ISO 14001 states that achieving balance between the environment, society, and the economy, is considered essential to meet the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future. Sustainable development as a goal is achieved by balancing these three pillars.
Societal expectations for sustainable development, transparency, and accountability have evolved with increasingly stringent legislation, growing pressures on the environment from pollution, inefficient use of resources, improper waste management, degradation of ecosystems, and loss of biodiversity.
This has led organizations to adopt a systematic approach to environmental management by implementing Environmental Management Systems with the aim of contributing to the three environmental pillars of sustainability.