This book shows what sustainable development means for the business community and presents best practice approaches in environmental management from Japan, the USA, Brazil and seven European countries. It stresses that international competitiveness depends on the effective use of innovative management tools and has to be supported by an intelligent system of environmental regulation. Experts with many years of practical experience share their knowledge of how to achieve excellency in environmental performance, and present concrete steps towards a sustainable company.

A Requirements and Framework for the Sustainable Company.- 1 Steps Towards the Sustainable Company - Requirements and Strategic Starting Points.- 2 Goals for the Sustainable Company.- 3 The Influence of Environmental Regulation on Company Competitiveness: A Review of the Literature and Some Case Study Evidence.- 4 Environment and Competitiveness of Companies.- 5 From Environmental Management Towards Sustainable Entrepreneurship.- 6 Mandatory Environmental Reporting: Chance or Risk for Companies?.- 7 Environmental Performance Evaluation - The Link Between Management Systems and Reality.- 8 Eco-efficiency in Banking - From Assessing the Risks to Expanding the Opportunities.- B Best Practice Approaches in Environmental Management.- 1 New Concepts in Environmental Auditing - The Application of Auditing Techniques to Environmental Management Systems.- 2 Waste Is Good Material at the Wrong Place - Perspectives of a Recycling Economy.- 3 Japanese Approaches to Environmental Management.- 4 Reducing Environmental Harm from Products: More than Selling "Green Goods".- 5 Environmental Benefits Through Company Application of LCA.- 6 Competitive Advantages Through Voluntary Environmental Reporting.- 7 Mandatory Public Reporting - A Manufacturing Site's Perspective.- 8 Environmental Benchmarking in Italy.- 9 Full Cost Accounting as a Tool for Decision-Making at Ontario Hydro.- 10 From an Individual Company's Environmental Management to Substance Chain Management.- 11 Sustainable Development - From Guiding Principle to Industrial Tool at the Hoechst Company.- C International Organizations and Networks on Environmental Management.- 1 Asian Productivity Organization.- 2 Environmental Auditing Research Group.- 3 European Business Council for a Sustainable Energy Future - e5.- 4 European Environmental Reporting Scheme.- 5 European Partners for the Environment.- 6 European Roundtable on Cleaner Production.- 7 Global Environment Management Initiative - GEMI.- 8 Green Cross International.- 9 Greening of Industry Network.- 10 International Network for Environmental Management e.V. - INEM.- 11 International Sustainable Development Research Network.- 12 Network for Environmental Management and Auditing.- 13 United Nations Environment Programme - Industry and Environment - UNEP IE.- 14 Valdez Society, Japan.- 15 Verein für Umweltmanagement in Banken, Sparkassen und Versicherungen - VfU.- 16 World Business Council for Sustainable Development - WBCSD.- 17 Further International Sources of Information.- Autors.