Conclusions
Although Beers Skanska’s ISO 14001 registration is still rare in
the U.S. construction industry, EMS development and implementation
is gaining momentum among contractors. Specifically, ISO
14001 serves as the primary model for a contractor’s EMS. Our
key conclusions are outlined below.
1. Construction firms are realizing that environmental management
is a primary key to their success. They understand that
it is imperative to eliminate or minimize harmful environmental
impacts from construction.
2. EMS programs should be developed and implemented with
defined goals and commitments.
3. ISO 14001 allows construction firms to determine what EMS
level is right for their organization, so they can maintain an
even balance between costs and benefits.
4. ISO 14001 does not state specific environmental performance
criteria or metrics to achieve. Therefore, opportunities
for future research might focus on developing a set of ISO
14001 metrics, and analyzing their application to various
types of construction contractors.
5. Programs such as EPA’s National Environmental Performance
Track ~NEPT! help to communicate to the public
about environmental performance by providing information
about goals and annual progress. NEPT requires an EMS,
but not necessarily ISO 14001 certification.
6. A construction firm’s size limits its ability to establish an
EMS.
7. A measure of a construction firm’s environmental impact,
whether it is based on number of jobsites, number of employees,
total profits, or number of environmental requirements
per jobsite, should help a construction firm to determine
how to implement an EMS and if pursuing ISO 14001
certification is worthwhile.
While outside pressures are not yet forcing certification in the
U.S., ISO 14001 certified firms will continue to improve their
EMS ~as is required!. As requests from clients for EMSs or
‘‘green’’ contractors increase, certified firms may pull ahead of