Following an audit and inspections by accreditation agency Bureau Veritas, Arianespace was awarded ISO 14001 international certification for its environmental management system concerning operation of the Ariane, Soyuz and Vega launch vehicles, as well as operation and maintenance of the associated launch facilities.

The ISO 14001 label clearly confirms the commitment of Arianespace and its employees to complying with all current laws and regulations, and continuously improving the company’s environmental performance.

ISO 14001 is the only internationally recognized standard for environmental management systems. Based on the principle of continuous improvement, it is designed to identify, verify and control all environmental aspects in any organization, and specify how the entire system should be managed.

Arianespace’s environmental management system is the result of a team effort. In addition to strict compliance with applicable laws and other requirements, it is designed to meet additional objectives, including:

• Monitoring and management of the environmental aspects of Arianespace’s operations in French Guiana.
• Improvements in the management of storage of hazardous products used at its launch facilities.
• Optimized management and recycling of ordinary waste.
• Preventing pollution.
• Raising the awareness of employees and subcontractors about the environmental management system.
• Continuous improvement of all environmental aspects.

Commenting on this latest certification, Arianespace Chairman and CEO Stéphane Israël said: “Our commitment to receiving ISO 14001 international certification clearly reflects our long-term approach based on compliance with all applicable environmental standards and requirements. I would especially like to congratulate all staff at our Guiana Space Center facility for their commitment to our drive to achieve ISO 14001 certification. What’s more, they were able to perform all tasks required in the certification process while being extremely busy handling all normal operations for our launch campaigns.”

The ISO 14001 certification cycle will continue until July 30, 2017, and includes an annual follow-up by the auditor to assess improvements in the management system.

About Arianespace

Arianespace is the world’s leading satellite launch company, providing innovation to its customers since 1980. Backed by 21 shareholders and the European Space Agency, the company offers an international workforce renowned for a culture of commitment and excellence. As of November 19, 2014, 220 Ariane launches, 35 Soyuz launches (9 at the Guiana Space Centre and 26 at Baikonur with Starsem) and three Vega launches have been performed. The company’s headquarters is in Evry, near Paris, and has local offices in Washington DC (United States), Tokyo (Japan) and Singapore.