Worldwide Diffusion of ISO 14001 Standard

We conduct an empirical examination of national conditions that promote the diffusion of the ISO 14001 standard. Our estimates confirm earlier studies on several determinants. While environmental considerations are important in the diffusion of the ISO 14001 standard, we show that other factors play a significant role as well, such as the prior diffusion of ISO 9000 and the country’s education level. Our main contribution is to provide empirical evidence for the hypothesis that the participation of a country or an economic sector in the standard-setting process is a major driver of its future adoption of the standard.