This document gives guidelines for the systematic and methodical acquisition and review of quantitative environmental information and data about systems. It supports the application of standards and reports on environmental management.

This document gives guidelines for organizations on the general principles, policies, strategies and activities necessary to obtain quantitative environmental information for internal and/or external purposes. Such purposes can be, for example, to establish inventory routines and support decision making related to environmental policies and strategies, aimed in particular at comparing quantitative environmental information. The information is related to organizations, activities, facilities, technologies and products.

This document addresses issues related to defining, collecting, processing, interpreting and presenting quantitative environmental information. It provides guidelines on how to establish accuracy, verifiability and reliability for the intended use. It uses proven and well-established approaches for the preparation of information adapted to the specific needs of environmental management.

This document is applicable to all organizations, regardless of their size, type, location, structure, activities, products, level of development and whether or not they have an environmental management system in place.

NOTE 1 Quantitative information specifically addresses quantification of environmental performance in the form of environmental performance indicators in accordance with ISO 14031.

NOTE 2 Quantitative information also addresses quantification of risk for risk management purposes.

This document supplements the contents of other International Standards on environmental management.

NOTE 3 Annexes A and B provide illustrative and general examples of how to apply the guidelines and the framework. Annexes C and D provide sector-specific case studies on the application of the framework and case studies on selected documents from the ISO 14000 family, respectively. Annex E provides explanatory information to prevent misinterpretation of the guidance of this document.