The STEM Project recognises that a small business has limited resources.  The timescales for certification have been agreed accordingly to ensure the business has adequate time to fulfil the requirements of each phase of the standard.  The STEM Project anticipates that from commencing Phase 1 of BS 8555 to gaining certification at Phase 3 BS 8555 it will be approximately a nine month period.

Yes, like any certification, a business will have to demonstrate that they are maintaining and improving their performance in order to maintain their certification.  To gain year on year certification, will involve an external audit by NQA or another accreditation body of your choice.  Although their will be a cost to your company in maintaining the certification, you will find the benefits gained from having a certifiedEMS will outweigh these costs in the long term.

No. The STEM Project is an advisory body with no enforcement powers. It was established to improve the environmental performance of Councils and Businesses.  They will aim to guide a business that is falling outside the requirements of environmental legislation and bring them back inline by offering them advice on what they need to do to comply.  All information exchanged will be confidential.

A lot of businesses do not realise the impact their activities have on the environment. They often think they are too small and hence their activities have no impact.  Although they may have a relatively small impact in comparison to other business sectors i.e. construction, mining or manufacturing, if all small businesses made an effort to improve their environmental performance, the collective effect on our environment would be impressive.

The STEM Project will assist any business that has successfully achieved Phase 3 of BS 8555 and are willing to commit adequate resources to gain ISO 14001.  The STEM Project will manage the process for the business.