Atos Origin achieves ISO 14001 certification for all its data centres and buildings in the Netherlands within 7 months

Certified bodies are obliged to constantly monitor and improve their environmental performance

Utrecht - Atos Origin, a leading international information technology (IT) services company, today announces that its environmental management system in the Netherlands has been certified to ISO 14001 standard. This means that all 15 office sites, divisions and data centres in the Netherlands have been certified as in compliance with this international standard. Certification was achieved in just seven months.

The ISO 14001 certification marks an important milestone in Atos Origin’s Corporate Responsibility programme and reflects the company’s efforts to consolidate the sustainability integration process in all its activities. This programme aims to roll out specific and tangible initiatives in the field of sustainable business. The work to achieve ISO 14001 certification is built on the existing ISO 9001 quality management system.

“Atos Origin strives to constantly monitor and improve its environmental performance. We give substance to this vision by minimizing our impact on the environment as possible through our own activities as well as by setting strict requirements for our suppliers. For our clients, too – certainly in the public sector – ISO 14001 certification is a crucial precondition when choosing suppliers. I am also extremely proud that our environmental management system complies with the ISO 14001 standard,” declares Marianne Hewlett of Atos Origin’s management team in the Netherlands, with responsibility for the Responsible Business strategy and approach. “It is really special that KEMA, the independent organisation that grants ISO 14001 certification, wants to use parts of our environmental management system as course material.”

Alfons Veldkamp, Lead Auditor at KEMA, says that he is impressed with the speed and efficiency shown by Atos Origin. “It is a special achievement to have obtained certification in just seven months. Atos Origin clearly takes its management and reduction of environmental damage seriously and also has sound experience in the implementation of management systems for quality and information security.”

A permanent difference
For Atos Origin, economic recovery, growth and sustainability are not mutually exclusive, but are extensions of one another. Atos Origin also believes that the IT sector can play an important role in bringing down the CO2 generated by other sectors of the economy. This can be seen from, amongst other things, the Multi-year agreement on energy efficiency that the industry association ICT~Office has concluded with leading IT companies, including Atos Origin. The parties to the agreement have committed themselves not only to driving down their own CO2 emissions but also to introducing technologies to reduce emissions from other sectors. “This does mean investment in energy-efficiency data centres, but it also means the likes of remote control of desktops, which ends the need for travel to perform maintenance,” Hewlett explains. “We try to make a permanent difference not only with the industry and with our clients, but also with our employees. That’s why we invest, through the ‘Make a Difference’ programme, in creating a basis for support amongst our employees. Even in large organisations like Atos Origin, small contributions, after all, add up to tangible results. These small steps may consist of being efficient in our energy use in our buildings, but also of using printers, PCs and mobile phones in an environmentally conscious way and promoting environmentally friendly travel.”

As a global and responsible company, Atos Origin is committed to implement sustainable best practices in environmental, social and ethical areas throughout its organization and in its business, and contributes to promoting and developing sustainable behaviour by positively influencing its stakeholders to take into consideration sustainability in their decision making. Atos Origin helps its clients advance their future, reduce their carbon footprint and ensure future corporate viability through the delivery of innovative and greener solutions.

About Atos Origin
Atos Origin is a leading international information technology (IT) services company, providing hi-tech transactional services, consulting, systems integration and managed operations to deliver business outcomes globally. The company’s annual revenues are EUR 5.5 billion and it employs 50,000 people. Atos Origin is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic Games and has a client base of international companies across all sectors. Atos Origin is quoted on the Paris Eurolist Market and trades as Atos Origin, Atos Worldline and Atos Consulting.