Critical factors for implementing ISO 14001 standard in United States industrial companies

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of an empirical study carried out on a sample of certified industrial companies that operate in the United States, with the aim of identifying some of the critical factors for successful implementation of the ISO 14001 registration process. The paper reveals that it takes most of the companies between 8 to 19 months to obtain ISO 14001 certification. In addition, the ISO 14001 elements requiring the greatest effort are: identifying environmental aspects, environmental management system (EMS) documentation, training, EMS audits, operational control, environmental management program, objectives and targets, and document control. The survey also reveals that high certification cost and lack of other available resources are the greatest obstacles for implementing the ISO 14001 standard.     

Drivers,barriers and incentives to implementing environmental management systems in the food industry: A case of Lebanon

The shift in policy towards prevention and towards making producers responsible for the pollution they cause has lead corporations to limit environmental liabilities through the improvement of environmental performance. The implementation of an Environmental Management System integrates the precautionary and polluter pays principles into a firm's operations and demonstrates commitment to sustainable development. This research aims at assessing the factors influencing the implementation of ISO 14001 Environmental Management System in developing countries taking the Food Industry in Lebanon as a case example. For this purpose, primary data were collected using a field survey questionnaire that was administered to a representative sample of facilities. The results revealed that the food industry is generally more concerned with safety and quality issues rather than environmental issues. Following international food sector trend, improving environmental performance and enhancing company image are the most salient drivers to adopt ISO 14001. The lack of government support and stakeholder demand as well as the fact that ISO 14001 is not a legal requirement constitute the most salient factors hindering the adoption of the standard. Economical and organizational factors are the most significant incentives required to motivate the food industry to adopt ISO 14001. The industry is less likely to voluntarily consider adopting ISO 14001 before acquiring a quality management certification or until ISO 14001 certification gain more recognition in the international food sector. The study defines the foundations for developing strategies, policy reforms and incentive schemes to reduce the barriers of implementing ISO 14001.     

Implementing environmental with other standardized management systems: Scope,sequence, time and integration

The aim of this article is to analyze how the implementation of the environmental management system (EMS) in accordance with the ISO 14001: 2004 standard has been carried out in organizations having more than one standardized Management System (MSs). In particular, four implementation aspects will be discussed, namely the different management system standards (MSSs) used for registration, for example ISO 14001, ISO 9001, OHSAS 18001, ISO 27001 and SA 8000, the order in which they were implemented, the time required for each implementation, as well as the scope of integration of these MSSs into a single Integrated Management System (IMS).In order to do so, some of the results of a survey carried out in 176 organizations registered to, at a minimum, both ISO 14001: 2004 and ISO 9001: 2000 standards for environmental and quality management, respectively, are presented. As one of the few existing empirical studies regarding the integration of multiple MSs, this research reveals the importance of the different possibilities which organizations can opt for when considering EMS implementation. For example, while most respondents implemented ISO 9001 before ISO 14001, others did so simultaneously or even applied ISO 14001 first. Furthermore, although a large majority of organizations integrated their EMS with additional standardized MSs, a small percentage did not. Apart from illustrating the survey outcomes, the article contains a detailed case analysis of four specific organizations with high environmental awareness that have implemented quality and other standardized MSs.     

实施ISO14001环境管理持续改善企业环境绩效

总结介绍了实施ISO14001环境管理的经验和做法，运用“规划、实施、验证、改进”的PDCA循环模式，改善了企业环境行为，取得了可观的环境效益、经济效益和社会效益。     

Environmental performance evaluation of an industrial port and estate: ISO14001, port state control-derived indicators

This study integrates procedures of ISO14001 and port state control to establish environmental performance indicators (EPIs), specific to industrial ports and estates. Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT), an owner of Map Ta Phut industrial port and estate, was used as a case study. Twelve EPIs were developed to assess 5 environmental management aspects being success, awareness, determination, preparedness, and environmental policy coverage. IEAT's deficiencies in managing the environment were identified for each management aspect. At the end of the study, suggestions on how to improve IEAT's environmental performance were recommended.     

