report on their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within a climate transition plan.

This includes considerations for Scope 1, 2 and 3. These were explained in more detail in a previous episode on CSRD, so go check that out if you want to learn more about the individual scope requirements.

What if you fit the requirements of both CSRD and CSDDD, do you have to double report on emissions? In short – No!

The climate transition plan required by the CSDDD will be reported within CSRD reporting, as organisations just need to adhere to the CSDDD’s implementation requirements for the transition plan.

[10:10] What are the Emissions Verification Requirements? More definitive guidance on verification requirements is expected closer to 2027. Companies will more than likely need to verify the emissions data reported through CSDDD, as the directive mandates a climate change transition plan that aligns with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which does require companies to verify their emissions data.

[09:55] Who qualifies for CSDDD? The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) applies to both EU and non-EU companies depending on their workforce size and revenue:

EU and non-EU companies (or the ultimate parent company of a group):

With more than 1,000 employees and a global net turnover of at least €450 million in the last fiscal year; or
Which have franchising or licensing agreements in the EU in return for royalties with more than €22.5 million generated by royalties in the EU and have a net worldwide turnover of over €80 million in the last financial year.

[11:10] What is the possible impact of this new directive? Similar to the other ESG disclosures I’ve covered over the past few weeks in this series on reporting disclosures, the impact of the CSDDD will result in 3 key impacts:-

Increased transparency: This directive will provide stakeholders with a clearer picture of companies’ sustainability efforts, to combat greenwashing.
Enhanced accountability: Companies will be held accountable for their environmental and social performance.
Stimulation of sustainable business practices: The directive will encourage companies to adopt more sustainable practices, including regular reporting.

If you would like to learn more about CSDDD or inquire about the related course, please get in touch with Carbonology.

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2030 is fast approaching and we’re already falling behind on our Net Zero targets, which will take a coordinated collective effort to get back on track.

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

This has led to 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 Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is, how it affects your emissions reporting, the verification requirements and who qualifies for CSRD.

You’ll learn

What is CSRD?
How will the CSRD affect your Emissions Reporting?
What are the emissions verification requirements for CSRD?
Who qualifies for ISSB S2?

Resources

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 Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).

[02:55] What is CSRD? – The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is a new EU directive that modernises and strengthens the rules concerning the social and environmental information that companies have to report. It revises the 2014 Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD), extends the scope of covered companies, and strengthens the reporting requirements.

The CSRD was formally adopted by the European Council on 28 November 2022.

The directive is transforming ESG reporting and will start affecting almost 50,000 companies from 2024 by expanding the scope to include all large companies, all companies listed on regulated markets, and non-EU companies with substantial activities in the EU. This includes non-EU companies with subsidiaries operating within the EU or those listed on EU regulated markets.

Many companies located both within and outside the EU will be affected during the CSRD’s phase-in period beginning in fiscal year 2024.

[05:10] How will the CSRD affect your Emissions Reporting?: Under the CSRD, companies are required to report on their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This includes:

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.
Significant Scope 3 Emissions: Other indirect emissions that occur in a company’s value chain. Companies are required to report on significant Scope 3 sources. This could include emissions from business travel, employee commuting, waste disposal, etc.

[07:10] What are the Emissions Verification Requirements? Under the CSRD, companies are required to have their reported GHG emissions data verified by an independent third party. The verification process ensures the accuracy and reliability of the reported information.

Verification options for CSRD include:

Independent Verification: Companies must engage an accredited third-party verifier to audit and confirm the accuracy of their GHG emissions reports.
Verification Standards: The verification must be conducted in accordance with recognised international standards, such as ISO 14064-3.
Assurance Levels: The verification should provide a reasonable level of assurance that the emissions data is accurate and complete.
Frequency of Verification: Verification is required on an annual basis to ensure ongoing accuracy and compliance with the CSRD.

[10:10] Who qualifies for CSRD? The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) applies to a broad range of companies based on the following criteria:

Companies listed on regulated markets in the EU (excluding listed micro-enterprises).
Large companies, classified as those meeting at least two of the following three conditions:
- More than 250 employees.
- A turnover of over €40 million.
- Over €20 million in total assets.
Listed Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), although there will be a transitional period when SMEs can opt out until 2028.
Non-EU companies with a net turnover of €150 million in the EU, and with at least one subsidiary or branch in the union.

If you would like to learn more about CSRD or inquire about the related course, please get in touch with Carbonology.

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Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
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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

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.

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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.

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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:

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

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.

[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:

[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
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There have been a reported 9,478 publicly disclosed data incidents in 2024 alone, with that amounting to over 35 million known records breached.

It has become clear in recent years that information security isn’t just a ‘nice to have’, it’s a necessity to ensure you and your client’s data are protected. Which is especially the case for those processing personal and financial data, such as today’s guest, Mintago.

In this episode, Tom Catnach, Head of Product and Information Security Officer for Mintago, explains their journey towards ISO 27001, the challenges faced and benefits felt from certification to the leading Information Security Standard.

You’ll learn

Who are Mintago?
Who is Tom Catnach?
What was the main driver behind achieving ISO 27001?
What was the biggest ‘gap’ identified in the Gap Analysis?
What have they learned from the experience?
What are the benefits of certification to ISO 27001?
What does the threat horizon for information security look like?

Resources

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.

[02:15] Episode summary: Today we welcome guest Tom Catnach from Mintago to discuss their journey towards ISO 27001 certification.

[02:20] Who are Mintago? – Mintago are an employee benefits company, who work with companies to help their employees be financially better off. They do this in a number of ways, including:

Finding lost pension pots
Help to save money through finding discounts
Retirement planning
Offering various salary sacrifice products
Helping companies to be more financially efficient with pension salary sacrifice or other national insurance savings
Helping people to be more financially literate

[05:10] Who is Tom Catnach?: Tom has a split role at Mintago, his primary role being Head of Product and secondary being Information Security Officer.

Through both roles he looks after all the products and offerings as well as the information security across the business, he was also the driving force behind achieving ISO 27001.

Outside of work, Tom likes to travel via motorbike, preferring to stay away from the screens and enjoying the sights.

[06:30] What was Mintago’s main driver to Implement ISO 27001?: Mintago, and most other businesses by their nature, are required to hold a lot of sensitive data and so have a responsibility to their clients and employees to ensure it’s security.

Mintago were looking for a robust framework to base their Information Security around, and what better option that the leading Information Security Standard, ISO 27001.

ISO 27001 also offers the assessment of general business practice and allows for growth and scaling. As a start-up, they wanted to have a solid base for policies, training ect to roll out to new hires as they expand.

[08:30] Aligning Standards with core values: Trust is one of Mintago’s core values and they want to give their clients the assurance that they can be trusted to protect their data.

ISO 27001 can be compared to the likes of Bcorp as it’s an on-going process. It doesn’t just stop at getting the certificate, you have annual surveillance to ensure you are still compliant year on year.

[10:15] What was the scope of Mintago’s certification?: For the initial implementation, Mintago opted to just scope in Product and Customer Service.

This was because all of the sensitive data is handled in those departments and they don’t allow access to any other teams, so it made sense to start there with a view to expand the scope after certification.

That being said, they still rolled out Information Security training to all staff, and everything has been set-up to allow for an easy business wide roll-out when they’re ready.

[11:50] How long was Mintago’s certification journey?: They started their journey in September 2023, in fact it was Tom’s first project with Mintago!

Mintago enlisted Blackmores help to implement ISO 27001, and after nine months they have been successfully certified.

Tom attributes their ease of implementation to the fact that they are currently a small business, citing that it’s an advantage to implement ISO Standards early while your agile so that your management system grows with you.

[14:25] What was the biggest ‘gap’ identified at the Gap Analysis? Mintago are lucky in the fact that they are a new business so are using modern tech, and don’t have the burden a larger site or other physical elements such as rack mounted servers.

