ISO 14001 Standards and Supply Chain Sustainability Research Paper

ISO 14001 Standards and Supply Chain Sustainability - Research Paper Example ISO 14001 is a collection of standards that relate to environmental management whose main aim is to assist organizations in minimizing the negative effects that their operations and /or processes may have on the environment (Sameer K. et al 2012, 1280). Rather than stating requirements for environmental performance, ISO 14001 maps out a framework that a company can follow in setting up an effective environmental management system (EMS). By integrating ISO 14001 with other management functions, an organization may be able to its resource efficiency, reduce wastes, and drive down its operating costs. Besides assisting organizations in meeting their environmental and economic goals, ISO 14001 also provides an assurance to company management, employees, and the external stakeholders that there is appropriate measurement and improvement of environmental impact of the organization (pp 1281).  Boiral (2007) describes supply chain sustainability as a business issue that affects an organiza tion’s supply chain in terms of risk to the environment, waste management, and operational costs. In his work, he continues to argue that high-ranking company executives have commonly and progressively perceived sustainability in the supply chain as a crucial element in attaining a long-term profitability to the company. Consequently, instead of putting more focus on monetary cost, value, and operational speed, current purchasing and supply professionals concentrate more on supply chain sustainability (Curkovic S. et al 2011, 75).