Comparing ISO 14001 and ecoBUDGET as models for environmental management systems in municipal environmental management

Abstract: In recent years several municipalities in Sweden and elsewhere have or are implementing environmental management systems (EMS) in parts of their organisation. The most common model to use for Swedish municipalities implementing an EMS is ISO 14001. Today EMS in municipalities is mainly focussing on the administrative aspect of environmental management- the internal environmental work in the municipalities. It is argued that ISO 14001 do not fit a political aspect of environmental management in municipalities but primarily fit and support the administrative perspective. ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) has developed the ecoBUDGET manual as a model for implementing an EMS that specially would fit a political organisation like a municipality. In this context it is interesting to investigate similarities and differences between ecoBUDGET and ISO 14001 as models for EMS. The ambition of the study is to contribute to an understanding of what possibilities and limitations these models can have when working with EMS in a municipality. The overall aim of this study is to analyse and compare the effects of the two different EMSs, ecoBUDGET and ISO 14001, on municipal environmental management. Drawing from earlier research on effects of New Public Management reforms in Swedish municipalities, this study focuses on tree strongly connected dimensions of effects on the municipal environmental management as a consequence of implementing and using an EMS. The dimensions of effects studied are organisational borders, organisational structures and roles. Each of the EMS is studied from a theoretical as well as practical point of view. This means that ISO 14001 and ecoBUDGET are compared to each other, partly from standards texts and handbooks, partly from how they are applied in practise intwo Swedish municipalities, Växjö and Kalmar. Concerning EMS in municipalities according to ISO 14001 and ecoBUDGET as models similarities as well as differences could be found. Both of the models are based on the Deming concept the PDCA-cycle (Plan, Do, Check, Act). There is however no requirements on reducing environmental negative impacts in absolute terms. ISO 14001 and ecoBUDGET however have different focus and also therefore have different effects on municipal environmental management concerning organisational borders, organisational structures and environmental municipal roles.