However, policy, procedure and evidence to ensure they were doing the right thing were lacking at the start of their journey. They did have a good 70% in place and that last 30% was mostly down to having the ability to evidence their compliance.

There was also some additional work to do to improve existing policies and procedures. One example of this was having a solid Business Continuity Plan in place.

[16:35] Did Mintago experience any significant barriers in addressing identified gaps? Being a smaller business, they were able to adapt a lot quicker than a larger organisation may have been able to.

One of the biggest struggles for Tom was getting the necessary technology to aid with Information Security. They needed to show that they had a competent Mobile Device Management Solution (MDM), antivirus and anti-phishing in place.

When trying to buy some software solutions, Tom encountered a lot of companies simply not replying to his requests due to Mintago’s size. Many organisations sadly prioritize bigger potential clients, and so it took a while to finally get all the required software.

[18:45] Engagement is key – Getting everyone involved with the management system is critically important. Especially with information security as the people most often targeted are frontline workers, so they need to be actively engaged in security.

Mintago also has the advantage of being a smaller business, so getting communication out isn’t a hardship and resulted in high engagement. This was benefitted from a top-down initiative via their ‘C-Suite’.

Tom also states that you can make any necessary training more lighthearted, team based or interactive, as that’s something that people would want to engage in.

It’s also important to stress that any information security training can be beneficial for personal use too to avoid being a victim of fraud or a scam. It can be something people take away to their family members to ensure they stay safe online.

[23:10] Did the adoption of ISO 27001 highlight any issues not already considered by Mintago? – The biggest thing was how their internal process could be improved. For example, looking at the scenario of ‘what if our back-ups don’t work?’, ISO 27001 drilled down to ask specifics such as:

How do we recover from that scenario?
Are we 100% confident in our back-ups?
Will they work near instantaneously?
What’s Mintago’s availability like in that scenario?
How do we prevent disruption to our clients during that scenario?

So, while they did have back-ups they weren’t necessarily considering the whole scenario, especially if those back-ups were to fail. ISO 27001 ultimately helped to flesh out existing plans to make a much more robust system.

In regards to threat horizons, Mintago do practice OWASP and keep the team informed via e-mail, newsletters and GitHub repositories.

[25:00] Internal Auditing – A beneficial tool – Tom found the internal auditing process to be very beneficial for Mintago, currently they do a few monthly on average.

Blackmores assisted with the audits during implementation to ensure they were in the right place for assessment. Of course, the Certification Body audits were a bit more nerve wracking for Stage 1 and 2 as they would determine if they would be certified.

Mintago passed their Stage 1 (documentary review) with flying colours, their Stage 2 (evidence checking) highlighted a few non-conformities that were quickly addressed. Following the Stage 2, they were recommended for ISO 27001 certification.

[27:20] Minor Non-conformities aren’t the end of the line – There’s a common misconception that getting a certain number of minor non-conformities during a Stage 2 assessment means you can’t be certified, but that’s simply not true!

If an Assessor is comfortable that you are in a good position for certification, they will recommend you.

ISO Standards are all about continual Improvement, which is something Mintago are embracing as they continue to address issues raised at audits.

[29:00] Benefits of ISO 27001 certification – Benefits Mintago are already experiencing include:

Internal Stakeholders – The Team worked hard to achieve the Standard and have embraced it’s core qualities to the benefit of their own Information Security practices.

Positive Market Response – Much larger clients who are also ISO 27001 certified now have a mutual understanding of each other’s commitment to information security.

Gaining certification early – As a start-up, Mintago are agile and will be able to develop and mature their ISMS (Information Security Management System) as they grow.

[31:10] Any concerns on the threat horizon?: As the Information Security Officer, Tom is concerned about new emerging trends in AI led scams. They’re going to be a lot more sophisticated and harder to spot and deal with.

Thankfully, even if they are impacted, it will be rather isolated. Tom raises concerns for vital services such as Air Traffic Control which could have dire consequences if they were to be affected by a data incident.

However, with ISO 27001 Mintago are in a good place to keep on-top of their threat horizon and have the processes in place to mitigate potential incidents and continually improve their own security.

[34:30] In Summary: Mintago are a shining example of gaining certification for the right reasons. It’s not just about getting a badge, they have truly embraced a culture of continual improvement and are utilising ISO 27001 to ensure they have a robust information security management system in place.

If you would like to learn more about Mintago and their financial services, check out their website.

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Greenhouse Gas (GHG) accounting has become increasingly important in recent years due to the demand for more environmental accountability.

Whether by choice or due to legislation or mandatory Government led schemes, organisations need to able to effectively calculate their current impact before they can the right steps to reduce and offset the remaining emissions.

There are a lot of different routes to take, and some may look so similar that you have to squint to see a difference.

In this episode, Mel Blackmore breaks down the similarities and differences between the leading GHG emission reporting frameworks, ISO 14064-1 and the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard.

You’ll learn

What are the 2 leading GHG accounting frameworks?
What are the similarities between the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064?
What are the differences between the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064?
Reporting on indirect emissions
Choosing the right framework
How can the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064 complement each other?

Resources

Carbonology

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.

[02:30] Episode summary: Mel will look at the similarities and differences between the 2 leading GHG emissions reporting frameworks, the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064-1:2018.

[02:20] What are the 2 leading GHG accounting frameworks? – Greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting has become increasingly important for organisations seeking to manage their environmental impact and contribute to climate change mitigation efforts. Two prominent frameworks guide this process: ISO 14064-1:2018 and the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard.

Climate change concerns necessitate robust methodologies for quantifying and reporting organisational GHG emissions. Standardised frameworks offer a transparent and reliable approach for organisations to measure their impact and contribute to environmental sustainability goals. This article examines two leading frameworks: ISO 14064-1:2018 and the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard.

[06:10] What are the similarities between the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064? – GHG Scope Definition: Both frameworks categorise emissions into three scopes: Scope 1 (direct emissions from owned or controlled sources), Scope 2 (indirect emissions from purchased electricity, heat, or steam), and Scope 3 (other indirect emissions throughout the value chain).

In general, the GHG Emissions covered in the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard conform to ISO 14064-1 if significant Sope 3 GHG emissions and GHG removals are both considered.

Quantification Principles: Both emphasize the importance of accuracy, completeness, consistency, transparency, and relevance when quantifying emissions.

GHG Reporting Boundaries: Both require clear definition of the organisational boundaries for which emissions are quantified.

GHG Inventory: Both frameworks guide the development of a GHG inventory, a comprehensive record of all organisational emissions.

[09:15] What are the differences between the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064? – Focus: ISO 14064-1 is a more procedural framework, outlining the steps for quantifying, reporting, and verifying GHG emissions. The GHG Protocol, on the other hand, offers detailed guidance on calculating emissions for various activities and sectors but lacks formal verification requirements.

Level of Detail: The GHG Protocol provides a more comprehensive and detailed approach, including calculation methods, guidance on emission factors, and best practices. ISO 14064-1 offers a less prescriptive approach, allowing organisations to choose calculation methodologies based on their specific needs.

Avoided GHG Emissions: The concept of avoided GHG emissions is not addressed in ISO 14064-1. However, the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard addresses the quantification of avoided emissions, which are required to be reported separately.

Verification: Verification by a third-party verifier is optional under the GHG Protocol but mandatory for organisations seeking public disclosure or certification under ISO 14064-1. Verification enhances the credibility and reliability of reported emissions data, this could be to schemes like EcoVadis.

Value Chain Emissions: While both frameworks acknowledge Scope 3 emissions, the GHG Protocol offers a dedicated standard – the Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard – providing specific guidance on quantifying these emissions.

Addressing GHG Emissions and Removals: ISO 14064-1 clearly address GHG emissions and removals for each category and removals are therefore an inherent part of the GHG quantification. The guidance in the GHG protocol is not as clear but allows for the reporting of removals separately from GHG Emissions.

[13:30] 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.

