The poor adoption rate of ISO 14001 by suppliers to the
American automakers reveals that other factors beside
customer pressure are important in driving or enabling the
greening of SMEs. Government legislation is a key external
driver, but the legal and regulatory framework is globally
highly variable and at best sets a minimum baseline within
individual jurisdictions. Without either real punitive options
for regulators or government-funded assistance to SMEs, the
main driver remains pressure from large customers