Seattle gains ISO certification

Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance, an independent and globally accredited registrar, certified Seattle-based Sound Transit’s environmental management system against the internationally recognized ISO 14001 standard, which is managed and monitored by the International Organization for Standardization, known as the ISO.  

Last summer, the Sound Transit Board adopted an initiative integrating sustainable business practices throughout the agency related to fuels, vehicles and emissions; ecosystem protection; green procurement; recycling and waste prevention; energy and water conservation; sustainable design and building and education and awareness. The agency’s Environmental and Sustainability Management System (ESMS) was developed and implemented to manage this effort.  

To meet the ISO 14001 requirements, an organization must put in place management tools enabling it to “identify and control the environmental impact of its activities, products or services and improve its environmental performance continually,” as well as implement a systematic approach to setting environmental objectives and targets, while demonstrating that they have been achieved.