What is the relationship between ISO 14000, ISO 14031, EMS, Performance Track and the Natural Step?

All of these programs use sustainable practices at their core (see EPA Region 10’s Sustainability Website). The ISO 14000 series was designed to provide an internationally recognized framework for environmental management, measurement, evaluation and auditing. The series does not prescribe environmental performance targets, but instead provides organizations with the tools to assess and control the environmental impact of their activities, products or services. The ISO 14000 framework is divided into four sections: Environmental Policy, Implementation and Operation, Checking and Corrective Action, and Management Review. The organizing principle for this framework is the Deming Cycle: Plan, Do, Check, and Act. ISO 14031: Environmental Performance Evaluation is based on the adage, “what gets measured, gets managed”. An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a management tool for evaluating the activities of an organization, identifying the environmental impacts associated with those ...