Book excerpt: International Environmental Risk Management: ISO 14000 and the Systems Approach gives readers an extensive analysis of practical applications of ISO 14000 and environmental compliance management systems. It offers a mixture of technical engineering advice, legal guidance, and common-sense business acumen. The authors explain the essentials of the standards - how they are being developed and what implications they present - and then discuss cost-benefit analyses, integration strategies, business risk control measures, litigation avoidance and legal expense reduction, and step-by-step guidance on achieving third-party certification.