[17:05] Reporting on indirect emissions: The main challenge for organisations is the reporting of indirect emissions (Scope 3), often leading to confusion based on a lack of clarity and understanding of how granular the data needs to be, combined with challenges extracting data from third-parties.

ISO 14064-1 is very clear regarding which Scope 3 emissions are to be included, whereas the GHG Protocol standard maybe viewed as more open to interpretation.

In contrast, GHG Protocol standards require the inclusion of Scope 2 (indirect emissions from purchased energy); the inclusion of other indirect GHG Emissions under scope 3 is optional.

The GHG Protocol standard is referred to in various GHG reporting and disclosure initiatives whose requirements for the reporting of the Scope 3 emissions vary. Whereas ISO 14064-1 has been created and approved by representatives from 61 nations to determine a specification for Scope 3 emissions reporting.

[20:30] Choosing the right Framework: The choice between ISO 14064-1 and the GHG Protocol depends on an organisation’s specific needs and goals. Here are some considerations:

Is there a need for Verification? i.e. is it a mandatory requirement
What level of detail is required? If a detailed approach with extensive calculation guidance is preferred, the GHG Protocol might be more suitable.
Resource availability – Do you have the resource to do this yourself or will you need a helping hand?
Disclosure reporting requirements – check what you need to comply with as this could determine which framework you use.

[23:30] How can the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064 complement each other? – This podcast may have you thinking that it has to be one or the other, but in actuality the two frameworks can be used together effectively. Organisations can utilise the GHG Protocol’s detailed guidance to develop their GHG inventory and then follow ISO 14064-1’s process for verification and reporting.

If you would like some help with GHG reporting or Verification, please get in touch with Carbonology.

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Share the ISO Show on Twitter or Linkedin
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ESG is a very broad topic to try and address for any organisation, leaving many scratching their heads on where to start with ESG reporting.

Currently, there is no official certification for ESG, however there are a number of schemes that will give you either a score or rating for your level of compliance against their requirements.

For those currently working towards one of these schemes, you may already have a solid foundation in place if you’re certified to one or many ISO Standards.

In this episode, Ian Battersby and Ali Henshaw discuss ESG compliance and how elements of an ISO Management system can help with ESG reporting.

You’ll learn

What is ESG?
Is ESG reporting required?
Is ESG a nice to have or good solid business practice?
Is ESG certifiable?
How can ISO Standards help to address the 3 pillars of ESG?
How ESG compliance helps to combat Greenwashing

Resources

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.

[02:00] Episode summary: Ian and Ali will be discussing how ISO Standards can help with ESG reporting.

[02:20] What is ESG? – ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance. Analysis and evaluation against these three elements help organisations to consider different areas within their overall sustainability profile.

The Environmental section looks at issues surrounding climate change and actions to address an organisation’s environmental responsibility. This includes monitoring and management of your energy consumption, waste management and pollution. It also seeks to tackle how organisations can address, reduce and mitigate their overall environmental impact.

The Social aspect is based around the relationships an organisation has with its stakeholders. This is focused on employees and looks at a broad range of topics including employee wellbeing, fair and competitive pay, benefits and human resource related policies. Considerations can also include wider business relationships such as supplier relations, local community and government work.

[05:00] The pillars of ESG aren’t silos – You shouldn’t approach each pillar of ESG in isolation, as they cross over in a lot of areas.

For example, in environmental management you may manage hazardous substances, you’ll have a duty to ensure those substances don’t pollute the surrounding area or bodies of water. However, you will also need to consider the health and safety aspect of storing and working with that material. So already you have 1 issue that crosses both the Environmental and Social pillar of ESG.

[05:50] What does the Governance pillar cover? – Governance criteria focuses on creating a business environment that is fair, transparent, and accountable. Considerations in this area include board composition, fairness in pay structures and executive compensation, business ethics and risk management.

[07:05] What types of ESG reporting are required? – For small organisations, there is currently no set requirement as it stands, but you many encounter stakeholder or customer requirements that encourage ESG reporting on some level.

For larger organisations at certain sizes there are mandatory reporting frameworks that you will be required to fulfill. At the moment it’s quite sector specific but this is a trend that will only increase over time.

Like with anything new, this is likely to trickle down to smaller organisations over time, however there will likely be funding and grants available to assist when that time comes.

[08:25] Is ESG a nice to have or good solid business practice? If you want to be a sustainable business, with good legacy that has the ability to grow and develop, ESG is a fantastic tool.

Investors are now looking for sustainable businesses, it’s become a market trend for an ever increasingly environmentally conscious consumer base. You either need to move with the times of get left behind, and sustainability is one key factor that will determine which of those categories you fall into.

[09:50] Which ISO Standards can support ESG?: From a holistic point of view, the structure of ISO standards, the plan do check Act (PDCA) cycle, the need for monitoring and measurement and the need for improvement supports the principles of ESG in terms of quantifiable results.

The additional aspect of having set objectives and proof of tangible improvement actions was something that fulfilled CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), which in turn has been superseded by ESG.

ISO Standards high-level structure and life cycle approach lend themselves to support various aspects of ESG, depending on the Standard you implement.

ISO 14001 for example, would support the environmental pillar, as it looks at your significant aspects and impacts in addition to that of your supply chain. You’ll need to factor these into your objectives and overall business strategy.

ISO 45001 would tackle elements of the social pillar as it directly addresses the well-being of your employees. It also includes a clause for the consultation and participation of workers, so work directly with employees to identify and address risks that may be missed by management.

[13:40] Is there a certifiable Standard for ESG?: Not currently, but an ISO guidance document is in the works.

Standards that address core elements of ESG include ISO 26000 (Social Accountability) and ISO 20400 (Sustainable Procurement). Again, these aren’t certifiable, but provide invaluable guidance.

Guidance documents have the advantage of being selective in what elements you decide to adopt. The ESG one in development is a good example, ESG as a topic is huge, a smaller organisation may not realistically be able to implement all of the advice.

But, it can be used as a starting point for a materiality assessment that will allow you to be selective of the core subjects you apply to your business.

The idea of guidance documents is not to be a bolt on, as those quickly get forgotten. It’s all about embedding their elements into existing processes.

[17:10] Utilising elements of ISO Implementation for ESG reporting: If you’ve already got an ISO Management System in place, i.e. ISO 14001 or ISO 45001, then you’ll already have objectives, processes and monitoring & measurement in place to address those elements.

ISO 26000 is another good example as it covers a wide range of topics, including human rights, labour practices, the environment, community involvement and development, consumer issues and fair operating practices. Some may not be applicable to you, but as mentioned, it’s a guidance document so you have the freedom to be selective about the aspects you incorporate into your management system.

You need to decide what really applies to you. It’s better to prioritise and take 10 steps on one subject vs 1 on 10 subjects.

[20:25] ESG isn’t a once a year activity: There’s no tick box exercise that you can do once a year and claim compliance, ESG is an on-going endeavor for as long as your business is running. It’s a way of operating, much like ISO Standards. It will develop and grow with your business.

[21:30] 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.

[23:36] Will elements of ESG become certifiable down the line? We’ll never say never! It’s still very much a developing field. There is currently a framework being developed by the International Standards Organisation, it’s currently in draft form.

Ali herself is on the commenting committee for it’s development, and can confirm that the framework is looking at the links between certifiable Standards and the tangible application.

ISO Standards require third-party verification of your claims before getting certified. In that aspect, they’re the perfect tool to provide tangible proof that you are doing what you say you’re doing, but only in select aspects.

ESG is broad, almost too broad to certify. It’s not really feasible for one person to come in and assess a whole business like they would do for an ISO Assessment, there’s simply too much to cover!

[25:00] The trouble with ESG verification: Currently, a lot of voluntary schemes require you to report against and fulfill, but they are very sector specific because a general one would be too broad and likely will not cover every aspect appliable to every business.

Schemes out there are doing something to battle greenwashing, as the environmental aspects are easier to verify, however social aspects are a lot more tricky and can get even more complicated outside of the UK where there is no HSE annual reporting available.

