The rationale for ISO 14001 certification: A systematic review and a cost–benefit analysis

Abstract This contribution presents the findings from a two‐stage systematic review. It relied on PRISMA's methodical protocol to capture and analyze high‐impact articles, that were focused on the International Standards Organization's ISO 14001—Environment Management Systems. Whilst stage 1 shed light on the most cited publications since 1995, stage 2 narrowed down the search results between 2015 and 2021. The findings suggest that the use of this certifiable standard may result in operational efficiencies through better utilization of resources and waste management systems. It provides opportunities for practitioners to re‐conceive their license to operate and to enhance their credentials with stakeholders. Moreover, this review considered potential pitfalls of ISO 14001, like high certification costs, time constraints as well as an increase in paperwork and red tape. It noted that managers and employees may not always be willing or knowledgeable enough to implement the necessary changes to comply with the standard's requirements.