ISO 14001: A Tool for Municipal Government to Achieve Sustainability: The Experiences of Hamilton-Wentworth, Canada

• Published in: Greener management international Vol. 28; no. 28; pp. 103 - 111
• Main Authors: Bekkering, Mark, McCallum, David
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Greenleaf Publishing 1999
• Subjects: Ecological sustainability; Environmental economics; Environmental law; Environmental management; Environmental management systems; Environmental policy; Environmental protection; International agreements; Local government; Municipal governments; Resource allocation; Small and medium sized enterprises; Solid waste management; Standardization; Standards organizations; Sustainable cities; Sustainable communities; Sustainable development
• ISSN: 0966-9671; 2051-3062
• DOI: 10.9774/gleaf.3062.1999.wi.00013

An environmental management system (EMS) following the ISO 14001 standard is one tool available to municipal governments to achieve the goals of Agenda 21 or the concept of sustainable development. In March 1997, the Regional Environment Department of the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth, Canada, initiated an effort to develop an EMS and seek registration to ISO 14001. Senior management in the Department saw the development of an EMS following the ISO 14001 standard as an instrument for improving the quality and structure of the Department's services. Specifically, the EMS was seen as an implementation tool for Hamilton-Wentworth's VISION 2020 Sustainable Community Initiative, which is the community's version of Agenda 21. A structured EMS, involving a third-party audit, would provide the Department with the evidence to support the allocation of resources, clarify operating systems and prioritise actions according to the concerns of the residents of Hamilton-Wentworth. This case study examines the experiences of Hamilton-Wentworth in developing its EMS and provides insight into how the ISO 14001 standard relates to the operation of a municipal government and, further, how it can be used to assist in achieving Agenda 21. For Hamilton-Wentworth, development of the EMS has brought the larger goals of VISION 2020 into the daily operations of the Regional Environment Department.