ISO 14000, a new series of voluntary environmental management standards, is becoming increasingly important in the global marketplace, particularly for companies that sell their products in Europe and Asia. This paper provides basic concepts to help managers in the jewelry-related industries understand what ISO 14000 may mean for their businesses. This paper addresses the following questions: 1) What is ISO 14000, and where did it come from? 2) What is an environmental management system? 3) What is ISO 14001 certification? 4) What are some important legal and economic issues to consider? 5) What is the current status and future of ISO 14000 in the U.S. and in the global marketplace? A short section is included at the end on Finding More Information.

Author: Craig P. Diamond