Which Types of Environmental Management Systems Are Related to Greater Environmental Improvements?

While there is little empirical evidence to demonstrate which types of environmental management systems (EMSs) are associated with greater environmental improvements, governments worldwide are encouraging facilities to adopt them. Th is research compares the environmental performance of facilities that adopt ISO 14001–certifi ed EMSs, complete (noncertifi ed) EMSs, and incomplete EMSs across multiple environmental media. Th e authors analyze these relationships for manufacturing facilities in seven countries using a two-stage model to control for selection bias. Findings indicate that the adoption of all types of EMSs is related to improved environmental performance in an international setting. However, ISO 14001–certifi ed EMSs are associated with environmental improvements to a broader array of environmental media. Th ese fi ndings off er important implications about which types of EMSs have greater promise as voluntary environmental governance tools.