ISO 14000: Its relevance to the construction industry of Singapore and its potential as the next industry milestone

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.