ESG compliance has fast become a focus for many organisations looking to address their wider sustainability profile. However, its broad framework has left many scratching their heads on exactly where to start with evaluating and addressing various elements of Environmental, Social, and Governance compliance. For those looking for some direction, yo…

ISO 20121:2012, the Standard for Sustainable events management, was originally created and launched in coordination with the London 2012 olympics. 12 years on, it seems only fitting that its next revision would applied to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. 10 Years on from it’s original release, the Standard has received a substantial update to not only…

ISO Standards provide a framework to help businesses manage various aspects of their activities. Whether that’s quality, risk, environmental or Information Security management, they provide invaluable guidance to establish an effective Management System. One element that is key, no matter the Standard or subject area, is Leadership. Without this dr…

There is a growing pressure on businesses to address their environmental impact, both from the Government as well as a more sustainably minded consumer base. As a result, the need to carry out Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions reporting is being introduced as a mandatory requirement for tenders, and Government led initiatives such as Streamlined Energ…

ISO Standards provide a framework to help businesses manage various aspects of their activities. Whether that’s quality, risk, environmental or Information Security management, they provide invaluable guidance to establish an effective Management System. However, for those who are new to ISO Standards, the Standards themselves can seem rather intim…

After 5 years of hosting the ISO Show, Mel Blackmore will be taking a step back as she focuses on her sustainability related endeavors. She’s passing the baton onto our new host – Ian Battersby. Ian is a Senior isologist at Blackmores, and while relatively new to the team, he has a wealth of Standard and ISO related knowledge to share with you all.…

Can you believe we’ve been publishing the ISO Show for 5 years now! We certainly can’t! The ISO Show began back in 2019, following a trip to Cumbria by the host Mel Blackmore. She was, and still is, an avid fan of podcasts and while listening to a few of her favourites on the 4 hour trip, she got to wondering if there were any podcasts about ISO St…

Data Centres could be considered the powerhouse of thousands of businesses globally. Long gone are the days of small physical servers being housed on-site, instead we rely on data centres to keep all our critical data safe and secure. But how do we know they are doing just that? Many hold certifications to security-based Standards such as SOC 2 or …

Working towards a sustainable future is going to require a joint effort from everyone if we’re to reach our 2030 and 2050 targets. Several initiatives have come out in recent years to try and address one of our biggest challenges, energy consumption. Many of us in the UK will be familiar with ESOS (The Energy Savings Opportunities Scheme), which in…

In February 2024, the ISO and IAF issued an unprecedented change to 31 commonly adopted ISO Standards, such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 27001. This change saw the addition of a new ‘Climate Change Amendment’, which was applied in part due to the ISO’s resolution in support of the ISO London Declaration on Climate Change. So what does this mean f…

ISO 42001 was published in December of 2023, and is the first International Standard for Artificial Intelligence Management Systems. It was introduced following growing calls for a common framework for organisations who develop or use AI, to help implement, maintain and improve AI management practices. However, its benefits extends past simply esta…

Nearly 60% of businesses that are impacted by a cyber incident go out of business within the 6 months following. With our heavy reliance on technology to keep both businesses and services running, it’s imperative that everyone take cyber risk seriously. However, incidents will inevitably happen and it’s up to you to ensure that your business is pre…

Cyber incidents are on the rise as data shows there was a 20% increase in data breaches from 2022 to 2023. Technology has become an integral part of most businesses, especially post pandemic where many who may have avoided this reliance on tech had no choice but to adapt to survive. As a result, the question of businesses being affected by a cyber …

Businesses looking to tackle their environmental impact will need to look at how they can reduce their carbon emissions and offset any remaining emissions to ensure that they reach Net Zero. One of the most common ways businesses offset their emissions is through the purchasing of carbon credits that typically go towards planting trees or re-wildin…

The UK is the first major economy to achieve it’s 50% reduction target for Greenhouse Gas Emissions (between 1990 and 2022). However, we’ve still got a lot of work to do to reach our 2023 target of a 68% reduction. Many businesses are already making great strides to reduce their Impact, and while you can reduce, achieving true carbon neutrality wil…

The UK recently hit a huge milestone, according to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), the UK have reduced their Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 50% between 1990 and 2022. The UK are the first major economy to achieve this, however we’ve still got a lot of work to do to meet our 2030 target of a 68% reduction. Over the past few yea…

