Geographic Scales of Certification ISO 14001: an Overview of Corporate Environmental Management

Environmental certification, especially ISO 14001, demonstrates the existence of internal and external factors for improving the environmental performance of companies. Thus, this article aims to present a current overview of ISO 14001 certification at different scales of analysis (global, national, regional and state), seeking its territoriality by considering factors of location, extent and connection. The following procedures were adopted: a survey of the theoretical reference, the acquisition of data from the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and INMETRO (National Institute of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality) on the quantity of companies certified by ISO 14001. After organizing the data, there was systematization through tables via spreadsheet, presentation and finalization of graphs and data analysis relating to the Human Development Index (HDI) and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It is understood that most of these certificates is concentrated in developed countries, where the headquarters of large companies are located. Considering the Brazilian reality, the ratio (number of certifications, GDP and HDI by state) was not so obvious, since there are states with lower GDP and HDI, but with higher certificates compared to some states that are better positioned socio- economically. This feature has to do with economic aspects of the companies that have a strong influence on the occurrence of these certificates. Therefore, we present a spatially uneven reality where the environmental certification is not always related to the local reality, being a requirement of external factors, such as a continuing relation with customers and suppliers who hold environmental certification. Therefore, it is something external acting in local reality.