Forest Management Systems Evaluation: Using ISO14000

Sustainable forest management (SFM) or ecosystem management is now the stated goal of forest managers in most countries. SFM takes a longer-term, broader perspective on forest values than timber production or the narrow multiple use regimes of the past. As a result of international activities including the International Tropical Timber Organization, the Ministerial Council on Protection of Forests in Europe and the Montreal Process for temperate and boreal forests outside Europe, there are now sufficiently specific and agreed principles, criteria and indicators (C&I) to guide policy makers towards SFM. To achieve SFM requires holistic assessments of forest management systems in terms of these C&I to ensure the delivery of sustainable outcomes across forest regions. This paper focuses on the implementation of SFM as defined by the C&I, and, in particular, how to identify needed reforms in forest management systems. The paper explains and evaluates the International Standards Organization's (ISO's) environmental management systems (EMS) ISO14000/EMS approach adopted for this purpose in Australia to assess the adequacy of forest management systems. The approach was applied as a key element in the regional forest agreements prepared to meet the Australian National Forest Policy Statement. The ISO14000/EMS, in conjunction with the SFM criteria, provides a systematic approach to assessing forest management systems to reveal the adequacy of the legislative, planning, implementation, monitoring and review of all-tenure forest management as required by SFM.     

Environmental management: What ISO 14000 brings to the table

The field of environmental management has evolved from its beginnings as a regulation-based, compliance-driven, “command and control” regime into a continuous improvement, voluntary, environmental stewardship process aspiring to protection levels beyond those required by regulations. This change in environmental management philosophies prevalent at many regulated corporations, both in the United States and abroad, has provided a fertile ground for the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in developing environmental management standards that address these corporate aspirations. This task has moved closer to fruition within the ISO through its Technical Committee (TC) 207 on Environmental Management. This article provides background on the environmental management system standards, ISO/TC 207's committees' organization, and influencing factors helping to shape these standards. Equally important, this article focuses on what the standards will mean to the regulated industries in the way business is conducted.     

Preparing for ISO 14000: An assessment guide

With ISO 14000 expected to roll out in 1996, have you begun to evaluate how well your current environmental management policy, programs, procedures, and objectives conform to published national and evolving global Environmental Management System (EMS) standards?. The ISO expects to adopt a final standard by mid-1996 which specifies requirements for an EMS (e.g., ISO 14001). In addition, national EMS standards have already been developed and published by organizations such as The British Standards Institute and, in the United States, NSF International, for example, BS 7750 and NSF 110–1995, respectively. This article shows how managers can begin assessing their operations to prepare for these new standards and improve overall environmental performance.     

ISO14000系列标准及其实施

本文从ISO14000系列标准的起源、标准的制定、标准的构成、标准的特点对ISO14000系列标准进行了全面介绍,阐述了我国实施ISO14000系列标准的必要性和组织如何实施环境管理体系,介绍了环境管理体系的认证和EMS审核员的要求,供读者对ISO14000系列标准有一全面的了解。     

Environmental auditing at the crossroads: The environmental auditing roundtable's response to ISO 14000

The Environmental Auditing Roundtable (EAR) is the single largest professional organization in the world, representing over 900 members. Built on a tradition of promoting environmental auditing through openly sharing experiences in the field of safety, health, and environmental auditing, the organization in recent years has significantly expanded its influence on auditing practices both nationally and internationally by monitoring audit activities and participating in the development of audit policy, regulation, standardization, and the certification of environmental auditors. This article describes the origin and evolution of the organization from meeting the needs of the membership to addressing the needs of external national and international stakeholders.     

