International. HID Global announced that its global headquarters and operations center for North America, located in Austin, Texas, has received ISO 14001:2004 certification, the international environmental management standard.
The certification was granted by SGS, an accredited independent organization, after the entity conducted an audit to verify that the environmental management system of the Austin facility complied with the requirements of the standard.
ISO 14001 provides the criteria, framework and tools necessary for the certification of systems, allowing organizations to identify and control their environmental impact. Achieving this certification demonstrates to an organization's customers, employees and stakeholders that the environmental impact of its buildings is being measured and improved. Some of the elements that are taken into account for certification are compliance with environmental legislation, pollution prevention, minimization of energy and resource use and the ability to exceed customers' environmental expectations in terms of environmental performance.
"The achievement achieved with the Austin center adds to our recognized track record of success in ISO 14001 certifications around the world, which are a testament to HID Global's continued commitment to implementing good sustainability practices," said Kevin Teehan, senior director of strategic operations and corporate sustainability at HID Global. "We are very proud of our team, which continues to work hard to make HID Global a model in caring for the environment."
Developed and built with sustainable design and operations at its core, HID Global's Austin center was opened on January 13, 2014, and has since received the following distinctions, certifications and awards recognizing it as an industry-leading and environmentally friendly construction:
- The only industrial production plant in the state of Texas to achieve the highest distinction, platinum category, of the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) qualification program of the Green Building Council of the United States (USGBC).
- Four-star rating, by the Austin Energy Green Building (AEGB), which takes into consideration the strictest requirements on energy, water and quality of the inner environment of the city.
- Recognized as one of the best new buildings in the city in the XV version of the annual Commercial Real Estate Awards competition of the Austin Business Journal.