[26:20] How can you support the Social aspect of ESG?: Measuring your social value can difficult, many think of education as the solution. Here are some ideas to consider:

Working with local schools – Improvement projects driven by Student run business studies
Work experience
Charitable work – allow staff to have a charity day as part of a benefits package

[28:10] How can we prevent the greenwashing of ESG compliance?: Government Bodies are working to tackle this. It’s being built into legislation to prevent greenwashing in future where self-policing hasn’t gone far enough.

Trade Associations are also pushing their members towards more legitimate frameworks to ensure they do remain accountable and transparent about their activities in relation to ESG compliance.

[30:00] What resources do Blackmores have to help? We’ve developed an ESG Gap Analysis, based on the guidance provided in ISO 26000 Social Accountability.

This ESG Gap Analysis will highlight where you’re already compliant and where there is work to be done.

You may be surprised to see that you’re more compliant that you think! Especially if you’re certified to one or many ISO Standards.

We also have a Materiality Assessment, which will help you to determine which topics are of importance to your business and your stakeholders.

You can take the findings from both to help develop your ESG Strategy. If you’re not mandated to do any reporting, you can leave it at that. However, you may want to consider sector specific frameworks to get ahead of the curve for when elements of ESG do become mandated down the line.

[36:00] Where should you start with tackling ESG using ISO Standards? If you’re certified to one or many ISO Standards, then you will have processes in place that can support an ESG initiative program strategy, and you can make it as big or as small as you want.

Start by looking at your environmental, social and governments impacts and work to embed ESG into your existing ISO Management System before they become mandated by stakeholders and legislation – being ahead also feeds into the principles behind social responsibility.

You’re embedding a culture, and it becomes a norm which can be developed further. Then, when legislation or customer requirements come in, you’re already prepared to answer.

Also, with ESG there is a focus on people and you can’t have a successful business without good people. ESG isn’t only attractive to your customers, but also to potential employees who will want to work for ethical, sustainable businesses. If you aren’t keeping up and fulfilling that, you will struggle to find new talent.

It also goes without saying that being ESG compliant will attract consumers. Greenwashing, as frustrating as it is, exists for a reason – because people want businesses to be sustainable. People wouldn’t lie about it if it wasn’t important to someone, so stand out by beating the greenwashing allegations and take the right steps towards tacking ESG.

If you’d like to book a demo for the isologyhub, or would like help with an ESG Gap Analysis, 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.

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In July 2024, A logic error in an update for CrowdStrike’s Falcon software caused 8.5 million windows computers to crash. While a fix was pushed out shortly after, the nature of the error meant that a full recovery of all effected machines took weeks to complete.

Many businesses were caught up in the disruption, regardless of if this affected them directly or by proxy due to affected suppliers. So, what can businesses learn from this?

Today, Ian Battersby and Steve Mason discuss the aftermath of the CrowdStrike crash, the importance of good business continuity and what actions all businesses should take to ensure they are prepared in the event of an IT incident.

You’ll learn

What happened following the CrowdStrike crash?
How long did it take businesses to recover?
Which ISO management system standards would this impact?
How can you use your Management System to address the affects of an IT incident?
How would this change your understanding of the needs and expectations of interested parties?
How do risk assessments factor in where IT incidents are concerned?

Resources

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 Battersby is joined by Steve Mason to discuss the recent CrowdStrike crash, the implications on your Management system and business continuity lessons learned that you can apply ahead of any potential future incidents.

[03:00] What happened following the CrowdStrike crash?– In short, An update to CrowdStrike’s Falcon software brought down computer systems globally.

8.5 million windows systems, which in reality is less than 1% of windows systems, were affected as a result of this error.

Even still, the damage could still be felt from key pillars of our societal infrastructure, with a lot of hospitals and transportation like trains and airlines being the worst affected.

[04:45] How long did it take CrowdStrike to issue a fix? – CrowdStrike fixed the issue in about 30 minutes, but this didn’t mean that computers affected would be automatically fixed.

In many cases applying the fix meant that engineers had to go on site to many different locations which is both time consuming and costly. In some cases Microsoft said that some computers might need as many as 15 reboots to clear the problem.

So, a fix that many were hoping would solve the issue ended up taking a few weeks to fully resolve as not everyone has IT or tech support in the field to issue a manual reboot.

A lot of businesses were caught out as they don’t factor this into their recovery time, some assuming that an issue like this is guaranteed to be fixed within 48 hours, which is not something you can promise. You need to be realistic when filling out a Business Impact Assessment (BIA).

[07:55] How do you know in advance if an outage will need physical intervention to resolve? – There is a lesson to be learnt from this most recent issue. You need to take a look at your current business continuity plans and ask yourself:

What systems to you use?
How reliable are the third-party applications that you use?
If an issue like this to reoccur, how would it affect us?
Do we have the necessary resource to fix it? i.e. staff on site if needed?

Third-parties will have a lot of clients, some may even prioritise those that pay a more premium package, so you can’t always count on them for a quick fix.

[09:10] How does this impact out businesses in terms of our management standards? – When we begin to analyse how this has impacted our management systems, we can’t afford to say ‘We don’t use CrowdStrike therefore it did not impact us’ – it may have impacted your suppliers or your customers. Even if there was zero impact, lessons can be learned from this event for all companies.

Standards that were directly affected by the outage were:

ISO 22301 – Business Continuity: Recovery times RPO and RTO; BIA; Risk Assessments
ISO 27001 – Information Security: Risk Assessment; Likelihood; Severity; BCP; ICT readiness
ISO 20000-1 – IT Service Management; Risk Assessment of service delivery; Service continuity; Service Availability

Remember, our management systems should reflect reality and not aspiration

[11:30] How do we use our Management Systems to navigate a path of corrective action and continual improvement? – First and foremost an event like this must be raised as an Incident – in this case it would no doubt have been a Major Incident for some companies. This incident will typically be recorded in the company’s system for capturing non-conformities or continual improvement.

You could liken this to how ISO 45001 requires you to report accidents and incidents.

From the Incident a plan can be created which should include changes to be considered or made to the management system.

The Incident should lead us to conducting a lessons learned activity to determine where changes and improvements need to be made.

We are directed in all standards to Understanding the Organisation and its context

The key requirement here is to determine the internal and external issues that can impact your management system, and prevent it from being effective. Whatever method a company uses for this, perhaps a SWOT and PESTLE; the CrowdStrike/Microsoft Outage should be included in this analysis as a threat and/or Technical issue.

[15:15] What are the lessons learned from our supply chain? – In many ISO Standards, such as ISO 9001 and ISO 27001, there is a requirement to review your suppliers and the effectiveness of the service they’re delivering.

So you could send them an e-mail to ask how they have dealt with the issue, what actions did they take and how long did it take to fully restore services.

This is a collaborative process that you can factor into your own risk assessments, as you can make a better judgement on future risk level if you are privy to their recovery plans.

Many people still think of that requirement only in relation to goods and products. i.e. has my order been delivered ect. However, it relates to services such as IT infrastructure as well. You rely on that service, so evaluate how well it’s being delivered.

[17:35] 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.

[19:50] Once you have established lessons learnt, what’s next? – The Standards provide a logical path to work through.

One of the first steps is to conduct a SWOT and PESTLE, and doing so after a major incident is recommended, as your threats and weaknesses may have changed as a result.

Do not simply put the sole blame on a third-party who an incident may of originated from. This is about your response and recovery, your plans coming into effect to deal with the situation, not about who is at fault.

One such finding may be your lack of business continuity plans, in which case, looking at implementing aspects of ISO 22301 may be an action to consider.

It’s also important to note down any positives from the incident too. You may have dealt with something very fast, communicated the issue effectively and worked with clients to ensure that their level of service was minimally impacted.

If a team dealt with a situation particularly well, they should be recognised for that, as it really does go a long way.

