Cars and the environment: A new approach to assessment through ISO 14001 certification of the car process

Abstract

To change the negative effect of traffic increase and to diminish noxious pollutant emission and environmentally harmful consequences of the car's life cycle, innovative tools and radically changed approaches are needed. The present proposal of assessing the car and its environmentally related technological and functional factors as part of the entire mobility production process shows the applicability of ISO 14001 standards to the entire car process and could be a concrete aid to reaching the current European and international objectives and strongly encouraging environmentally friendly car design, manufacturing and lifestyles. The car influences the environment during every stage of its life cycle. This paper analyses and demonstrates the real possibility of certifying, through ISO 14001 standards, instead of an industrial site or organization, a car process. The car process is the part of the mobility production process implemented in car use. Environmental management systems (EMSs) have been developed to improve the environmental performance of organizations towards the diffusion of sustainability in industrial production. The ISO 14000 series of international standards are the most important reference for eco-management of any type of organization. The two target groups involved in the car process environmental certification procedures set are manufacturers/suppliers on the one hand, interested in environmentally compatible new markets and products, and clients/users on the other hand, interested in testing benefits and problems of the EMS set-up and general environmental sustainability behaviours. The car model analysed for the case study application is the Toyota Prius, from the environmental point of view one of the best on the market, precursor model of the next-generation electric hybrid vehicles.