ISO 14000

An environmental management system is a framework that helps a company achieve its environmental goals. It helps an organization "identify, manage, monitor and control" their environmental issues in a holistic way, according to the International Organization for Standardization. Implementing an EMS involves consistent review, assessment and improvement of environmental performance.

The EMS of each organization is tailored to the needs of the entity using it. Each EMS is unique, but many consider issues such as:

• Air pollution
• Waste management
• Climate change mitigation and adaptation
• Resource use
• Soil contamination
• Wastewater discharge
• Degradation of ecosystems 
• Loss of biodiversity

An EMS should also aim to achieve sustainable development, which requires a balance between the environment, society and the economy. Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability to meet needs in the future. An organization may also consider transparency and accountability related to environmental impacts as a part of its EMS.

Organizations certified to ISO 14001 must consider all environmental issues that are relevant to its operations. An EMS provides a systematic approach for accomplishing this. Implementing an EMS can help an organization to:

• Prevent or mitigate adverse environmental impacts
• Prevent and mitigate potential negative effects on the organization from environmental conditions
• Fulfill regulatory, statutory and compliance requirements
• Improve its environmental performance
• Apply a life-cycle perspective to its products and service to prevent negative environmental impacts from shifting to other parts of the lifecycle
• Obtain financial and operational benefits from improved environmental performance
• Effectively communicate environmental information to stakeholders

The ISO standards in general aim to facilitate international trade and commerce. Companies can implement any or all the ISO 14000 series standards. They do not prescribe environmental performance targets, but instead provide organizations with the tools to assess and control the impact of their activities, products or services on the environment. The ISO 14000 series addresses the following aspects of environmental management:

• Environmental Management Systems (EMS)
• Environmental Auditing & Related Investigations (EA&RI)
• Environmental Labels and Declarations (EL)
• Environmental Performance Evaluation (EPE)
• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
• Terms and Definitions (T&D)