SPECIAL RE PORT

ISO 14004 revision will promote

use of environmental management
systems by the SME
While the ongoing revision of ISO 14004 is intended to provide improved guidance for the
implementation of environmental management systems to all types and sizes of organiza-
tion, the standard has a particular aim of making it easier for small and medium-sized
enterprises to understand, set up and benefit from such systems. The revision is expected
to be finalized in early 2004.

ISO Management Systems – March-April 2002 21

 SPECIAL RE PORT

T he importance of small and

medium-sized enterprises (SME’s)
to economies around the world is
– ISO 14001:1996, which gives the
specifications of an EMS and
guidance for its use, and is also the
beyond dispute. Surveys have shown standard against which an EMS
that, on a global basis, more than 90 % can be audited and certified, and
of all businesses are SME’s.
– ISO 14004:1996, the supporting
Recent studies in the United
standard which gives general
Kingdom indicate that small enter-
guidelines on EMS principles, sys-
prises contribute roughly 40 % of the
tems and supporting technologies.
country’s Gross National Product
It is not intended for EMS certifi-
and account for nearly 50 % of the
cation.
private sector workforce. In addition,
larger businesses are often interested In particular, the scope of ISO TC
in SME’s for the ideas and technolo- 207/SC 1/WG 2, the working group
BY P HIL S TAPLETON
gies that they generate. It is little responsible for the revision of ISO
wonder that SME’s are viewed as 14004, specifically addresses the
Phil Stapleton is Convener of growth generators needs of SME’s, as
the ISO/TC 207 working group for economies around indicated in the cur-
which is revising ISO 14004. the world. On a global basis, rent draft of the
He has been involved in the While SME’s might more than 90 % revised standard :
development of the ISO 14000 have certain advan- “ The purpose of
series, both in the US and tages over some of all businesses this guideline is to
internationally, since 1993.
larger organizations, provide appropriate
He is a principal of Glover- are SME’s
Stapleton Associates, which smaller organizations assistance to organi-
provides environmental and also can face a variety zations of all sizes
health and safety management of hurdles, such as lack of environmen- and in all sectors and countries, con-
services to both public and tal (or other specialist) expertise. One sidering, implementing or improving
private sector clients. often-mentioned challenge for SME’s an environmental management sys-
is the availability and effective use of tem, and thereby improve environ-
strategic information. While a variety mental performance. The guideline
of governmental and other organiza- also promotes the use of environmen-
tions have instituted programmes to tal management systems by Small and
Phil Stapleton, Glover-Stapleton assist SME’s in complying with envi- Medium Enterprises [author’s empha-
Associates, Inc., 3 Bunkers Court, ronmental laws and regulations, the sis]. It is consistent with the concepts
Grasonville, MD 21638, USA.
scale of the task can be daunting. of sustainable development. It is com-
Tel. + 1 410 827 7232. The environmental impacts asso- patible with diverse cultural, social
Fax + 1 410 827 7835. ciated with smaller enterprises have and organizational frameworks and
E-mail gloverstap@[Link]
been documented. At the same time, both formal and informal systems of
many SME’s are faced with the need management. It is not intended for
to demonstrate responsible environ- certification or registration purposes.”
mental management to their cus- The ISO 14004 revision process
tomers and other stakeholders. began in 1999. Over the past three
Experience in both the United States years, experts from more than 40
and elsewhere shows that SME’s can countries have worked diligently to
implement an effective EMS and can prepare a revised standard that will
realize a variety of benefits from provide practical guidance, while
doing so. However, EMS implemen- retaining the flexibility that is critical
tation in smaller enterprises can pres- in allowing this EMS guidance stan-
ent significant challenges. dard to be used by organizations of
ISO technical committee ISO/TC all types and sizes.
207, Environmental management,
recognized these challenges in plan-
ning its work for the revisions of its
environmental management system
(EMS) standards :

22 ISO Management Systems – March-April 2002

 SPECIAL RE PORT

Help is on the way Examples from real organizations

are used throughout the standard. SME’s can
How can ISO 14004 promote and
Furthermore, ISO 14004 employs a
support EMS implementation among
number of examples that “ carry implement
SME’s ? One hurdle to EMS adoption
through ” the various EMS elements an
by SME’s has been the perception
(from environmental policy commit-
that an EMS provides limited business
ments to identification of environ- effective
benefits. For this reason, one focus of
mental aspects to objectives and tar-
WG 2’s work has been to demonstrate
gets, to operational control needs,
EMS and
how the use of an EMS can help an
organization to succeed and grow.
etc.) in order to help organizations can realize a
understand the key interrelationships
Evidence from organizations that variety of benefits
among these system elements.
have implemented an EMS shows that
such systems can help in managing
costs, enhancing public image, demon-
Expanded guidance
strating environmental commitment to
customers, and improving relation- Early in the revision process, WG 2
ships with regulatory agencies, among identified a number of areas where
other potential benefits. ISO 14004 SME’s (as well as larger organiza-
One hurdle to EMS adoption
by SME’s has been the
perception that an EMS
provides limited business
benefits. For this reason,
one focus of WG 2’s work
has been to demonstrate
how the use of an EMS can
help an organization to
succeed and grow.