Environmental management systems' awareness: an investigation of top 50 contractors in Egypt

The construction industry, as an economically strategic sector and a large contributor to pollution generation, is expected to face enormous obstacles if it doesn't respond to the new business and regulatory environmental requirements in an increasingly competitive market after international trade liberization. A practical tool to achieve sustainable construction is through adopting Environmental Management Systems (EMS). Movement towards environmental management systems is getting momentum in the construction industry of most developed countries. However this field is still a relatively new and the concept is still marginalized in most of the developing world. It is suggested that lack of awareness is a major contributor to this lag.This paper reports on the results of a research on the environmental awareness of the top 50 contractors in Egypt. It investigates their ISO 14001/EMS awareness, opinions about contractor's responsibility towards the environment, necessity of ISO 14001, and obstacles and potentials for ISO 14001 adoption. These results will pave the way for effective implementation of EMS by contractors in Egypt. The paper also discusses integrating sustainable construction principals with EMS. This integration should result in environmental, social, as well as economical benefits.     

ISO 14001 in environmental supply chain practices

This paper focuses on the role of ISO 14001 in environmental supply management practices in Swedish companies. It discusses the existing and potential role of ISO 14001 for three key operational tasks of environmental supply chain management: to communicate the requirements to the supplier, to motivate and enable the supplier, and to verify that the supplier follows the requirements. The study used three different research methods: interviews with environmental managers, focus group discussions and a survey of two multinational companies and their operating units in several countries.It concludes that cooperation between the purchasing and environmental functions within a company is frequently not sufficiently achieved in implementation of ISO 14001; this makes the communication of customer requirements to suppliers less efficient. Building close relationships with suppliers is important to overcome initial difficulties, but this often conflicts with having a large supplier base. For the supplier to have an ISO 14001 certificate is seldom an absolute requirement, however, preference is often given to such suppliers. The value of the ISO 14001 certificate, as a proof of environmental performance, is a combination of the supplier's environmental ambitions, the advancement of supply chain practices of the customer and the ambitions of the certification bodies. Supplier audits are not commonly used as they are resource-consuming. Monitoring and verification approaches need further development.     

Characterisation of environmental policy implementation in an EMS context: a multiple-case study in Sweden

The heart of an environmental management system is the implementation of environmental policy in an organisation by the use of environmental aspects, goals and management programmes. The aim of this paper is to characterise this implementation and discuss how it could be improved. In order to achieve the objective of the paper a multiple-case study was performed in ISO 14001-certified or EMAS-registered organisations in Sweden. It is concluded that the implementation of environmental policy is strictly controlled by specifications in ISO 14001 or EMAS. Some organisations, mostly smaller, are forced to form their environmental policy implementation in a way that is not suited for their type of organisation. Many organisations find it hard to measure their environmental goals and to set long-term or medium-long-term time periods for their goals. In addition, the organisations do not involve their employees to a very great extent in the implementation of the environmental policy. If they do let middle managers and line personnel to participate, it is usually early in the process, as early as in the identification of environmental aspects.     

Qualitative evaluation of three ‘environmental management systems’ in the New Zealand wine industry

The wine growing industry is increasingly important to the New Zealand economy and increasingly its marketing is associated with the country's ‘clean and green’ image. Over 60% of New Zealand's wine companies have adopted at least one of three main environmental management systems: Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand, ISO 14001 and Bio-Gro. We undertook a qualitative, survey based, comparative evaluation of these systems within 15 wine companies. The key findings are that while each system appears to have its own strengths, in general, no one environmental management system is better than the other. However, implementation of an industry specific system, for example SWNZ, in combination with a generic process-based system, for example ISO 14001, aids in the development of a more sustainable wine industry.     

The benefits associated with ISO 14001 certification for construction firms: Turkish case

Construction firms all over the world are increasingly seeking to obtain ISO 14001. The rapid growth in the number of ISO 14001 applications in Turkey and the share from the construction sector in this number, as a leading sector, is rather striking. This paper, using a structured questionnaire survey, investigates whether there is any dependence or relation between construction firms characteristics and having ISO 14001 certification and any difference in the perceptions related to ISO 14001 by considering both firm characteristics and two different groups as certified and non-certified firms. Additionally, it examines the perceived benefits of having ISO 14001 for certified construction firms. According to the results of analysis, although there is not any difference in perceptions on ISO 14001 certification in terms of firm characteristics and being as certified and non-certified and their both positive opinions about ISO 14001 certification. There is a relation between firms characteristics and having ISO 14001 certification. ISO 14001 certification contributes to construction firms not only in terms of environmental benefits but also with corporate management and marketing effects, thus verifying that the ISO 14001 has a positive impact on the Turkish construction sector.     

