International Standards for Environmental Management Systems: A Future Promise for Environmental Policy?

This paper addresses the issue of what potential merits ISO 14001 environmental management systems (EMS) may have to business operations and public policy. It evaluates the EMS structure and applies it to a study that examines approximately eighteen U.S. facilities and government facilities that are designing and implementing ISO 14001-based EMSs. Facilities’ specific EMS components are assessed to determine the extent to which EMSs are designed to ensure that facility-level environmental management is likely to lead to larger private and public gains than those obtained via the current environmental regulatory regime. Finally, we consider internationally certified EMSs and their future promise for public policy. 1 Curriculum in Public Policy Analysis; 919-962-9827; [email protected] 2 Curriculum in Public Policy Analysis; 919-962-9827; [email protected] 3 Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering; 919-966-2359; [email protected] . We acknowledge also the contributions and close collaboration in this research of John Villani, formerly of UNCChapel Hill, Deborah Amaral, of UNC-Chapel Hill , Suellen Keiner, Eric Feldman, and Matthew Mitchell, all of the Environmental Law Institute and the generous cooperation of participating facilities and state project managers.