EMS AS A MAINSTREAM BUSINESS TOOL: PERSPECTIVES FROM HONG KONG

Anne M. Copeland () and Sophie Le Clue ()
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Anne M. Copeland: Environmental Management Division, Hong Kong Productivity Council, HKPC Building, 78 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
Sophie Le Clue: Environmental Management Division, Hong Kong Productivity Council, HKPC Building, 78 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China

Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management (JEAPM), 1999, vol. 01, issue 02, 159-175

Abstract: The proliferation of global trade and commerce provides both challenges and opportunities for addressing transboundary pollution and furthering global sustainability. In addition to international policy instruments and legislation, standardised approaches to environmental management can improve environmental performance and reduce the escalating levels of pollution that are being experienced worldwide, and particularly in the Asia-Pacific region.In Hong Kong, 35 organisations have been certified to the ISO 14001 international environmental management system (EMS) standard, joining over 5000 more worldwide. While this trend is encouraging, Hong Kong's experience demonstrates that significant barriers exist for EMS to become a mainstream tool for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).As is it unlikely that certification will become mandatory at the international level, additional effort is therefore required to overcome these barriers, such as raising the awareness of all stakeholders to the benefits of the EMS and facilitating access to the necessary financial and technological assistance.

Keywords: Asia-Pacific; environmental management systems; environmental performance; Hong Kong; SME; supply chain; sustainable development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1999
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DOI: 10.1142/S1464333299000132

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