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Legal and Other Requirements for ISO 14001 (Environment)
Overview
ISO Standards set key requirements to show you are an organised and trusted business. A critical example of one of these requirements is the need to manage Legal and Other requirements.
But what are ‘Legal’ requirements, and what are ‘Other’ requirements?
In this article, we will explore the different requirements and the benefits that meeting them will bring, taking a close look at the Standards. This article will use ISO 14001, the environmental management system standard, as a reference point for examples.

Environmental Legal Requirements
Following local legislation is the absolute minimum requirement that ISO standards have for organisations. This prevents prosecution and is an obvious requirement – businesses need to be aware of and follow the law.
ISO standards outline the applicable mandatory legal requirements, as seen in ISO 14001. These are listed to include:
- Requirements from governmental entities or related authorities;
- International, national and local laws/regulations;
- Requirements specified in permits, licenses or other forms of authorisation;
- Orders, rules or guidance from regulatory agencies; and
- Judgements of courts or administrative tribunals.
ISO standards themselves do not add to the legal requirements of a company, but they do reinforce the importance of complying with existing laws set by authorities.
You can keep on top of these legal requirements by creating an ISO Compliance register, which will help you keep track of legal compliance. Legal requirements are constantly changing, so it is also important to continually look for updates and keep your ISO Compliance Register up to date. If you use the ISO Compliance Register tool, it will do this for you automatically.
Examples of Environmental Legal Requirements
Legislation | Typical Tasks |
Climate Change Act 2008 | Specific tasks related to carbon reporting, waste reduction, carbon taxation and more. |
Environment Act 2021 | Environmental compliance assessment, sustainability planning, stakeholder engagement and more. |
Environmental Protection Act 1990 | Due diligence of your operations and your waste supply chain to avoid pollution. |
The Separation of Waste (England) Regulations 2024 | Implementation of waste separation systems, training programmes and more. |
What are ‘Other’ Environmental Requirements
‘Other’ environmental requirements can be voluntary or must-haves for a business. Although they are not legal requirements, they are requirements that may have been agreed with non-legal bodies and should be adhered to. These are also outlined in ISO 14001, to include:
- Agreements with community groups or non-governmental organisations;
- Agreements with public authorities or customers;
- Organisational requirements;
- Voluntary principles or codes of practice;
- Voluntary labelling or environmental commitments;
- Obligations arising under contractual arrangements with the organisation; and
- Relevant organisational or industry standards.
This list highlights some key areas in which non-legal requirements are still vital for an organisation to follow due to the potential effect on business reputation and the overall effect it has on the world around it.
The Benefits of Other Requirements
There are many benefits to following requirements in this category. For example, voluntary principles and codes of practice or making extra environmental commitments can show an additional level of care for the environment that can be highly valuable for customers and employees alike. It can help your business be known as climate conscious, putting you ahead of other businesses who aren’t as environmentally friendly in their practices.
Equally it’s important to respect agreements with community groups and other organisations to demonstrate a commitment to environmental protection. Being conscious of the community surrounding the business is a great way to show respect to the local community and foster good relationships between your business and the local area. This looks great to customers, encourages local talent, increases employee satisfaction and reinforces values of respect and sustainability within the organisation.
Ultimately, ISO standards not only help you to follow legal requirements but also aid businesses in going the extra mile with other obligations too. Beyond our example of an environmental standard, others can improve areas such as health and safety, information security and more.
The ISO Compliance Register tool has been developed so you can manage legal and other requirements. It’s the ideal platform to get compliant and reap the benefits mentioned above.