According to the ISO Survey, there’s been a 82.9% increase in worldwide ISO 22301 certificates issued following 2020. Business Continuity is a must have for businesses who want to ensure long-term survivability following a disruptive event. Many turn to ISO 22301 to help put a framework in place, including today’s guest – Lifelong Learner. However,…

There’s no escaping it, AI is here to stay. Over the course of 2023 we’ve seen more general and public use of popular AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini (previously Google Bard). It’s now even being integrated into everyday applications such as Microsoft Word and Teams. There is no doubt that there are a lot of benefits to using AI, however, with …

We have over 18 years experience of implementing various ISO’s, covering a wide range of topics such as Quality, Sustainability, Information Security and Risk. With a 100% success rate, we’re confident in our consistent approach to implementing ISO’s, so much so that we’ve coined our own unique methodology. Our regular listeners may be familiar wit…

The deadline is looming over the horizon as October 2025 marks end of the validity of ISO 27001:2013 certificates. Have you made a start on your transition journey? If not, you really should make a start in 2024 to ensure you’re all set well before that final deadline. The first step is to decide if you want to do it yourself or enlist the help of …

Did you know that in the UK alone, 22 million pieces of furniture are discarded each year, the majority of which goes directly to landfill. That amounts to an estimated 670,000 tonnes of furniture wasted, where a significant portion could be recycled and reused. (Source) It’s clear to see the need for a more sustainable approach to furniture design…

For those in the ISO Space, you may be very familiar with the term ‘Certification’ in relation to ISO Standards. However, for certain ISO Standards there is a different type of terminology you need to be aware of. The demand for a more unified and structured approach to reduce carbon emissions has resulted in a few carbon related ISO Standards to b…

ISO Standards are internationally recognised as the gold standard for best practice within a variety of subjects and sectors. But what ISO Standards are the most popular across the whole globe? And are there any trends that can be gleaned? Thankfully, the International Standards Organization runs a yearly survey to find out! Join Mel in this weeks’…

Before we dive into the new year, we’d like to take a step back and reflect on 2023. Last year was filled with a lot of topics and challenges, from tackling the transition to ISO 27001:2022, to finding credible ways to offset your carbon emissions within the UK. With a total of 33 episodes published last year, Mel looks back on the 5 most popular e…

Trying to achieve Carbon Neutrality can feel like a monumental task, especially with so many separate elements that you have to complete. From quantifying your data, reducing where possible and offsetting the remainder, it can be hard to keep track of it all with taking a structured approach. Which is where ISO 14068 comes in. This is the new Stand…

We’re inching closer to our 2030 and 2050 Net Zero targets, and if we keep going the way we are, we’re not going to hit either one. This is unsurprising considering the lack of a unified approach to achieving Net Zero. There are a lot of options to tackle certain aspects of sustainability, but few outline an entire pathway to guide businesses towar…

The use of AI within business is starting to become more common place. With major applications like Microsoft Teams and Word integrating many new features designed to make our lives easier. However, we still need to exercise caution with this new technology and consider what we can put in place to mitigate any potential security risks while develop…

The demand for tangible sustainability action is becoming more pressing as we inch closer to our 2030 and 2050 Net Zero targets. However, that is still quite a way off, and many businesses are dragging their feet when it comes to taking action. Sure, some may have an ESG Policy or mention it on their website, however that term is starting to become…

Sustainability has become a top topic to address in the last few years, both for businesses and individuals. In fact, 90% of business leaders think sustainability is important, but only 60% actually have a sustainability Strategy. The demand for tangible action is becoming more pressing as we inch close to the 2030 milestone of the Paris Agreement.…

Sustainability has become one of the main focal points for businesses to address in the last few years, and for good reason! We’re already seeing the devastating effects of simply doing nothing in the form of more extreme weather, occurring much more frequently in areas not equip to handle it. To encourage action from businesses, we’re seeing more …

Last week we gave you an introduction to ISO 20000, the Service Management Standard. As a refresher, the aim of the standard is to provide a framework for an effective end-to-end service management system which encompasses the entire lifecycle of a service from concept and design, through to service removal and end-of-life. It’s best adopted by bus…

Often seen as the poor cousin to ISO 9001, ISO 20000 Service Management largely gets ignored in favor of the more popular Quality Management Standard. To be fair, it’s title may have done it a disservice in the past. Being known as the IT Service Management Standard prior to 2018, it was often perceived as only applicable to IT service providers, w…

One of the most crucial steps to gaining your ISO certification is the completion of a Stage 1 and Stage 2 assessment, conducted by an accredited Certification Body. A quick reminder - your certification doesn’t mean much if you haven’t received certification from an accredited Certification Body – so make sure you do your research! Businesses goin…

