ABSTRACT
The Western Australian environmental management system (EMS) companies are more innovative than noncertified companies when it comes to environmental technologies. In-house research and development (R&D) is becoming more important for certified companies while regulators play an insignificant role. There is a broad agreement that EMSs are a crucial tool in progress towards ecologically sustainable development. Collaboration with other organisations is the main source for new environmental technologies for Western Australian companies. The formation of the international voluntary group of standards ISO 14000 and, in particular, the adoption in 1996 of ISO 14001 which covers EMSs in an integrated way, has given rise to hopes for an increase in the adoption of environmental technology. EMS companies tend to be ahead of governmental and industry regulations related to the environment while more than a third of the non-EMS companies adopt new technologies in order to comply with existing requirements.
