Dimension Data has been awarded ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems (EMS) certification for its two office buildings in South Melbourne. This follows last year’s certification of its Sydney head office operations in the Rocks.
All three offices are now certified to the ISO 14001:2004 standard, which specifies requirements for organisations implementing an EMS and provides guidance for those committing to environmentally friendly business operations. It covers compliance, impact of business activities, products and services.
“As we continue to explore and introduce environmental initiatives into both our own business practices and through the services we offer our clients, EMS certification is an important part of the process by giving us external validation for our approach. But the success of the certification can be directly attributed to the commitment shown by everyone in Dimension Data,” said Dimension Data Australia Group Chief Financial Officer, Peter Lees.
The environmental initiatives that Dimension Data has introduced to date have been well received by its employees and clients. In particular, there has been strong interest in its eWaste program that offers environmentally responsible removal, disposal and recycling of electronics materials, ranging from the packaging materials for new products when they are delivered, to equipment at end-of-life. The eWaste Management Service also offers the physical or data destruction of electronic data storage equipment.
“It is sustainable initiatives like the eWaste program that demonstrated the tangible results the auditors needed for the purposes of EMS certification,” continued Mr. Lees. “This provides a very powerful endorsement for Dimension Data, encouraging us to support and expand on our increasing environmental focus.”
“Internally, we run an eWaste week every six months for our employees and it is a great opportunity to safely dispose any of our unwanted computer and electrical equipment from home, with Dimension Data taking care of the safe disposal and recycling. So far, we’ve had a fantastic track record of success with our previous eWaste week initiatives; disposing of over 6,000kg of employee eWaste nationally. Combine that figure with our corporate eWaste program and we’ve safely disposed of and recycled 38,000kg of eWaste around Australia.”
Dimension Data has spent the past 12 months completing preparations for certification, ensuring that its’ EMS integrated with the company’s quality and information security management systems, which are certified to ISO 9001:2000 and ISO/IEC 27001:2005 respectively. BSI Group performed documentation and on-site auditing for the ISO 14001 certification.
The audit first assessed Dimension Data’s policies and documentation; then examined how well the program had been integrated across all areas of the business, including HR practices, training, internal and external communication, compliance, facilities management and IT operations.
--ENDS-
About Dimension Data:
Founded in 1983, Dimension Data plc is an ICT services and solutions provider that uses its technology expertise, global service delivery capability, and entrepreneurial spirit to accelerate the business ambitions of its clients. Dimension Data is a member of the NTT Group. www.dimensiondata.com.
About ISO 14001
The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) is a non-government organisation with established institutes across 162 countries and an aim to form a bridge between private and public sectors to define a consistent approach to the delivery of organisational processes. ISO standards cover a vast variety of operating procedures including energy management, manufacturing, security, quality management, medical devices and food safety. Specifically, the ISO14001:2004 standard refers to Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and dictates that a company develops a management system which takes into account environmental aspects and legal compliance, and where possible, commits to improve on environmental aspects which are within its control and influence. For information on ISO, please visit: http://www.iso.org.