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To develop an environmental protection plan inside the social responsibility program, is a must for those companies that want to stand out and add an extra value to its business with the objective of reaching more markets.

The norm ISO 14001 is the only one that can be used to obtain the certification of environmental protection and it demands to create a plan of environmental management that includes: objectives, environmental goals, politics and procedures to reach the goals, defined responsibilities, staff training, documentation and others.

This way norm ISO 14001 describes the process that the company has to follow respecting the environmental national laws to get environmental balance, as well as other advantages that come along. Some of these benefits are:

• Improvement of the image and reputation of the company to its clients and the society.
• Opening of new international markets and a major opportunity of growth and expansion.
• The possibility of capturing sensitive clients about the environmental balance topic.
• Reduction in the use of electric energy, fuels, water and raw materials.
• Savings in the treatment of emissions, discharges and wastes working on reduction plans.
• Participation in public tenders that demand this certification.
• Assurance of the control and compliance of the most of the legal requirements related to environmental topics.

It is a fact that implant a management system ISO 14001 means an important investment for the company in the beginning, but it is also a fact that in the medium or the long term benefits can be seen and they become more important that the initial investment.

Additionally, to achieve this kind of management systems it is essential to take it as part of the social responsibility plan and get the staff involved. So, it is recommended that actions that need to be implemented do not become an extra charge for collaborators; by contrast they have to be taken as part of the daily routine to reach success.