A study of the implementation of ISO 14001 environmental management systems in Hong Kong

The ISO 14001 environmental management system (EMS) standard has been adopted in many parts of the world. In order to evaluate current implementation in Hong Kong, a questionnaire survey was conducted of more than 200 local companies. ISO 14001 EMS adoption is still slow in Hong Kong, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The majority of SMEs do not have plans to implement the standard in the near future. However, the EMS standard has brought many advantages to the local ISO 14001 EMS certified companies, including the reduction of operating costs and the improvement of working efficiency. Recommendations are made for EMS standard implementation in local organizations, particularly SMEs.Department of Civil and Environmental Engineerin