Environmental management today has become an integral part of the way industries do business. The government has, and continues to; pass a range of new legislation that encourages the adoption of sound environmental management. Increasingly financial and insurance institutions offer reduced interest rates and premiums based on the existing level of environmental management. Similarly, investors look to annual reports for evidence of social and environmental responsibility.

The only way for companies to adequately demonstrate their compliance with these requirements is to implement a management system that can stand up to scrutiny. A formal management system, and in particular ISO 14001, is the only recognised way of achieving this goal.

At the same time, environmental management systems (EMS), and in particular ISO 14001, have developed to the stage where they contribute significantly to productivity. A number of supporting tools and techniques now means that the EMS can be focused onto those business areas, which will result in an improvement of both environmental and financial performance.