Implementing ISO 14001 in the engineering and construction sectors: a systematic review

There is a need within society to manage its impacts on the environment. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) ISO 14001 tool, based on the original BS 7750 standard, was created in 1996 and subsequently updated in 2004 and 2015; it has become the most prevalent type of environmental management system (EMS) adopted worldwide. Engineering and construction organisations wanting to implement ISO 14001 should be fully acquainted with the advantages and disadvantages of adopting an EMS. Using the Scopus academic database, this study used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses method to identify and select publications (since 1999) for systematic review. Examination of the chosen articles (n = 46) revealed a limited number of works per annum, with a peak in 2011 (n = 6). The most frequently reported benefits are ‘enrichment of green corporate and public image’, ‘improved environmental performance’ and ‘regulation compliance’, while the barriers are ‘costs’, ‘lack of experience, expertise or knowledge’ and ‘lack of training’. Further analysis, using the VOSviewer software, shows the network relationships between article keywords, notably that sustainability is increasingly listed (since 2011) and links with most other keywords. This suggests that the engineering and construction sectors may be seeing beyond the cost barrier and are realising the positive difference that ISO 14001 can contribute to their operations, their local/national communities and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.