Industry

Industry is an important component of the business sector of every country. However industry has many different effects on the environment and on nature, and not all of these effects are either positive or benign. Large industries emit, for instance, a lot of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere even though stringent demands are made concerning pollution control, through laws, regulations and working permits.

Environmental management is, therefore, an important part of all industrial activity. Demands are made concerning green accounting  in the most polluting companies, but for other minor companies green accounting is voluntary.  Many of the industries that keep green accounting, also define clear environmental goals and operate according to the precautionary principle in dealing with the natural impact of their activities. 44 companies keep green accounting in Iceland*.

Yet many industries still have a long way to go. For example, the Environmental Management Standard ISO 14001, while being used extensively in other countries, is not used much in Iceland. So far, only 14 companies in Iceland have fulfilled the demands of the ISO 14001 Standard which is a voluntary Environmental management tool.

Yet many industries still have a long way to go. For example, the Environmental Management Standard ISO 14001, while being used extensively in other countries, is not used much in Iceland. So far, only 15 companies in Iceland have fulfilled the demands of the ISO 14001 Standard.

It is possible to test the environmental awareness of companies by examining whether they are environmentally certified, have an accessible environmental policy, possibly on their homepage, and whether the company has been awarded by public authorities for its environmental contribution. Information about all these things can be found here on The Green Pages.

*2011