G - Environmental Management Bureau

What ISO14001 is not.
ISO14001 is not a product standard, a performance standard, a prescription of
values for environmental performance indicators and a mandate for best technologies.
Neither is it a system that includes aspects of occupational health and safety or a reliance
on people.
2.2 POLLUTION PREVENTION
A Pollution Prevention/Cleaner Production (P2/CP) Program helps a company identify
waste and, more importantly, their origin and causes and the potential solutions for reducing
them. Incorporated into the overall business operation and management system of the
company, a P2/CP Program realizes improved environmental and economic performance
with the support of both management and staff.
2.2.1 The Concept
Pollution prevention and cleaner production are terms often used interchangeably.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) stated, however, that the distinction
tends to be geographical – North America tends to use Pollution Prevention (P2) while the
rest of the world utilizes Cleaner Production (CP). Listed below are the official definitions of
P2 and CP as defined by the USEPA and the UNEP.
The USEPA defines pollution prevention (P2) as the use of materials, processes, or
practices that reduce or eliminate the creation of pollutants or wastes at the source. It
includes practices that reduce the use of hazardous materials, energy, water or other
resources. It seeks to protect natural resources through conservation for more efficient
use.
21