Wirth, David A. --- "The International Organization for Standardization: private voluntary standards as swords and shields" [2013] ELECD 633; in Van Calster, Geert; Prévost, Denise (eds), "Research Handbook on Environment, Health and the WTO" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2013) 139

Book Title: Research Handbook on Environment, Health and the WTO

Editor(s): Van Calster, Geert; Prévost, Denise

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781847208972

Section: Chapter 5

Section Title: The International Organization for Standardization: private voluntary standards as swords and shields

Author(s): Wirth, David A.

Number of pages: 25

Abstract/Description:

Corporations may choose to “go green” for any number of reasons, and in any number of ways. Customers or consumers through the marketplace may signal a demand for environmentally friendly goods or services. Alternatively, businesses may consciously choose to cultivate an environmentally responsible image. Concern among the public in the neighborhood of a manufacturing plant may create pressure for greener policies. Firms may retool manufacturing processes in response to demands from workers exposed to hazardous materials. Investments in energy efficiency or reductions in the use of toxic substances may result in significant cost savings, benefiting the firm’s bottom line. Government regulation, the possibility of enforcement, or potential tort liability may also act as incentive-creating mechanisms. Other drivers include the cultivation of environmentally responsible consumer markets and price premiums for environmentally friendly products. Considerations such as these among a wide variety of firms and industries have led to coordinated approaches to addressing environmental concerns in the form of private voluntary standards.