[23:55] The importance of revisiting your SWOT and PESTLE: These exercises shouldn’t just be a one time thing. You should be addressing these after incidents and any major changes within the business.

Ideally, you should be looking at these in all your meetings, as many actions may need to be escalated to a strategic level.

If you’d like to learn about how one of our clients embraced SWOT and PESTLE, and used it to their advantage, check out episode 53.

[25:20] How has our understanding of the needs and expectations of Interested Parties been changed? – How has the Outage impacted the needs and expectations of interested parties? Understanding this might lead companies to ask questions about the robustness and effectiveness of different parts of the management system:

Risk Assessment
BIA for BCP
Recovery Plans
DR plans
Service Continuity

[27:50] What should you be considering with your risks assessments? – Risk Assessments, if they follow the traditional methodology, with have Likelihood and Impact/Severity scores an in the light of this outage, and any event, the likelihood and Impact scores should be updated.

If a company has set the likelihood as ‘once every 5 years’ it should seriously consider changing this to ‘once every 6 months’ or ‘once every year’ to understand if this poses any new risks to the business. The likelihood score would of course be updated every year until it has recovered to ‘once every 5 years’.

The impact is important to look at. If a company has been impacted by this outage, what has it cost the company to recover – talk to finance and other departments to understand the cost and change the scoring accordingly.

[33:20] Why should a business carry out a risks assessment as part of lessons learnt? – Our risk assessments are not a one-off, but should be living documents that reflect the status of threats to the business. In ISO 27001 there is a statement to identify the ‘Consequences of unintended changes,’ and it could be argued that an Outage on the level of the CrowdStrike/Microsoft outage was an ‘unintended change that led to consequences in many businesses.

So, use your risk assessments as live tools to report on the reality facing the organisation.

Similarly, BIA assessments for BCP should be reviewed to determine if the assumed impact reflects the real impact; also look at the recovery plans to see if they are effective.

If a recovery plan has stated that this type of incident could be recovered in 48 hours, and in reality it has taken 2 weeks, it means that recovery times in terms of RPO and RTO should be reviewed.

Remember – your management system should reflect reality and not aspiration.

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.

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Continual Improvement is at the heart of every ISO Standard.

The cyclical nature of ISO Standards lends itself to regular review and update of your Management System, to ensure it’s working efficiently and to address any issues or opportunities that inevitably crop up.

However, Integrating these improvements can be challenging, even for mature systems.

Today Ian Battersby explains the concept of Improvement as defined in ISO Standards, how to find root cause for non-conformities and integrating improvement actions from multiple sources.

You’ll learn

What is meant by ‘Improvement’ in ISO Standards?
Common misconceptions about Improvement in ISO Standards
How to address non-conformities in your Management System
Finding the root cause of a non-conformity
Integrating Improvement actions

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 Battersby will be explaining what Improvement means in relation to ISO Standards, how to address non-conformities and integrating the required Improvement actions.

[02:30] What is meant by ‘Improvement’ in ISO Standards? – One of the requirements of all Management System standards is to determine and select opportunities for improvement (Clause 10). This is the fundamental aim of Management Systems: to make things better

In the words of the standards, it is so that an organisation can:

“Implement any necessary actions to meet customer requirements and enhance customer satisfaction

These shall include:

a) improving products and services to meet requirements as well as to address future needs and expectations;

b) correcting, preventing or reducing undesired effects;

c) improving the performance and effectiveness of the management system.”

An organisation going through certification for the first time may never have had in place a system for planning improvements. Some organisations are dealing with improvements, but not necessarily through a single, consistent route.

While you can meet the requirements of the standards without a single route, the standard is not prescriptive in how you go about this.

[04:45] Common misconceptions about non-conformities – the standard does go on to cover nonconformity and corrective action (10.2); is it suggesting these as the main source of non-conformities (NC). It isn’t really explicit about other sources, other than specifically including customer complaints as a form of NC.

However, there’s a strong argument for consolidating data from different sources, so it’s worth considering how complaints data is handled. Other sources of non-conformities can include your Internal Audit findings, addressing where you may not be meeting client expectations, addressing failure to meet legal obligations ect.

As a reminder, ISO 9000 (Fundamentals and vocabulary) includes the definition of nonconformity: non-fulfilment of a requirement: need or expectation that is stated, generally implied or obligatory i.e. Legal / client expectation.

[10:00] Addressing non-conformities – You need to evaluate the need for action to eliminate the cause of the nonconformity, to ensure that the issues doesn’t recur, or pop-up elsewhere.

When a non-conformity does occur, you need to:

Determine the causes
Determining if similar nonconformities exist, or could potentially occur;

Any corrective actions should be appropriate to the effects of the nonconformities encountered.

So, you don’t need to commit a huge amount of resource to minor issues.

[11:40] 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.

[13:40] Finding the cause of non-conformities – Without removing the cause, repetition may occur, and this is where integrating improvement data from multiple sources comes into its own.

The idea of Common cause is – a single cause may manifest itself in very different outcomes. For example, a lack of competence could lead to a process being delivered wrongly, leading to reducing level of quality in service or product, which would be picked up as an NC.

Competence is an area which can also lead to NC’s, through the result of a helath & safety incident or environmental incident if people aren’t trained to use equipment or follow set procedures.

It can also lead to a customer complaint where the failed process is apparent to a customer.

If a product NC isn’t spotted until after the product delivered/in service it could lead to a warranty claim

Or even a claim for damages should it lead to harm/loss to the customer

It could lead to regulatory breach or even enforcement or legal action

Some of these outcomes may not be apparent until they have impacted upon a customer or other interested party, so would not be recorded internally through a nonconformity system.

All this to say, finding the root cause will require looking in a lot of different places. Having a common methodology in place to address non-conformities, including considerations for different types of issues, makes life a lot easier.

[15:55] Integrating Improvements from multiple sources: There are many sources which can highlight opportunities for Improvement, including:

Internal Audit – This is a conformity assessment, so any gaps or issues identified will be NC’s that need addressing.

Surveillance Audit / Certification Audit – Your Certification Body will also be conducting a third-party conformity assessment, which may highlight something you’ve missed in your own internal audits.

Supply Chain Audit – Auditing your supply chain can also highlight NC’s that you can encourage them to address, both for your benefit and theirs.

Client Audit – You may be audited by clients, especially where there may be specific technical industry related issues.

Management Review – This is the perfect platform to identify Opportunities for Improvement. You can highlight NC trends from Internal Audits here and define if they need to be addressed separately. You will often have members of senior management present at a Management Review, so there is a greater chance for you to plan tangible actions to address issues, especially if they are business critical.

SWOT / PESTLE – This usually happens early on in the Implementation phase, but there’s no reason why you can’t repeat the exercise on an annual basis. This exercise directly identifies your risks and opportunities, both from internal and external sources. Getting input from all levels of staff as they may also shed light on potential NC’s and opportunities other departments may not even be aware of.

Accident reporting / Safety observations – Any incident should be viewed as an opportunity to improve. Some accidents are unavoidable, but many are a result of someone not following instructions, equipment being left unattended or in the wrongs location ect. Addressing these will help you to ensure a safer environment.

Site inspections – Just walking around your site can yield new insights. Ask other departments that may not visit your area to do a sweep and report any findings. Sometimes all you need is a fresh pair of eyes to highlight issues you’ve missed.

Complaint / Other customer feedback – Allow clients and stakeholders to have input.

Regulatory requirements – You may discover you are breaching a regulation, which needs to be addressed ASAP. Consider a legal register to keep track of all your legal and regulatory requirements.

Enforcement (HSE, EA, professional body) – You may have opportunities for improvement enforced by professional bodies such as the HSE or Environment Agency.

Management Action – Any management meetings should take opportunity suggestions from both management and the general workforce.

Product NC’s – If you’re in the manufacturing industry, you likely already have a system in place for monitoring any product related non-conformities. This process can be applied on a broader scale, as it embodies the same principles: Identify the problem, find the root cause, address the root cause, put preventative measures in place to stop recurrence.

