The Potential of the Industrial Sector in Implementing ISO 14001: 2004 in Vientiane, Lao P.D.R.

Abstract

This research aims to study the potential of the industrial sector and factors affecting the implementation of ISO 14001:2004. The total number of representative samples which were selected through simple random sampling from 329 locations in the capital Vientiane. Most samples included senior executives, general managers or division heads. The data were drawn from the questionnaire survey, of which 320 or 97.27 percent were completed and returned. According to the study 9 indicators which are used to determine the factory’s potential level. There are 5 indicators at the medium level that executive’s demands for the ISO 14001:2004 system; technology for pollution control; budget allocation for environmental management; environmental problems prevention; and maintenance of machinery. Understanding ISO 14001:2004 ; potential of employees; environmental planning; and trainings for staff on ISO 14001:2004 are at a low level. It was found that the factors affecting the ISO 14001:2004 implementation were education level, other certificates and factory fuel utilization, which are related to factory potential level at the statistically significant 0.05.