Does ISO 14001 work in Brazil?

As a result of increasing global awareness about the importance of the environment, depletion of natural resources and legal pressures for companies to manage their processes in a sustainable manner, ISO 14001 systems have been gaining increasingly more importance in the organizational scenario. These elements are even more critical in emerging nations due to less awareness and fewer demands by governments and the population in relation to environmental issues. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to verify the benefits and difficulties of Environmental Management Systems based on ISO 14001 at industries in the state of São Paulo – Brazil (an emerging country) by conducting a survey to subsidize the proposal for actions in the public, academic and private sectors to promote the use of this standard of reference and strengthen its results in Brazil. A questionnaire was sent to 194 companies from the National Institute of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality database. 69 answered, representing a return rate of 35.36%. The main benefits identified are related to the development of preventive environmental actions, reduction in the consumption of power, water, gas and fuel oil, and a positive influence on other internal management processes. The main difficulties are related to cost increases from ISO 14001 management systems and the constant changes in environmental legislation in Brazil. Some actions are proposed at the end of the analyses to intensify the use and improve the results of this standard, such as changes in government legislation and its collective development and implementation in industries.     

上海金桥出口加工区环境管理体系效应研究

以上海金桥出口加工区ISO14001环境管理体系作为实例研究，全面论述了我国开发区的管理模式以及开发区实施区域环境管理体系的必要性，重点分析了在市场经济体制下，以开发公司为主体实施区域环境管理体系的主要特点，运行机制、管理内容和管理绩效。     

Environmental aspects when manufacturing products mainly out of metals and/or polymers

The most fundamental aspect in the ISO 14001 standard Environmental management systems—Specification with guidance for use is to find out ways by which an organisation influences environment to a significant degree. This paper examines environmental data from companies manufacturing products mainly from metals and/or polymers. The data were collected in a uniform way by use of special guidelines. Weighting or valuation methods often used in life cycle assessments were used to quantitatively compare and rank environmental aspects. The study results suggest that, in general, the largest environmental impact in the investigated manufacturing sub-sector can be associated with product use and/or disposal phases. This in turn shows a need for more attention on environmental work on the design for environment than what the ISO 14001 standard requires. It is further suggested that weighting or valuation methods can aid in determining the significance of environmental impacts and aspects in the context of ISO 14001.     

上海市实施ISO14001环境管理体系标准的回顾与展望

建立ISO14001环境管理体系、开展ISO14001认证工作已在我国全面展开，如何发挥环境保护行政主管部门的作用，对深入推进ISO14001标准认证至关重要。从实施ISO14001标准，促进环境保护工作发展的角度回顾了上海市实施ISO14001环境管理体系标准的历程，探讨了上海市实施 标准的未来发展趋势，并对实施过程中出现的问题提出了对策和建议。     

Underlying mechanisms in the maintenance of ISO 14001 environmental management system

In this paper we aim to investigate the underlying mechanisms of the maintenance of ISO 14001. Initially, we looked into the Hillary's [Hillary R. Evaluation of study reports on the barriers, opportunities and drivers for small and medium sized enterprises – the adoption of environmental management systems. Report for DTI Envirodoctorate 5th October, 1999. London: NEMA; 1999] evaluation study on barriers, opportunities and drivers for small and medium enterprises that adopted environmental management systems and we developed a comprehensive list of barriers identified in the literature. We have used this set of barriers to investigate the underlying mechanisms in the maintenance of ISO 14001 environmental management system through an in-depth longitudinal case study in manufacturing organisations. We have determined five underlying processes (transforming and value adding; administrating and improving; understanding and accepting; communicating and learning; availability of resources) and five key actors (external environment; environmental management team; ISO 14001 EMS; organisation; resources and skills), which interactions are captured in M-ISO model. Finally, based on our study we offer directions for future research.     

