Standardizing Excellence: Working with Smaller Businesses to Implement Environmental Management Systems

This report is for the regulatory agencies, industry associations, university-based programs, manufacturing extension partnerships, and other networks that provide technical assistance in EMS implementation to small and mid-sized companies.

Discover which sectors benefit most from EMS assistance and the barriers and drivers to the adoption of environmental management systems. Small businesses from a variety of sectors relate their experiences. Case studies provide further reading on existing tools and effective approaches to EMS implementation. The report also addresses the long-term goals of the EMS-assistance community, including support for sector-specific tools, building the business case for environmental management systems, and EMS integration into government programs.

Information is based on the findings from two workshops held in Washington, D.C. and San Francisco; the appendix includes summaries of other workshops on EMS assistance.