The ISO is a specialized international organization whose members are the national standards bodies of 111 countries.
• All standards developed by ISO are voluntary
• ISO 14000 is a series of international standards on environmental management.
• "ISO 14000" is the first international attempt to standardize environmental management practices around the world.
• ISO 14000 will help integrate the environmental management systems of companies that trade with each other in all corners of the world.
Scope and Status of ISO 14000
Organization Standards that can be used to implement and evaluate the environmental management system (EMS) within an organization. Included are:
– the ISO 14000 series of EMS standards;
– the ISO 14010 series of environmental auditing standards; and
– the ISO 14030 series of standards for environmental performance evaluation. Product Standards that can be used to evaluate environmental impacts from products and processes.
Included in this subgroup (ISO 14030 Series) are:
– the ISO 14020 series of environmental labeling standards;
– the ISO 14040 series of life-cycle analysis standards; and
– the ISO 14060 series of product standards.
Environmental Labeling
– Type I programs are referred to as "practitioner “programs which are product or product category based, similar to the Environmental Choice Program or Germany's BlueAngel Program.
– Type II programs are based on common terms and definitions which can be used for self declared claims.
– Type III programs are based on a "report card “concept, much like existing nutrition labels.