A survey of 100 firms by certification body NQA has revealed that working towards ISO 14001 certification helps organisations to cut costs by encouraging them to be more resource efficient.

More than 80% of those surveyed confirm that they have benefited financially from actions to certify their environmental management system (EMS), including introducing recycling regimes, improving energy efficiency and reducing water consumption. More than half the firms polled confirm they would recoup the cost of certification within 12 months.