Inem Information

The International Network for Environmental Management (INEM), a non-profit organisation, is the world federation of non-profit environmental management associations and cleaner production centres. The INEM network comprises more than 30 member and affiliated environmental management associations and cleaner production centres in more than 25 countries. The Main Secretariat is located in Hamburg, Germany. INEM was founded in February 1991 by environmental management associations from Austria, Germany and Sweden, and was publicly launched at the second World Industry Conference on Environmental Management in April 1991 in Rotterdam. INEM's goals are to minimise the environmental impacts of industrial operations, and to help business and industry reconcile the imperatives of development and the environment. The main task of INEM is the promotion, development, dissemination and application of principles and methods of environmental management, as well as the creation and support of business associations for environmental management world-wide. INEM places a special emphasis on SMEs, as well as developing countries and Central & Eastern Europe/Newly Independent States, and partnerships among business, local authorities and academic/research institutions. INEM is accredited to the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) and holds observer status with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (Helsinki Commission). INEM has participated in the development of international environmental standards by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) since the inception of the ISO ad hoc Strategic Advisory Group on the Environment (SAGE) in September 1991. INEM is a Liaison Member of the ISO Technical Committee on Environmental Management (ISO/TC 207), which is developing standards for environmental management systems, environment auditing, eco-labelling, life cycle analysis, and environmental performance evaluation. In June 1992 INEM organised the first International Industry Conference for Sustainable Development (IICSD) as part of the 1992 Global Forum of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro. Subsequently each year, one conference organised by INEM member associations or the Main Secretariat is designated as the IICSD. The 1993 IICSD, International Conference on Eco-Management, was held in Tokyo, Japan.