Suggested additions to the Joint NGO/TC207 Discussion Paper on the role of NGOs in promoting ISO 14000 standards in transitional and developing countries

The following suggested additions are structured according to the terms of reference outlined in the TC 207 resolution, i.e.

• Motivations for NGO participation in the ISO/TC 207 standards setting process, including those associated with public interest concerns;
• The value of NGO input into the ISO/TC 207 standards setting process;
• Procedures for improving NGO capacity to interact with ISO/TC 207;

NGOs' concerns related to the introduction of EMS standards in transitional and developing economies and motivations to participate in the ISO/TC 207 standards setting process
NGOs from transitional and developing economies concerned with sustainable development clearly see that a widespread adoption of ISO 14000 standards can, under certain preconditions, significantly contribute to this goal in their countries. In particular:

• EMS can encourage industries to go beyond media- and sector-specific environmental standards, which are often inadequate, obsolete, non-realistic or simply absent;

• EMS can facilitate economic development through opening access to new markets, attracting investment, and promoting economic efficiency; for example, many of the Russian enterprises which had introduced elements of EMS immediately gained economic benefits from better utilisation of wastes and raw materials;

• EMS can improve corporate governance and help the transition to a market economy; many of the enterprises in transitional economies improved their general management systems after the introduction of an EMS;

• EMS can promote democracy through increased transparency and stakeholder involvement in corporate environmental decision-making; thus, a significant number of local democracy innovations in Russia emerged as a result of public-industry-government dialogue about environmental issues, initiated within the framework of pilot EMS introduction projects.

• ISO 14000 and other EMS standards are introduced largely to meet external demands (such as the international trade or conventions requirements), rather than to deal with domestic issues; under such a scenario EMS standards often distract attention and scarce resources from other environmental policy tools;

• Domestic stakeholders are not involved in and do not understand the process of introducing ISO 14000 standards in environmental regulation; it is particularly common for many countries in transition where the process of ISO 14001 certification is dominated by traditionally closed national bureaucracies;

• The vast majority of producers lack the capacity to meet ISO 14000 standards and, therefore, the process results in a few industries monopolising much of the export; for example, in many former Soviet countries only a couple of larger export-oriented companies can afford ISO 14001 certification;

• ISO 14000 standards are implemented in the regulatory context which OECD described as involving excessive discretion and arbitrary decision-making by public officials as they perpetrate 'administered' economic relations and encourage corruption (OECD, 1999. Environment in the Transition to a Market Economy. Paris: OECD)

The value of NGO involvement in standard-setting processes
in developing and transitional countries
The introduction of the ISO 14000 series standards is, probably, most needed in developing and transitional societies. At the same time, in such countries, the local capacity of implementing these standards is typically very poor and there is a danger of their non-transparent and non-accountable implementation. In this context, NGOs have a special role to play. First, NGOs can increase public awareness of ISO 14000. For example, in Belarus, the first significant national publication on EMS and ISO 14000 was printed by an environmental NGO. Secondly, NGOs carry out a number of other capacity-building activities. For example, in Russia, an NGO runs the most prominent national Internet site on EMS and ISO 14000, co-operates on a number of pilot EMS projects with industries and local governments, and conducts dozens of EMS workshops in many regions of the country. Thirdly, through their involvement in national standard-setting and accreditation processes, NGOs promote the transparency and participatory nature of ISO 14000 system, thus enhancing its contribution to a more equitable and democratic development. This also occurs at the lower level, where NGOs co-operate with enterprises preparing for ISO 14000 certification, by promoting their dialogue with local communities.

Capacity building measures
relevant to transitional and developing countries
Taking into account the especially strong motivations for NGOs from transitional and developing nations to participate in ISO 14000 introduction and the significant contribution which they are making or can potentially make, capacity building efforts should not leave NGOs outside their scope. In particular, they should involve NGOs in training, networking and other activities and should supplement rather than replace existing national NGO initiatives in this area.