Environmental certificates—Danish lessons

Approximately 800 Danish enterprises have obtained an environmental management system certificate. ISO 14001 is by far the most popular, but some 150 enterprises have chosen the European EMAS. Some enterprises have both. During October and November 2003, about 300 of these enterprises were interviewed by telephone. The interviews focused on the effects of the certificate on environmental activities, the purpose of certification, legal and other requirements and the environmental certificate as a market instrument. The interviews were performed by ECOHouse—a publisher and consultant focusing on legal requirements; the final report was edited by us.