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

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In the workplace, everyone is responsible for safety.

It’s not just for managers or senior management to worry about where legislation is concerned, everyone from the top to the bottom needs to be actively ensuring the safety of others.

ISO 45001 highlights the importance of this in its most recent iteration, which includes a specific requirement for the consultation and participation of workers. But, how does this work in practice?

Today Ian Battersby explains what consultation and participation of workers in ISO 45001 is, and how you can incorporate elements of reactive and proactive hazard reporting to meet that requirement.

You’ll learn

What is consultation and participation of workers in ISO 45001?
What is the identification of hazards?
What’s the difference between reactive and proactive hazard reporting?
Common approaches to reactive and proactive hazard reporting
Proactive hazard reporting in action

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 Battersby will be explaining reactive and proactive hazard reporting, and how this relates to the consultation and participation of workers (clause 5.4) requirement in ISO 45001.

[02:30] What is ‘Consultation and Participation of workers? – ISO 45001’s clause 5.4 states:

“The organization must have a process for consultation and participation of workers at all levels and functions, and their representatives in the development, planning, implementation, performance evaluation and actions for improvement of the OH&S management system.”

ISO 45001 expects occupational health and safety aspects to be fully embodied within the organisation structure. All workers should be aware of their responsibilities, and work together to meet the organisation’s health and safety goals.

Everyone is responsible for safety.

Consultation implies two-way communication, so workers can provide feedback to be considered by the organisation before taking a decision. This is important; the organisation has to consider workers’ feedback before making decisions

Participation implies the contribution of workers, including non-managerial workers, to decision-making related to OH&S performance and to proposed changes.

[05:50] Hazard Identification – A specific issue which must be considered is the identification of hazards:

Identifying hazards and assessing risks and opportunities (Clauses 6.1.1 and 6.1.2);
Determining actions to eliminate hazards and reduce OH&S risks

There are numerous sources for consideration when it comes to hazards

How work is organised
Routine/non-routine activities
Past incidents
Emergency situations
People
Processes
Workplace design
Equipment
Change

[07:35] What’s the difference between proactive and reactive hazard reporting? – Proactive is about spotting hazards in advance and putting in place measures to minimise the chances of them materialising and causing harm (eg, through an accident)

Reactive is in response to an event which has already occurred, such as an accident; a hazard existed without being spotted already and dealt with.

[08:20] A common approach to proactive hazard reporting – Risk Assessment. Consider hazard sources (i.e. people, processes, equipment, workplace etc) and consider what may happen; what could go wrong. Then consider what controls could be put in place to try and prevent that happening.

Risk assessment can help you to demonstrate worker consultation and participation by including those affected:

Involved in or affected by an activity
Those delivering a process
Using equipment
Occupying a workplace

Those people have valuable knowledge and understanding, sometimes moreso than someone in a supervisory / managerial role.

And an absolute must: recording that all employees have read, understand and are committed to the controls included in Risk Assessments; that process may also give rise to workers’ further involvement – through querying, suggesting change etc

This also helps the culture of hazard spotting and promotes engagement among the workforce, both of which are vital in driving a proactive approach

[11:10] A common approach to reactive hazard reporting: Accident reporting systems is the obvious choice. However, there are ways you can make this more proactive.

There are various levels to accident reporting. Traditional systems wait until an accident occurs before recording and acting upon it.

Some organisations also record near misses: where an event has occurred, but no harm has been caused.

This approach in itself can be very valuable; and it provides an opportunity to act before any harm has occurred.

However, we can go a step further and allow the workforce to observe what’s happening; their surroundings and listen to what they feel may present a hazard to them and their colleagues (remember, everyone is responsible for safety).

[13:00] 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.

[15:30] Proactive hazard reporting in action: Ian recounts his experience in a previous company where their proactive hazard reporting led to meaningful change.

This took place in a large manufacturing plant, but there was also significant office-based activity as well.

Because of the nature of the work, many people would not have access to online systems so there was both online and paper systems; this is important; if everybody is responsible, everybody needs access and engagement is vital.

In addition to the traditional accident/near miss system, there was a safety observation card (all data ended up in the same database). It was simple to fill out, would have only taken about 5 minutes at most.

In an organisation of 500ish, we received 2200 observation cards per year by the time I left.

When combined with accidents/incidents, there’s a predictable cycle: more reports, poor quality, more accidents, better quality, improved actions, fewer accidents.

[17:30] Creating an observation card: It should be easy to understand and record what’s necessary, recommended content includes:

Date / Time
Who was involved – employee / contractor / visitor ect
Location of hazard / incident
Description of hazard / incident (ideally in 10 words or less)

You could get more granular and include:

Identification of an unsafe condition or unsafe act
Type of hazard or incident: slip, trip or fall / exit obstructed / machinery being used unsafely / unsafe structure / not using PPE

You could also include an option for actions taken if you decide to inform a manager of the issue, if you’ve corrected someone on the use of equipment or PPE ect.

[21:15] The Importance of peer inspections: Often they would have supervisors from one area, checking a different one. This fresh pair of eyes may offer new insight into something that you usually miss!

Note that you should also encourage any site visitors to do the same. The fact that you’d ask them to report any incident also displays that you take safety seriously, and are open to feedback to improve.

[22:40] Hazard scoring: In order to judge that quality, they went a step further and graded all observations from 1-3:

Saw something but didn’t act
Saw it, acted to put it safe there and then
Saw it, acted to prevent it happening again

This allowed them to judge how effective hazard spotting is in removing cause and filters out points-scoring.

[22:45] The results speak for themselves:

Increasing number of observations

Increasing number of participants

Increasing quality of observations

Reducing number and severity of accidents.

Over five years, they increased the number of observations per employee ten-fold.

As a result, they reduced lost time accidents over 75%

This was a superb example of a personal safety campaign and a great demonstration of consultation and participation,

It’s not difficult to do, but it needs leadership commitment, constant and clear comms, user-friendly systems and effective analysis / reporting.

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

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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.

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ESG compliance has fast become a focus for many organisations looking to address their wider sustainability profile.

However, its broad framework has left many scratching their heads on exactly where to start with evaluating and addressing various elements of Environmental, Social, and Governance compliance.

For those looking for some direction, you may already have a solid foundation in place if you’re certified to one or many ISO Standards.

Today Steph Churchman will explain what ESG is, how it can be scored and what role ISO Standards can play in ESG compliance.

You’ll learn

What is ESG?
What scoring systems are available for ESG?
How can ISO Standards support ESG compliance?
What ISO Standards can support each pillar of ESG?

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: Steph will be breaking down what ESG compliance means, how ISO Standards can support ESG compliance and give some examples of what ISO Standards can support each pillar of ESG.

[02:50] What is ESG? – ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance. Analysis and evaluation against these three elements help organisations to consider different areas within their overall sustainability profile.

Governance criteria focuses on creating a business environment that is fair, transparent, and accountable. Considerations in this area include board composition, fairness in pay structures and executive compensation, business ethics and risk management.

[04:15] An evolution of CSR – CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) is very similar to ESG, but is less sustainability focused. It also lacked substance in the form of effective and accountable scoring systems that held businesses to account. This is where ESG differs, with many scoring systems, certifications and even mandatory requirements driving businesses to address their compliance.

[04:45] ESG scoring – There are many schemes, scoring systems and certifications available for ESG, some of which are specific to industry sectors and company sizes. What one you pick will be up to you (note that some many be mandatory in select countries), however, here are a few examples:

The S&P Global ESG Score – This assesses a company’s performance and management of ESG risks and opportunities using a combination of company disclosures, media analysis, and industry-specific questionnaires. A score of 0-100 is given based on their findings and are relative within a company’s industry sector.

Fitch Ratings ESG Relevance Scores – Fitch Ratings assigns ESG Relevance Scores alongside their traditional credit ratings. These scores assess how ESG factors could impact a company’s creditworthiness. Their scores range from 1-5, with 5 indicating the highest ESG relevance to credit risk.

