Environmental management borrows from quality management the idea of continual improvement and setting up auditable systems of control.

Environmental management sets up systems of control that make policy, organise personnel, set targets, carry out audits and review progress.

There are now standards that lay down how these systems should operate. The two most famous are ISO 14000 series and EMAS, the European Scheme 'Eco Management and Audit Scheme'.

ISO 14001. This is the worldwide standard. ISO stands not for the name of the International Standards Organisation but the Greek word for "equality".