Why do firms voluntarily adopt environmental management systems? The case of the Czech Republic

Abstract

We examine why firms voluntarily implement environmental management systems. Employing the ISO 14001 management system and using firm-level data for the Czech Republic, we find that environmental management systems are typically adopted by large firms and by those firms that initially pollute the environment more. These systems are more commonly implemented by firms operating in service industries. On the other hand, we find little support that the adoption of environmental management systems is influenced by the firm's financial performance and labor costs.