tries to illustrate how an effective tions) could benefit from additional

EMS can help an organization in guidance. As a result, the working
achieving its overall mission and goals. group has developed additional guid-
A frequent dilemma for SME’s ance on the concepts of Prevention of
has been ready access to practical Pollution and Continual Improve-
information. To address this problem, ment, the value of and possible meth-
the standard uses “ practical help ods for external communication, and
boxes ” in various sections and “ how techniques for identifying and keep-
to ” advice on certain EMS elements ing up-to-date on legal requirements,
that have posed implementation among other topics. The expanded
challenges. guidance in ISO 14004 is designed to

ISO Management Systems – March-April 2002 23

 SPECIAL RE PORT

help SME’s and other organizations size fits all ” mentality. We need to
answer questions such as the follow- present a variety of EMS approaches
ing : that might work equally well. In
revising ISO 14004, WG 2 needs to
find the proper balance that provides
useful advice and suggests practical
approaches, but which does not imply
that this reflects the best possible
approach for all organizations.

Biggest challenge
In the ISO 14004 revision process,
the biggest challenge for WG 2 to
date has been the section of the stan-
dard on the identification of environ-

! How should our organization

establish and maintain its environ-
mental objectives and targets ?
! How should our organization
communicate with external inter-
EMS implementation ested parties and why should we
be interested in doing so ?
in smaller enterprises
! How does our organization know
can present what legal requirements apply to
mental aspects and impacts. Many
significant challenges it ? How should we use such infor-
EMS experts believe that this ele-
mation once we have it?
ment is the most challenging part of
! How should our organization EMS implementation for most organ-
measure its environmental per- izations (including SME’s). Identifi-
formance and how should the cation and evaluation of environmen-
resulting information be used ? tal aspects is critical to the overall
effectiveness of an EMS.
! How should our organization WG 2 has been working for nearly
determine its needs for operational two years to develop practical, flexi-
controls and how should we assess ble guidance on identifying and char-
the effectiveness of such controls? acterizing environmental aspects that
Another area of expanded guid- recognizes the breadth of approaches
ance that should be helpful to SME’s which exist. While there is still more
is the section on Initial Environmen- work to be done, WG 2 has made
tal Reviews. Conducting such reviews some progress on this issue. WG 2
can be extremely helpful for organi- experts have agreed that the determi-
zations that have no formal EMS in nation of significance can include
place. Such a review can also be use- consideration of environmental con-
ful for an organization that has an cerns, legal concerns, as well as the
EMS but want to improve it. concerns of interested parties (which
Providing practical guidance to might include interested parties with-
SME’s (and other organizations) is in the organization).
not without its challenges. Since While retaining the text that has
organizations come in all types and been developed describing a “ five-
sizes, WG 2 needs to avoid the “ one step ” approach to environmental

24 ISO Management Systems – March-April 2002

 SPECIAL RE PORT

At the Billund meeting, WG 2 also

agreed to establish a User Feedback
Group in order to solicit additional
comments on the value of the ISO
14004 revision to the user communi-
ty, and especially to small and medi-

um-sized organizations. Participating

national delegations were asked to
aspects identification and characteri- distribute the CD for comment to
zation, WG2 also decided to present potential users of the guidance and to
in the Committee Draft for comment provide feedback from them to WG 2.
of the future standard a figure This feedback will be considered,
describing an alternative approach in along with the comments of the
order to solicit com- national delegations,
ments on approaches during the meeting in
for identifying and Examples from South Africa.
characterizing envi- As Convener, I Environmental
ronmental aspects. real organizations have been pleased systems can help
are used throughout with the hard work of
the WG 2 experts in managing costs,
Where we are now the standard during the revision
WG 2 met most process. I believe that
enhancing public
recently in Billund, they have worked image,
Denmark in November 2001. At the diligently to prepare a document that
conclusion of that meeting, WG 2 will be useful to all types and sizes of demonstrating
issued a Committee Draft (CD). organizations, but that recognizes the environmental
Comments on this draft from the special needs of SME’s. We know that
national standards institutes partici- there is more work to be done and we commitment to
pating in the development of the welcome inputs that will help us
customers, and
revised ISO 14004 were being accept- make the standard more useful to all
ed until the end of March 2002 for parties concerned. improving
compilation and distribution by the
end of April 2002. The CD and asso-
relationships
ciated comments received from mem- with regulatory
ber countries will be the primary sub-
jects of discussions at the WG 2 agencies
meetings to be held in South Africa
in June 2002. Our current plan is to
have the revision of ISO 14004 final-
ized in early 2004.

ISO Management Systems – March-April 2002 25