The impact of ISO 14000 on developing world businesses

Abstract

ISO 14000 has attracted interest from industry, international organizations and governments around the globe. Policy-makers and industry both appear to be looking to the standards as a key component of a new paradigm for cooperation between regulators and industry. This realization seems to have resulted from a growing awareness that the fragmented, reactive approach to environmental management in the past has not produced optimal results. Businesses are realizing the value of integrating their compliance procedures for each regulation into a broader system. Compliance problems can often be linked to system problems such as inadequate training, lack of responsibility at the right level, inadequate data, and other related causes. An effective Environmental Management System (EMS) eliminates these pitfalls. The evolution of the EMS is being shaped by market forces, ISO 9000, regulatory shifts, public awareness, and cost implications for ISO certifications. The transformation of these management practices is not limited to industrialized countries. In anticipation of the non-tariff trade barriers that could be erected as a result of these standards, many developing countries are seeking avenues of compliance with ISO 14000's requirements. Egypt should be concerned with the implementation of this system, for firms in countries of the European Community (EC) have been given explicit instructions by the three prevalent European standard-setting organizations to “familiarize” themselves with the requirements of ISO 14000. This paper will focus primarily on the expected effects of ISO 14001