MSCI – They offer ESG ratings for a broad range of companies, it’s not really limited by sector or size. They use a letter grade system, going from AAA-CCC, to assess a company’s relative ESG risks and opportunities compared to its peers. The scoring for this one assigns companies as either an ESG leader, average or laggard within their industry.

[06:10] How can ISO Standards support ESG Compliance – It’s important to clarify that there’s no single ISO standard that guarantees ESG compliance because ESG is a broad framework. However, ISO standards provide a strong foundation for implementing many aspects of an ESG strategy.

[06:35] Supporting ESG – Structure and Framework: ISO standards offer a structured approach to managing environmental, social, and governance practices. This helps companies identify key areas for improvement and develop a systematic plan to address them.

[07:10] Supporting ESG – Improved Performance: By following ISO standards, companies can demonstrably improve their environmental performance, social responsibility, and governance structures by putting in frameworks that align with best practice standards

[07:30] Supporting ESG – Transparency and Credibility: Achieving certification to a relevant ISO standard involves a third-party audit, which verifies that a company’s systems and processes meet the standard’s requirements. This certification acts as a credible signal to stakeholders such as your investors, customers, regulators, that you’re committed to ESG principles.

[07:55] Supporting ESG – Risk Management: Proactive management of ESG risks is a key component of any ESG strategy. Many ISO standards focus on risk identification and mitigation. For example, ISO 37001 (Anti-Bribery Management Systems) helps identify and address bribery risks, which can have significant financial and reputational consequences. Or ISO 45001 health and safety management, which requires risk assessments to be carried out to ensure the safety and well being of your employees on site locations, which would fall under the social aspect of ESG.

[08:30] Supporting ESG – Competitive Advantage: Strong ESG performance is increasingly sought after by investors and stakeholders. Implementing ISO standards can help companies demonstrate their ESG commitment and gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. You’ll also feel the benefit of gaining multiple badges, through ISO certification and possibly an ESG score if you choose to go through one of the official scoring schemes.

[08:55] Think of ISO standards as building blocks. They provide the foundation and structure for a strong ESG strategy. By implementing relevant standards and achieving certification, you can demonstrate a dedicated commitment to ESG principles.

[09:50] 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.

[11:55] What ISO Standards can support the Environmental aspect of ESG Compliance?:

ISO 14001: Environmental Management – This provides a framework for managing environmental impacts, reducing waste, and improving your resource efficiency.
ISO 50001: Energy Management – this helps companies monitor and optimize their energy use with the aim to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
ISO 20400: Sustainable Procurement – This will help you to adopt sustainable procurement principles and practices within your organisation, by looking at how you can reduce waste, choose more sustainable options for required resources, how you can extend the life of resources available through remanufacturing and recovery of waste, and encourages the use of more innovative products and services.
ISO 20121: Sustainable Event Management – This Standard is mostly applicable to the events sector, and aims to help reduce the amount of waste produced during events, either through potential energy savings and the production and recycling of resources used during an event. It’s recently had an update, so check out our latest episode to find out what the changes are.
ISO 14064: Greenhouse Gas Verification – This provides a framework for measuring and managing greenhouse gas emissions. This is a crucial step if you’re working towards Net Zero, as you need to know what your baseline is before you can work on reducing and offsetting remaining emissions.
ISO 14068: A framework for helping businesses achieve Net Zero, this standard will replace PAS 2060 in November 2025, so anyone looking into PAS 2060 now may be better off going with ISO 14068 as it includes more guidance on purchasing credible carbon credits.

[14:15] What ISO Standards can support the Social aspect of ESG Compliance?:–

ISO 26000: Social Responsibility – which offers guidance on integrating social responsibility practices throughout your organization.
ISO 45001: Occupational Health and Safety Management – which helps companies create a safe and healthy work environment. It provides a robust set of requirements designed for improving workplace safety in organisations and supply chains, with the aim of reducing workplace injury and illness.
ISO 45003: Psychosocial Health & Safety Management aka Mental health in the workplace. For the last 4 years or so, work related stress, depression and anxiety has been the leading cause for work related ill-health cases and lost working days. That’s according to the annual HSE reports, which clearly highlights a big issue that many more need to consider and address.

[14:15] What ISO Standards can support the Governance aspect of ESG Compliance?:–

ISO 9001: Quality Management – this is the leading global ‘quality mark’ for businesses and designed as a vital business improvement tool. It’s quite simply A blueprint for running your business successfully.
ISO 22301: Business Continuity Management – Which provides a basis for planning to ensure your long-term survivability following a disruptive event. This is a Standard that many align with, but don’t always certify to, and for good reason as it provides some invaluable guidance for establishing robust Business Continuity Plans.
ISO 27001: Information Security – This is a Standard that is common place for most sectors now, given how reliant we all are on tech. ISO 27001 will help you to implement an Information Security Management System (ISMS), which is a systematic approach to managing sensitive company information, ensuring it remains secure and available. It encompasses people, processes and IT systems.
ISO 37001: Anti-Bribery Management Systems – It’s the International Standard that allows organizations of all types to prevent, detect and address bribery by adopting an anti-bribery policy, appointing a person to oversee anti-bribery compliance, training and carry out risk assessments.
ISO 44001: Collaborative Business Management – This was originally a British Standard that had been created to provide a framework for creating and managing collaborative business relationships between organisations. The standard promotes the best way for businesses to work together, thus effectively developing and managing their interactions with each other for maximum benefit to all.

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
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ISO 20121:2012, the Standard for Sustainable events management, was originally created and launched in coordination with the London 2012 olympics. 12 years on, it seems only fitting that its next revision would applied to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

10 Years on from it’s original release, the Standard has received a substantial update to not only bring it in-line with other ISO Standards, but to also address additional elements within event management, such as human rights and legacy.

Today Steph Churchman will explain the changes to ISO 20121:2024, what certified companies must do to transition and the consequences of not doing so before the deadline.

You’ll learn

What is ISO 20121?
What are the changes to ISO 20121:2024?
What steps should certified companies take to complete their transition?
What should you be updating?
What are the consequences for not completing your transition ahead of the deadline?

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: Steph will be discussing the changes to the Sustainable Event Management Standard, ISO 20121:2024, in addition to outlining what you should be updating ahead of your transition to the latest version of the Standard.

[02:30] What is ISO 20121? – . The Standard for Sustainable events management was originally created and launched in coordination with the London 2012 olympics.

When it came to planning the 2012 Olympic Games, they took a step back and considered the impact of required development and construction would have on biodiversity, as well as how they could reduce their Greenhouse Gas emissions and general waste in the preparation and running of the event.

12 years on, it seems only fitting that it’s next revision would applied to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

ISO 20121 specifies the requirements for an Event Sustainability Management System to improve the sustainability of events. The standard applies to all types and sizes of organisations involved in the events industry – from caterers, lighting and sound engineers, security companies, stage builders and venues to independent event organisers and corporate and public sector event teams.

[04:45] A high-level overview of the changes to ISO 20121:2024 – One of the biggest and most welcomed changes is the fact that the Standard is now aligned with the familiar High Level Structure that many other ISO’s follow. This means it will be easier to integrate with other Standards like ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

Next, there is a bigger focus on climate change, legacy and human rights. These elements weren’t necessarily missing from the previous version, but they weren’t a key focus either.

[05:10] Climate Change in ISO 20121:2024 – , ISO 20121:2024 now explicitly requires considering climate change and its impact on your event and stakeholders. So, this might involve carbon emission reduction strategies and adapting to potential climate-related disruptions. Biodiveristy may also fall under this, especially if your events require construction, or take place in an outside venue such as a park or field.

A quick reminder that 31 common ISO Standards also received a Climate Change Amendment, so if you haven’t addressed that yet, check out our podcast episode and workshop recording to learn about what you need to do.