A strategy for integrating NEPA with EMS and ISO 14000

It is vital that federal managers consider new approaches for enhancing environmental protection while reducing redundancies and cost. Faced with increasing environmental issues, compliance requirements, competing resources, and tightened budget constraints, agencies must seek innovative approaches for doing more with less. The diverse array of confusing and sometimes inappropriate or conflicting regulatory requirements compounds compliance complexities and increases the need to seek resourceful solutions. At a time when NEPA is coming under closer congressional scrutiny, an integrated NEPA/EMS paradigm provides a key for increasing the effectiveness and uniformity of implementing NEPA at the early planning stage, while reducing cost, delays, and redundancies. Effectively integrated, NEPA satisfies one of the five, and perhaps most important, principles of an EMS-environmental planning. NEPA's regulatory requirements not only are consistent with the objective of an EMS, but actually enhance the effectiveness of an EMS. An integrated approach provides the added benefit of increased environmental coordination and heightened communications that translates into further cost reduction and fewer delays. The strategy described in this article is designed to balance the rigors of an international standard with the need to efficiently implement an integrated NEPA/EMS system, given a diverse set of challenging circumstances and constraints.     

The potential effect of ISO 14000 standards on environmental audit training in the United States

Training has been an important component of the environmental audit profession since its outset some 15–20 years ago. Training and education have taken on a variety of forms—from audit texts and articles, to formal courses, to videotapes, to on-the-job training programs. These efforts have helped to advance the sophistication of environmental auditing over the past few years. Now, with the advent of the international ISO 14012 Environmental Auditor Qualification Guidelines,¹ the auditing profession in the United States and around the world likely will be transformed in the near future. In fact, many organizations are now reengineering their programs in anticipation of the emerging Guidelines. The expected transformation holds for training and education programs as well. This article suggests some of the ways in which environmental audit training is likely to be reshaped as a result of ISO 14012. Offerors of training courses and seminars would be wise to anticipate the changes and modify their programs accordingly. A quick response could provide a competitive advantage. Moreover, corporate audit program managers should conduct critical evaluations of commercial offerings to assure that the programs' contents are consistent with ISO 14012 “auditor certification” expectations.     

ISO 14000: A return to command and control?

Over the last few years, commentators on all sides of the environmental debate have (with a few exceptions) joined hands to pillory the traditional model of environmental regulation in this country. The catch phrase “command and control” has become emblematic of everything that was seen as being wrong with the old system. The current push for “reinvention” of environmental regulation reinforces the concept that although traditional methods have produced progress, they have outlived their usefulness. At the same time, ISO 14000 has emerged as one of the hottest topics in the environmental field—a form of reinvention of environmental management that has been embraced by many as the solution to an array of problems. While it is still early in the game, initial results indicate that when used effectively, ISO 14000 can be a powerful tool for the environmental manager. However, misuse of ISO 14000 could represent a throwback to command and control rather than a management tool for the new millennium. This article examines how this new tool fits into the evolving picture of environmental regulation and management.     

ISO 14000: The worldwide reaction of industry and governments

Awareness of the ISO 14000 standards is increasing around the world. There is a general acceptance of the need for such standards to promote environmental protection and international trade, but concerns exist regarding potential trade barriers. This article provides some insights into the varying attitudes toward ISO 14000 in countries from all parts of the globe.     

ISO 14000 and information systems—where's the link?

Two of the most frequently heard questions from environmental managers are “What should my company do about ISO 14000?” and “How can I use computer systems to reduce my staff's paperwork burden?” There are experts available to answer each of these questions, but thus far there has been little attention paid to how the two intersect and reinforce each other. This article explores this intersection and helps environmental managers implement information systems that have lasting value and, at the same time, support the ISO 14000 effort.     

