Book 5

Voluntary international industry guidelines are important in an increasingly deregulated global world. These environmental "mission statements" are frequently incorporated in the environmental guidelines of member firms, and are therefore key indicators of industry and corporate practice. This text analyzes 12 international industry associations' environmental guidelines and policy documents. Underlying the findings of this study is the emergence of a greater environmental awareness in the 1990s. The industry guidelines show commitments to use voluntarily the most stringent standards for their worldwide operations. Areas where industry's commitments could be strengthened, such as public reporting and environmental accounting, are also highlighted.