关于环保行政管理部门推行ISO14001标准的建议

文章提出推行ISO14001标准,实施环境管理体系认证,不仅对减少污染物的产生与排放、资源能源的节约、保护环境资源起到了重要作用,而且对改善环境管理模式,提高管理水平,特别是环境管理水平起到了重要作用,分析了环保行政管理部门推行ISO14001标准必须具备一定的条件、目的和意义,强调指出绿色行政是行政管理部门工作的目标,ISO14001标准是行政管理部门实现绿色行政的工具与保证,对环保行政管理部门推行ISO14001标准在实施过程中的若干问题进行了讨论和建议.     

Alternative models for environmental management in SMEs: the case of Ekoscan vs. ISO 14001

In the case of SMEs, ISO 14001 and EMAS have been the most used models of reference for implementing Environmental Management Systems (EMSs). Their success has eclipsed that of other alternative SME models deployed in the European Union and Japan. In this paper the authors analyze the content and objectives of one of these models, the Ekoscan model, and compare it to the ISO 14001. Furthermore, a survey composed of 262 participating companies is presented, where motivations, obstacles and benefits of adopting both models in SMEs are compared. The article concludes that only the drivers differ in a significant way, since the perceived obstacles and benefits of adopting the respective models by the SMEs are similar (although their respective signaling and market value are different).     

Cleaner production as a means for effective environmental management

Cleaner production is a strategy to prevent emissions at the source and to initiate a continuous preventive improvement of environmental performance of organizations. In terms of Cleaner production the focus of management should be on prevention rather than on cure in avoiding environmental problems. The inclusion of commitment to prevention in the environmental policy is one prerequisite of the standard ISO 14001. But how can a formalized environmental management system help to start a process of continuous improvement and voluntary self regulation? We conclude from our experience that Cleaner production and ISO 14001 go well together and support each other in helping an organization to really decrease its environmental effect. Analysing environmental management systems introduced on the basis of Cleaner production projects demonstrates, that Cleaner production supplies management and employees with systematic tools to decrease the environmental impact and at the same time save costs from inefficient use of materials and energy and motivates the organization as well by creating awareness throughout the enterprise.     

Best practices for the implantation of ISO 14001 norms: a study of change management in two industrial companies in the Midwest region of the state of São Paulo – Brazil

Among the difficulties found in the implementation of ISO 14001 systems, resistance to change can always be found. It is mainly a consequence of the hurry to change, loss of focus, concentration of decision making at the level of top management, arbitrary imposition of objectives and results, faulty communication, and the absence of motivational and financial incentive for change.Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to present best practices with respect to the management of organizational change due to the implementation of ISO 14001 norms in two industrial companies in the Midwest region of the State of São Paulo – Brazil.     

The role of environmental management system on introduction of new technologies in the metal and chemical/paper/plastics industries

Pollution prevention with the use of modern cleaner technologies in industrial sectors is the cornerstone of successful environmental policy certified according to the requirements of the international standard ISO 14001. The analyses were performed with the objective of assessing general aspects of technology modernisation as a result of the ISO 14001 certification in industrial enterprises in order to develop a better understanding whether the ISO 14001 certification can accelerate initiatives for the adoption of new and cleaner technologies within the certified firms on one hand, and, on the other hand, to find out to what extent it helped to upgrade their environmental performance. The research was performed within Slovene metal and chemical (including pharmaceuticals, paper and plastics) manufacturing companies with an additional emphasis on firms which are committed to implementing the IPPC directive. In general, certified enterprises consider ISO 14001 as a very useful tool in promoting and adopting new cleaner technologies. ISO 14001 seems to be particularly important to create better conditions for the technology changes in companies which are committed to the IPPC Directive. Companies in chemical and related industries, to a much higher extent, used predominantly modified technologies to diminish their environmental impacts, while companies in metal industries, to a higher extent, used a combination of existing and new technologies after ISO 14001 certification. It seems that better environmental performance is associated with higher productivity in ISO 14001 certified firms.