New field report shows ISO 14001 gaining momentum: Acceptance of environmental management system standard parallels ISO 9000

Many believe that someday ISO 14001 will be as common as ISO 9001. Whatever the case, companies are finding that ISO 14001 offers a very beneficial way to run an environmentally friendly, profitable business. In this new field report, the author shows how companies are focusing on opportunities to improve their EMSs and achieving financial and business goals with ISO 14001. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Eco-Labeling and ISO 14000: An Analysis of US Regulatory Systems and Issues Concerning Adoption of Type II Standards

/ Current private and public regulatory systems may not provide an optimal degree of regulation for labels bearing environmental information, and established institutions may detract from efforts to provide for better environmental management. The advent of ISO 14000 offers new opportunities for making eco-labeling a meaningful tool to encourage environmental stewardship. While new federal legislation offers the best vehicle to introduce these standards into US law, the slow pace of the legislative process may recommend an alternative system. Multinational and civic-minded firms may be expected to employ private programs to nurture benevolent environmental management practices until more definitive governmental institutions can be put in place.KEY WORDS: Eco-labels; Environmental labeling; International standards; ISO 14000     

Getting organizational buy-in for benchmarking: Environmental management at weyerhaeuser

Benchmarking is a process companies use to identify and evaluate the best practices, both inside and outside their industry, in their field of interest. The goal is to identify gaps between their performance and the benchmarks so that they can find ways to improve their performance. This article describes an early benchmarking effort in the environmental management area of the Weyerhaeuser Company.     

Integrating local and scientific knowledge for environmental management

This paper evaluates the processes and mechanisms available for integrating different types of knowledge for environmental management. Following a review of the challenges associated with knowledge integration, we present a series of questions for identifying, engaging, evaluating and applying different knowledges during project design and delivery. These questions are used as a basis to compare three environmental management projects that aimed to integrate knowledge from different sources in the United Kingdom, Solomon Islands and Australia. Comparative results indicate that integrating different types of knowledge is inherently complex – classification of knowledge is arbitrary and knowledge integration perspectives are qualitatively very different. We argue that there is no single optimum approach for integrating local and scientific knowledge and encourage a shift in science from the development of knowledge integration products to the development of problem-focussed, knowledge integration processes. These processes need to be systematic, reflexive and cyclic so that multiple views and multiple methods are considered in relation to an environmental management problem. The results have implications for the way in which researchers and environmental managers undertake and evaluate knowledge integration projects.     

Business-oriented environmental performance metrics: Building consensus for environmental management systems

Today, environmental managers are learning new ways of adding value to their organizations. Before, the environmental department was an overhead expense—an indirect support group required for complying with burdensome regulations. Now, such departments add insights and value during strategic planning sessions, identify efficiency improvement opportunities, provide a superior return on investment, and—bottom line—improve profits. The primary approach to meeting the challenge is a new environmental management system (EMS) that identifies, measures, and manages a diverse set of internal and external customer needs. These needs include environmental cleanups, regulatory compliance, pollution prevention, and design for the environment—and each represents a potential improvement opportunity. Unfortunately, most organizations have so many such needs that all cannot be addressed at once, given the resource constraints of a competitive business climate. Thus, priority is a key concept of an effective EMS. This article describes an innovative application of consensus-building tools that quickly identify and set priorities for diverse environmental programs. The article also shows how appropriate performance measures will align these programs with corporate goals and objectives.     

The ISO 14001 environmental management standard in Japan: results from a national survey of facilities in four industries

Since establishment of the ISO 14001 environmental management system in 1996, Japanese facilities have led the world in numbers of certifications. This research utilises survey data from more than 1700 Japanese facilities as well as follow-up interviews to identify the determinants of ISO certification, to examine the differences between early, recent and in-process certifiers, and to understand how ISO 14001 certification affects various environmental and managerial outcomes in Japan. Findings show that ISO certified facilities are larger and report higher levels of environmental management capacity. In addition, early certifiers are more likely to have established voluntary environmental agreements and are more active in international trade and business. Findings also provide evidence that while many facilities believe that ISO 14001 certification is excessively costly, they also report that certification has resulted in the establishment of new energy efficiency and waste reduction targets and higher target levels. Nevertheless, evidence indicates that certification does not generally result in longer-term outcomes such as post-certification adjustment of non-regulated targets.