If you are going for certification, or currently manage a certified ISO Management System, then you should also be aware of ISO 17021 ahead of any Assessments or Surveillance audits conducted by an accredited Certification Body. ISO 17021 sets out requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems. It ensures that Certi…

One of the most common reasons why businesses look to achieve certification is because a client or prospective client is demanding it. Questions are often asked in tenders such as do you have an Environmental policy? A complaints procedure? Data privacy controls? And of course do you have ISO 9001 (the quality standard)? Or ISO 14001 (the Environme…

Quality and environmental management are top priorities for many organisations, backed up by the increasing number of ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certificates being issued every year. Aside from being a popular requirement on tenders, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 provide a robust framework for businesses to ensure they follow Best Practice, enhance their busi…

The UK events industry accounts for 35% of the UK visitor economy and is estimated to be worth £42 billion, yet it is still incredibly wasteful, with 68% of waste going directly to landfill. Haymarket Media Group is a global media data and information company, who offer a wide range of digital print, tech and live event services. Haymarket UK had b…

Energy Management can be a tricky topic to approach depending on your industry. There are a lot of factors that need to be considered to ensure that you are accurately monitoring and measuring your energy consumption. Thankfully ISO 50001, the Standard for Energy Management, does provide a lot of useful guidance to help you get started. As a remind…

There are a lot of tedious tasks that we put off, or would rather just not do! Often, these types of tasks don’t take too long, but can cause delays if not completed. If you find yourself battling with this, it may be time to ask: Where could you save 10 minutes a day? That’s the exact question Lorna Leonard, Managing Director of Leonard Business S…

We’re already seeing the devastating effects of failing to maintain global warming at the 1.5 degrees, as pledged in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. In order to get this back on track we all need to consider our current energy consumption. So, what can businesses do to manage their impact? That’s where ISO 50001, the Standard for Energy Managemen…

We sadly often see Management Systems fade into the background following successful certification. When this happens, it can stagnate and cease to be a driving force for continual Improvement within the business. So, what can you do to reinvigorate interest? That’s where the Engagement Amplifier Gameplan comes in! This Gameplan was created by today…

When a Management System is first implemented, there is often a spotlight being cast on it’s importance to the business and everyone’s roles in relation to it. However, we often see this buzz quickly fall off, letting the Management System fade into the background. When this happens, it can stagnate and cease to be a driving force for continual Imp…

With a growing number of threats and risks facing businesses every day, it’s never been more crucial to have a proper system in place to mitigate and manage issues when they crop up. A variety of ISO Standards can help businesses to do just that! And we’re seeing an ever-increasing trend of requests for Integrated Management Systems, which combine …

Anyone whose been involved in the implementation or maintenance of an ISO Management System will know it’s not a small feat. There’s a lot of time and teamwork involved in getting a system in place for certification, so it’s definitely a cause for celebration when you finally do get that certificate at the end! But what can you do with that? A lot …

The Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) is a legal requirement for organisations of a certain size or value. The scheme is designed to make companies look at how they use energy with a view to improving performance. If your organisation qualifies for ESOS, you have until December 5th to comply or complete your phase 3 reporting. Over the last …

The Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) is a legal requirement for organisations of a certain size or value. The scheme is designed to make companies look at how they use energy with a view to improving performance. If your organisation qualifies for ESOS, you have until December 5th to comply or complete your phase 3 reporting. Last week Mel …

The Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) is a legal requirement for organisations of a certain size or value. The scheme is designed to make companies look at how they use energy with a view to improving performance. If your organisation qualifies for ESOS, you have until December 5th to comply or complete your phase 3 reporting. Over the next …

Sustainability should be a top priority for any business going into 2023. The last few years’ worth of extreme weather have proven that action needs to be taken now to protect our future. But where do you start? While there are a lot of great ideas out there, it’s becoming increasingly clear that a standardised approach is needed to keep everything…

With the pandemic being the driving force behind more remote working than ever before, health and safety professionals are becoming increasingly tech-savvy. All evidence points to them increasing their reliance on Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions to keep on top of H&S compliance and the ever-changing risks that are presenting themselves to bu…

To keep global warming to no more than 1.5°C – as called for in the Paris Agreement – emissions need to be reduced by 45% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. Many businesses are already making great strides to reduce their Impact, and while you can reduce, achieving true carbon neutrality will involve offsetting a certain amount of emissions. Treec…