Our Group is a shining example of an organisation that not only complies with environmental standards but also adopts them as a core value.
We are proud to announce that we have been successfully awarded the prestigious internationally recognised accreditation that demonstrates our compliance with the highest standards of environmental management. Three companies of our Group have been certified to the ISO 14001:2015 standard for Environmental Management Systems, reflecting our commitment to build a better tomorrow for future generations. This marks the beginning of a new path towards environmental protection and sustainable development, as we maintain our commitment to reducing our environmental footprint and protecting the planet’s natural resources.
Savvas Hadjiyiangou, Sustainability Manager, explains below what this great achievement is and what steps our Group followed to obtain this certification.
- What is ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System Certification?
ISO 14001:2015 is an international standard that sets out the requirements for an Environmental Management System, which helps organisations demonstrate an ongoing commitment to improving their environmental performance such as:
- Reducing waste management costs
- Savings on energy consumption
- Savings on the consumption of raw materials and other resources
- Improving competitiveness
- Reducing the risk of environmental damage
- New environmentally friendly perspectives
- Reducing litter and waste
- Compliance with environmental laws and regulations
In general, the standard has been subject to a comprehensive rewrite to ensure that the aims and purpose set by an Organisation support the changing needs of today’s world with greater emphasis on proactively improving environmental performance and embedding environmental management within an organisation’s strategic planning process. The standard is suitable for organisations of all types and sizes.
- What was the process followed to get certified to?
As a Group, we have always shown particular sensitivity to the management of environmental issues through targeted actions with the ultimate goal of reducing our environmental footprint and complying with Environmental Legislation and regulations.
All these actions have been outlined and developed in a single Environmental Management System, aiming at the continuous improvement in the following 3 Pillars:
Α) Environmental Management
Β) Energy & Waste Management
C) Information/Training of interested parties (Management, Staff, partners, etc.)
All the information was drawn from the various Departments involved and was appropriately processed. Subsequently, with the support of our consultants (Value Creation Consulting Ltd – VCC), we proceeded to draft and implement the Environmental Management System. The System includes, inter alia, the Contracting Parties, Environmental Policy, Roles & Responsibilities, Risks & Opportunities, Legislation, Action Plan, Monitor & Evaluation Plan, and Continuous Improvement. We then proceeded to two Internal Audits leading to the final assessment by External Auditors of TÜV Cyprus (Nord) Ltd, where we documented that we met the certification criteria for the following companies: C.A.Papaellinas Ltd (Headquarters and Kleenex), PharmacyLine C.A.Papaellinas Ltd, and C.A.Papaellinas Logistics Services Ltd.
- What does this mean for our Group?
At C.A.PAPAELLINAS Group, we acknowledge that business profitability depends upon natural capital and the regeneration of natural resources, which today are depleted faster than earth can replenish them. Therefore, through this certification we are committing ourselves to the sustainable management of energy and environmental resources, maintaining a balance between the organisation’s need to improve competitiveness and the need to conserve natural resources and ecosystems for future use.
Adhering to the above principles, we set attainable and measurable goals by analysing customer satisfaction measurement methods, product specifications and environmental management system procedures, striving for a continuous improvement on our good environmental and social performance. At the same time, we become environmentally competitive in the services sector. In addition, we take all necessary measures to prevent the deterioration of the environment, ensuring that all our services comply with the relevant legal requirements (at national and European level) and with the requirements laid out in the standards adopted by the Group.
This Certification provides countless benefits to the Group, including the continuous improvement of environmental and energy performance, the enhancement of the company’s credibility and reputation, the improvement of the procedures, and the strengthening of the competitive advantage in relation to other non-certified companies. Finally, the staff culture is improved and so is the organisational culture in general, with a view to increasing the effectiveness of Environmental Management.
Find out more about our Sustainability practices here
*Thanks to our colleague, Savvas Hadjiyiangou, Sustainability Manager, for the help in creating the article
