ISO14 -- Setting the Standard in Environmental Management

Founded in 1947 as a means of developing voluntary technical standards, ISO has touched almost every sector of business, industry and technology. At first, the vast majority of ISO Standards were highly specific, documenting technical specifications or other precise criteria to ensure consistency in materials, products, processes and services. Because of their technical nature, these standards were primarily targeted to engineers.

Forty years later, in 1987, ISO expanded its technical scope to create ISO 9000. This standard was broader and included standards for non-technical functions. In 1994 other specific standards were developed with ISO 9001, 9002 and 9003. These revised standards set out the requirements for an organization whose business processes included some element of design, development, production, installation and servicing. In 1996, ISO 14000 was established, bringing environmental awareness to the business community. ISO is currently preparing for its next step in standards with ISO 9000: 2000, a set of requirements which will take effect in 2003.

ISO/TC 207

ISO/TC 207 is the ISO technical committee responsible for developing and maintaining the ISO 14000 family of standards. ISO launched the new technical committee, ISO/TC 207, Environmental management, in 1993. However, this was preceded by an intensive consultation process, carried out within the framework of the ISO/IEC Strategic Advisory Group on Environment (SAGE), set up in 1991, in which 20 countries, 11 international organizations and more than 100 environmental experts participated in defining the basic requirements of a new approach to environment-related standards.

Today, delegations of business and government experts from 55 countries participate actively within TC 207, and another 16 countries have observer status. These delegations are chosen by the national standards institute concerned and they are required to bring to TC 207 a national consensus on issues being addressed by the committee. This national consensus is derived from a process of consultation with interested parties.

Courtesy of ISO