ABSTRACT
While ISO was considering the development of a series of international standards for environmental management, pressures were mounting from worldwide environmental organizations like Greenpeace and national organizations like the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Environmental Defense Fund and others to make businesses more responsible for their environmental impacts. Professional organizations began developing their own guidelines on good environmental management practices. The Chemical Manufacturers Association created its Responsible Care® Program, adopted by all its member companies to improve the safety of handling and disposal of chemicals and otherwise to reduce environmental impacts. The Global Environmental Management Initiative (GEMI) developed and published its own set of guidelines based upon total quality environmental management principles, and addressed such topics as cost-effective pollution prevention, environmental reporting, environmental health and safety training, and benchmarking (Hall, 1996). The International Chamber of Commerce published its own set of environmental principles adopted by its members and other organizations to improve environmental decision making and reduce impacts. Even local business organizations began to get proactive. For example, the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce developed its own environmental policy statement and a tool kit for its 3500 members to create their own environmental policies.
