INTRODUCTION          

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) formed Technical Committee 207 on Environmental Management in 1993. The scope of the committee is: "standardization in the field of environmental management tools and systems."scope ISO/TC 207 does not set limit levels or performance criteria for operations or products; instead, its activities are based on the philosophy that improving management practices is the best way to improve the environmental performance of organizations and their products.

ISO/TC 207 is the "umbrella" committee under which the ISO 14000 series of environmental management standards are being developed. The subcommittees (SC) and working groups (WG) of ISO/TC 207 are producing standards and guidance documents in the following areas:

ISO/TC 207 has worked to develop international standards that are practical, useful and usable for businesses of all sizes, in countries at every stage of development. These standards will continue to increase the strategic importance of effective environmental management in today's increasingly dynamic and competitive business environment. By providing a framework for improved environmental performance they will be contributing to one of the key purposes of environmental management standards: they will be contributing to the goal of sustainable development.

top

BACKGROUND          

The formation of the International Organization for Standardization's Technical Committee 207 - Environmental Management (ISO/TC 207) was the result of a sequence of activities, leading to a coordinated world response to common environmental challenges.

In the preparatory period leading up to the 1992 Earth Summit, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) became directly involved. UNCED wanted to ensure that business was fully engaged in the process. The Business Council for Sustainable Development (BCSD) was established as a result of these efforts. This council went to the two international standards organizations to see what they were doing in the area of environmental management and to encourage them to become more active.

This request from BCSD came at a time when work was already in progress within the ISO/IEC President's Advisory Board on Technical Trends, the ad hoc group on Long Range Planning and the ad hoc group on Environmental Labeling. As a result, in August of 1991, the ISO and IEC formally established the Strategic Advisory Group on the Environment (SAGE) to study the situation and make recommendations.

SAGE was asked to assess the need for standardization in the area of environmental management. Any work proposed had to ensure a common approach to environmental management that would enhance both business and environmental performance, and facilitate trade. SAGE established six task groups, looking at

1. environmental management,
2. environmental auditing,
3. life cycle analysis,
4. environmental labeling,
5. environmental performance, and
6. environmental elements of product standards.

Towards the end of 1992, SAGE submitted its recommendations to the ISO Technical Management Board (TMB). The major recommendation called for a new ISO Technical Committee on Environmental Management. There had been some discussion as to whether the environmental management standards should be developed under the Quality Management Technical Committee, TC 176. It was determined, however that environmental concerns were not subordinate to quality concerns; but were of separate and equal importance. Their integration was recommended.

The SAGE process had two major end products:

1. A series of ISO/IEC recommendations on environmental management, which were submitted to the UNCED preparatory conference in January 1992; and
2. In October 1992, it culminated in a recommendation to the ISO/IEC to create a new ISO Technical Committee to develop standards in the area of environmental management.

The recommendations to UNCED became a key element of the major documents that came out of that conference: Agenda 21, the comprehensive policy guidance document, and the Rio Declaration, a set of principles for achieving sustainable development.

The recommendation to ISO/IEC led to the creation of new ISO Technical Committee in January of 1993. ISO/TC 207 - Environmental management was given a mandate to develop standards in the area of environmental management. ISO TC 207 held its inaugural plenary session in Toronto in June of 1993.

top

VISION          

ISO/TC 207's vision is the worldwide acceptance and use of the ISO 14000 series of standards which will provide an effective means to improve the environmental performance of organizations and their products, facilitate world trade and ultimately contribute to sustainable development.

top

SCOPE          

Standardization in the field of environmental management systems and tools in support of sustainable development.

• Excluded: test methods of pollutants, setting limit values and levels of environmental performance, and standardization of products.

Note:
The TC for environmental management will have close cooperation with ISO / TC 176 in the field of environmental systems and audits.

top

OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES          

The Procedures for the technical work (Part 1, 2004, 5th edition) describes the basic procedural rules to be followed by ISO committees for the development and maintenance of International Standards and other ISO deliverables.

For the convenience of users a consolidated text is available (electronic format only) comprising the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1, the ISO Supplement, and all relevant ISO Change Notifications.

Complete directives can be found in the following ISO website www.iso.ch/sdis/forms.

Details concerning the major differences between this edition and the previous edition are given in the Foreword of Part 1.

In conjunction with the revision of the ISO/IEC Directives, ISO has instigated a system whereby agreements of the ISO Technical Management Board that result in changes to these documents will be notified as soon as possible to the ISO members and committees as ISO Change Notifications.

Rules for the Structure and Drafting of International Standards: Part 2, 2004 5th edition - specifies rules for the structure and drafting of documents intended to become International Standards, Technical Specifications or Publicly Available Specifications. As far as practicable, the rules also apply to documents intended to become Technical Reports or Guides. The rules are intended to ensure that such documents are drafted in as uniform a manner as practicable, irrespective of the technical content.

In conjunction with the revision of the ISO/IEC Directives, ISO has instigated a system whereby agreements of the ISO Technical Management Board that result in changes to these documents will be notified as soon as possible to the ISO members and committees as ISO Change Notifications.

top

MEMBERSHIP           

Membership in ISO/TC 207, like that of every ISO technical committee, is made up of Participating (P) members, Observing (O) members, and Liaison (L) organizations. Countries are usually represented by their respective national standards organizations. Member status must be obtained by ISO. TC 207 is ISO's largest technical committee.

"P" members represent countries who wish to vote, participate actively in discussions and have access to all relevant documentation.

"O" members members represent countries not wishing to vote, but rather only to participate in discussions and receive all relevant information.

"L" organizations are international or broadly based regional organizations who are invited to take part in discussions and are permitted to receive all information from the TC but are not granted voting status.

The secretariat of ISO/TC 207 is held by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) and administered by Canadian Standards Association (CSA):

top