ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that ISO 14001 registration does stimulate positive changes in an organisation's environmental management goals, making it more likely they will be translated into environmental performance improvements. Under ISO 14001, a firm's senior management is required to establish an environmental policy, spelling out its 'guiding principles', some of which are goals. It must then convene a cross-functional team to select environmentally 'significant' aspects of its operation, based on the policy statement. One measure of an organisation's commitment to environmental management is the stringency of its management objectives. ISO 14001 requires that an organisation's environmental policy 'includes a commitment to comply with relevant environmental legislation and regulations'. The standard is intended to assist organisations in identifying and correcting the cause of non-conformances, including non-compliance with regulations: By correcting the fundamental cause of the non-compliance, companies gain greater assurance of future compliance.
