Why Data Centers Need ISO 14001 Certification

As we continue to live through what is an increasingly digital society, data centers have become the backbone of our interconnected world, handling everything from cloud computing to data storage and beyond. That takes a lot of energy, and as environmental impact becomes more and more of a concern, ISO 14001 certification has emerged as a top option to help organizations better manage their carbon footprint, and a particularly pertinent option for data centers.

An internationally recognized standard for environmental management systems (EMS), ISO 14001 offers a robust framework that can help data centers manage and mitigate their environmental footprint effectively. As an accredited ISO Certification Body, we understand the merits of ISO 14001 well, and though we remain on the road to ISO 14001 accreditation specifically, we can still offer our expert insight into this framework for now.

In this blog post, we’ll briefly overview ISO 14001 and its unique relevance to data centers before outlining some steps these organizations can take to get started in satisfying the requirements, and this offered knowledge should help you determine whether this framework is right for you.

An Introduction ISO 14001

As part of the ISO 14000 family of standards, ISO 14001 provides a systematic methodology to empower organizations in identifying, managing, and reducing their environmental impact through a related management system.

Those familiar with other ISO standards will immediately recognize how the framework is structured—ISO 14001’s clauses 4-10 detail requirements for how to take a strategic approach to environmental management, as well as how to integrate its controls and processes into your overall business operations and decision-making processes.

Though the holistic approach may seem daunting for some in that it’ll require a similarly resource-intensive effort to build an EMS, any organization looking to improve its environmental posture would benefit from implementing this framework and pursuing ISO 14001 certification.

How Data Centers Can Benefit from ISO 14001 Certification

That said, data centers in particular should take a closer look.

Being the energy-intensive facilities they are, data center operations significantly impact the environment—from energy consumption to waste management, the carbon footprint of data centers is substantial.

ISO 14001 can help data centers curb that problem through its requirements for:

• Energy Efficiency: While data centers consume a significant amount of energy in powering their servers and other infrastructure, ISO 14001 encourages data centers to identify and implement energy-saving measures, such as:
  • Optimization of cooling systems;
  • Improvement of server efficiency; and
  • Adoption of renewable energy sources.
• Waste Management: Not only do data centers generate electronic waste (e-waste), but they also are responsible for a lot of other types of waste, including discarded packaging and obsolete equipment, and ISO 14001 provides guidelines for managing that waste with requirements for:
  • Proper disposal;
  • Recycling; and
  • Minimizing waste generation in the first place.
• Resource Management: To lessen the environmental burden, efficient use of resources such as water and materials is crucial for data centers, and ISO 14001 mandates the implementation of practices to minimize resource consumption, such as water-efficient cooling systems and sustainable procurement practices.

Altogether, satisfying ISO 14001’s requirements not only reduces environmental impact but also lowers your operational costs. Moreover, the benefits of implementing the framework extend beyond the ecological—ISO 14001 certification can also help data centers:

• Enhance Risk Management: ISO 14001 asks that organizations identify and assess potential risks related to energy supply, equipment failure, and environmental impact—by implementing the requisite controls, you’ll improve the effectiveness of your overall risk management, which will help mitigate potential disruptions and strengthen operational resilience.

• Increase Stakeholder Engagement: As public awareness of environmental issues grows, clients and investors are increasingly focused on sustainability—ISO 14001 certification would demonstrate your commitment to environmental responsibility, enhancing its reputation and building trust with stakeholders.

• Achieve Regulatory Compliance: More and more environmental regulation continues to emerge, and while your data center may not fall under the purview of any just yet, ISO 14001 certification—and its comprehensive nature—would aid in your compliance with established or new laws.

• Maintain Continuous Improvement: Like other ISO standards, ISO 14001 promotes a culture of continuous improvement by encouraging regular reviews and enhancements to environmental performance through monitoring, audits, and feedback mechanisms—this ongoing process would ensure that your data center’s environmental procedures remain effective and aligned with best practices.

How to Implement ISO 14001 in Data Centers

Given the advantages abound, data centers should start considering implementing ISO 14001—if you’ll excuse the pun—within their environment, and here’s basic information regarding how that process should work.

1. Get Commitment from Leadership

Successful implementation of ISO 14001 will start with leadership commitment.

You’ll need their buy-in to obtain the necessary resources, of course, but top management should also remain actively involved in the integration of environmental management into your data center’s strategic goals.

2. Conduct a Gap Analysis

Before you can know what you need, you must identify where you currently stand, and that means assessing your current environmental practices so that you can pinpoint areas for improvement.

Your gap assessment should involve evaluating current energy consumption, waste management practices, and how your implemented controls and procedures stack up against ISO 14001 regulations.

3. Develop an EMS

Then, you start filling in those identified gaps by implementing any remaining controls that the framework requires as you create and shape an environmental management system tailored to your data center’s operations.

That’ll include defining:

• Environmental policies;
• Objectives; and
• Procedures that are both specific to your needs and align fully with ISO 14001 requirements.

4. Conduct Training to Raise Awareness

One of ISO 14001’s mandates regards the training of employees, so you’ll need to educate employees on their roles and responsibilities within your new EMS. That means ensuring that all staff members understand the importance of environmental management and are trained to follow relevant procedures.

5. Implement and Monitor Controls

Now you can put your EMS into action, but once you do so, you must ensure that environmental practices are followed and monitored and that implemented controls are effective. This includes tracking the following:

• Energy usage; and
• Waste generation, as well as other key metrics.

6. Conduct Internal Audits

Regularly audit your EMS to ensure it remains effective and compliant with ISO 14001 requirements—that involves, among other items, regularly reviewing environmental objectives and practices so that you can adapt them timely to changing conditions.

These internal audits will also help support your (required) continuous improvement efforts, as you can use the results, feedback, and performance data to routinely enhance the EMS.

7. Pursue Certification

At this point, you should be reasonably ready to engage an accredited third-party certification body for an assessment of your data center’s EMS against ISO 14001 standards. Upon successful certification, you’ll be able to concretely demonstrate your commitment to environmental management.

Moving Toward ISO 14001 Certification

With great power comes great responsibility, especially when it comes to environmental impact, and these days there’s no escaping the latter. As data centers continue to expand, they’ll likely face increasing scrutiny over their sustainability practices, but one way to help both mitigate that potential criticism and improve said sustainability practices will be to obtain ISO 14001 certification.

That’s because—as you now know—ISO 14001 offers a valuable framework to better manage environmental impact and drive sustainability, and so data centers that implement it and pursue certification can improve energy efficiency, enhance waste management, ensure regulatory compliance, and strengthen their standing with relevant stakeholders.

If you’re one such data center that’s interested in contributing to a more sustainable future and wants to learn more about ISO 14001, contact us today. Though Schellman isn’t yet able to issue accredited certificates, we expect that green light to come soon. We are able to conduct these assessments in the meantime, and we look forward to speaking with you about a potential partnership between our two organizations.