Many companies realize that the development of a pro-active strategy, which integrates environmental considerations into all levels of the decision-making process, is necessary in order to continue to meet economic goals.
The ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 14000 series provides a set of internationally accepted standards that assist companies in the development of environmental management systems (EMS) which in turn enhance environmental and corporate performance through cost reduction and quality and process improvements. This framework is becoming widely adopted and accepted with the goal of supporting environmental protection and the prevention of pollution in balance with socio-economic needs.
The ISO 14000 series incorporates six major aspects, which fall into two groups:
- organizational or process standards, which include the EMS, environmental auditing and environmental performance evaluation; and
- product-orientated standards, which include environmental labelling, life-cycle assessment and environmental aspects in product standards.
To become registered under ISO 14000, a company must demonstrate its conformance to the EMS standard, which is known as the ISO 14001 standard. This is the only standard under which an organization may receive certification. The other aspects of the 14000 series provide techniques and direction for the implementation and maintenance of the EMS.
