Kein, A T T; Ofori, G and Briffett, C (1999) ISO 14000: Its relevance to the construction industry of Singapore and its potential as the next industry milestone. Construction Management and Economics, 17(4), pp. 449-461. ISSN 01446193
Abstract
ISO 14000 is a series of standards defining a formal and structured approach to environmental management. It demonstrates, with assurance, that an organization which complies with current policy and legislation actively addresses environmental issues. Construction activities have a myriad of environmental implications. Hence, construction entities must manage their environmental performance. ISO 14000 represents a possible solution. This study considers the relevance of environmental management to construction organizations. After an overview of the environmental impacts of construction, ISO 14000 and its principles are explored. A field study is reported that was set up to assess the level of commitment of construction enterprises in Singapore to environmental management. Contractors in Singapore are aware of the merits of environmental management, but are not instituting systems towards achieving it. A framework for the development and implementation of an environmental management system (EMS) is proposed.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction industry; environmental management; implementation; iso 14000; Singapore |
| Index terms: | commitment, environmental issue, ISO, legislation, field study, environmental management system, environmental impact, construction activity, Singapore, construction organization, environmental performance, environmental management, construction industry, implementation |
| Subjects: | industry analysis, sustainability assessment, research methods, Geography, psychology, standards development, construction operations, legal systems, contractual arrangements, organization, environmental impact, environmental issues, control systems |
| Topics: | Legal Issues, Quality Management, Site Management, Organizational Design, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Geographical Context, Sustainability, Procurement |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCT |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here