The ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 families are among the best known standards and have the widest spread of use. All over the world, ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004 have been implemented by over one million organizations, all willing to decrease their operation’s impact on the environment (http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/management_standards/iso_9000_iso_14000.htm). In structure the ISO 14000 standards are similar to the ISO 9000 quality management and they are most often implemented simultaneously. In order for a business or organization to be ISO 14000 accredited it need to be audited by an external auditor.

The ISO 14000 standards family helps organizations to minimize their environmental impact by the use of Environmental Management Systems (EMSs), Environmental Labeling, Auditing and Evaluation, and Life Cycle Assessments (http://www.ems-14000.com/). For instance, the two first published standards ISO 14001 and ISO 14004 provides requirements and guidelines for EMS respectively (http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_14000_essentials). With an EMS reaching the ISO 14001:2004 requirements, an organization has a tool which can identify the environmental impact of its activities, products and services, and then control them. It can also implement a systematic approach to setting the sought after environmental objectives and targets; how these can be reached and how the results should be demonstrated.

Striving towards ISO 14000 compliance can not only increase the reputation of an organization, which in itself could be very valuable in the current environment conscious society, but the systematic approach of e.g. the ISO 14001:2004 requires organizations to scrutinize its processes and result in the finding of new benefits. One result is lowered energy consumption, and therewith savings in cost.

ISO 14000 standards can contribute to internal efficiencies in an organization by increasing management control over the impact processes and activities have on the environment. Also, with an organization being ISO 14001:2004 certified, employees might find assurance in knowing that they are working for a company or an organization which takes a documented care of the environment.