What does this focus on climate change mean for certified companies?:

It provides an opportunity for event professionals and event organisers to demonstrate leadership in taking action around climate change
Certified organisations are required to ensure that any carbon offsetting completed via carbon credits are credible
ISO 20121:2024 Standard facilitates the process of taking credible action and aligns ISO 20121 with big changes relating to climate change

[06:55] Human Rights in ISO 20121:2024 – The new version also expands beyond environmental concerns to encompass human and child rights, social impact (including mental health and diversity), and digital responsibility. Your management system will need to address these aspects throughout the event lifecycle.

What does the increased focus on human rights in ISO 20121 mean for certified organisations?:

Certified organisations will need to demonstrate and adhere to UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
The revised standard also now references social impact in its definitions – primarily in the definition for Sustainable Development and Stewardship.
A new Annex has been added – Annex D: Guidance on Human and Child Rights.
Added guidance states that event organisers should consult with Human and Child Rights experts and conduct a Human Rights Assessment to identify potential risks to the people as a result of an event and its surrounding activities.
You should publish a Human Rights Policy to ensure that Human Rights consideration is embedded in the whole lifecycle of an event.

[08:40] Legacy in ISO 20121:2024 – An added focus on Legacy provides an opportunity to event organisers to focus, not only on the few days of event delivery, but also supports in creating enduring results for the hosting community.

For example, creating an economic impact for the local population, by providing the opportunity to acquire new skills, to share best practices on how to do events in a more sustainable way or by improving a public place close to the event.

[09:20] 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.

[11:30] A strengthening of Stakeholder Engagement – The Standard now emphasizes demonstrating sustainability throughout your supply chain. This might involve you requesting proof of sustainability practices from vendors and incorporating ethical sourcing practices.

The definition of stakeholders has also now been expanded to include partners and sponsors. So, you’ll need to consider how their sustainability practices align with your event’s goals.

The policy clause now requires reporting on your sustainability achievements and lessons learned. Building a system for tracking and reporting these aspects will be crucial, and will likely involve a lot more communication between your stakeholders to gather any necessary data for reporting purposes.

[12:35] alignment and flexibility – The updated standard aligns with other management system standards thanks to the high level structure update, making integration easier for organizations with existing systems.

The revised standard also caters to events of all sizes and complexities, allowing for adaptation to your specific needs.

There’s now alignment with Global Frameworks, like the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) and the Paris Agreement. If you’d like to learn more about the SDG’s, check out a few previous podcast episodes: 106, 107 & 108.

[13:30] Transition Deadline – What happens if you miss it? – Anyone certified to the 2012 version of the Standard will have until the 31st March 2027 to transition to the 2024 version.

If you don’t, you’ll risk losing your certification, and you’ll have to go through the whole Stage 1 and 2 Assessment again to get that certificate back, which is obviously quite costly.

[14:15] What do you need to do to transition? – Here’s a very high-level of the steps you should take:

Review and conduct a Gap Analysis: This is to compare your existing system against the new standard’s requirements to identify areas needing improvement.
Update your Policies and Procedures: specifically your event sustainability policy to reflect the broader range of sustainability issues and incorporate reporting requirements.
Develop a plan to engage with a wider range of stakeholders, including sponsors and partners, on sustainability initiatives.
Review your Supply Chain Management: This will involve establishing or updating procedures for assessing and integrating sustainability practices throughout your vendor network.
Training and Awareness: Any and all changes should be communicated. Educate your team on the new standard’s requirements and integrate them into event planning and execution processes.
Carry out Internal Audits: Once you’ve implemented the changes, audit against the new Standard and ensure you’re compliant. Then you’ll need to prepare for your Certification Body Transition visit.

[15:30] What Specific actions can you take to update your ISO 20121 Management System?

Here are some suggested actions to address Human Rights and Children’s Rights:

Update your event sustainability policy to explicitly state your commitment to respecting human rights and children’s rights throughout the event lifecycle.
Update your Risk Assessments as you’re going to need to identify potential human rights risks associated with your event, such as discrimination in hiring or unfair labour practices within the supply chain.
Review your Supplier Management as you’ll need to ensure your suppliers uphold human rights standards.
Engage with relevant stakeholders like human rights organizations or local communities to understand potential human rights concerns and incorporate their feedback into your planning.

A few other actions you could do include:

Partnering with organizations promoting fair labor practices and human rights.
Including human rights clauses in contracts with suppliers and partners.
Conduct training for staff on identifying and mitigating human rights risks.
Implementing a grievance process for reporting potential human rights violations.

[17:00] What further actions can you take to address Legacy?:

Integrate legacy planning into the early stages of event development. Consider aspects like infrastructure, also workforce development (for example training opportunities for local communities), and universal accessibility for people with disabilities.
Develop metrics to measure the positive legacy of your event. This could involve tracking the number of jobs created, increased accessibility measures implemented, or infrastructure donated to the community.
Consider the potential to partner with local organizations to ensure the event’s legacy benefits the community in the long term. This might involve collaborating on infrastructure projects or workforce development initiatives.
You should also Conduct a post-event impact assessment to evaluate the event’s legacy.

[18:00] Reporting on the social, economic and environmental impacts – The first step should be to develop a Reporting Framework: This framework should consider relevant metrics for social (e.g., job creation, diversity), economic (e.g., local business involvement), and environmental (e.g., carbon footprint, waste generation) impacts.

Next, you need to Implement a system for collecting and analyzing data related to your event’s social, economic, and environmental performance.

And lastly, choose appropriate communication channels for your sustainability report, such as your website, annual reports, or dedicated sustainability reports.

You could look at specific reporting software or get help from a third-party such as Blackmores.

We’d recommend purchasing a copy of the Standard so you can review the specific changes yourself, in addition to reviewing the updated guidance provided in the Annexes.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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 interconnect 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 Clauses 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.

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After 5 years of hosting the ISO Show, Mel Blackmore will be taking a step back as she focuses on her sustainability related endeavours.

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:

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:

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:

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Whether you choose to work with one of our ISO Consultants, our isologists, or work your own way through the process on our isology Hub, we’re certain you’ll achieve certification in no time!

We have a proven step by step process that our ISO Consultants implement as soon as our working relationship begins. We use our specialist skills and industry knowledge to determine what is already on track and where improvements can be made. We live and breathe ISO standards, we know the standards inside out so you don’t have to.

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What our clients have to say

We engaged Blackmores to develop our ISO 9001, 14001, and 45001 management system from scratch. Throughout the creation and development stages of our ISO journey, Anju Punetha demonstrated remarkable patience, knowledge, and understanding as our dedicated consultant.

During our internal audit preparations, Ian Battersby’s meticulous attention to detail and thorough approach ensured we were well-prepared for our external audit, which we passed with flying colours. His guidance during the external audit was invaluable.

Based on our engagement and experience, I highly recommend the entire Blackmores team. If you’re considering pursuing ISO accreditations, Blackmores should be your first choice.

Graeme Adam

The support and advise I get from our assigned auditors is immense. Forward planning for the following year is great and they are flexible and always willing to help.

Kalil Vandi

“Blackmores have assisted us almost since the start of our adoption of the ISO 9001 quality standard. Their input has improved our processes since the start, and enabled our goal of continuous improvement to be achieved. The people are also extremely easy to get on with, and they really understand our business, giving us a great deal of confidence in their advice.”

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Photon Lines Ltd

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Mandy Welsby

Jaama Ltd

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Philip Hannabuss

Dome Consulting

“Blackmores have really kept us on our toes with the broad scope and level of detail they apply to our internal audit schedule. They always stay abreast of ISO standard changes and help us to adapt our processes and documents to embrace these changes accordingly. Having Blackmores shadow our external audits provides invaluable confidence and peace of mind – would highly recommend their services!”

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200 FESPA's Sustainable transformation with ISO 20121

199 The First step towards safe and ethical AI - ISO 42001 Gap Analysis

190 How communication can make or break a management system

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Our ISO consultants can still be on hand for support where needed.