With the Industrial Revolution triggered large-scale production of the environmental problems, and gradually attracted people's attention, in 1972, countries around the world in the Swedish capital Stockholm at the first United Nations Human Environment Conference, adopted the "Declaration on the Human Environment" (that is, the Stockholm Declaration ) And "acts of the human environment" and the establishment of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the annual June 5 as "World Environment Day."

In 1992 the General Assembly "Environment and Development" was held in Rio de Janeiro, in addition to publication such as "Agenda 21" and other documents, also in the report for future development identified seven objectives: to develop and improve the quality of development, protection and additional resources To ensure that an appropriate degree of population, raising the technological level of control to reduce risk, often in decision-making to include environmental and economic considerations, changes in international economic relations. During this period, Germany, the European Community, the United Kingdom and other country started to explore environmental management.

In 1990 ISO and IEC thought security and environment were the most pressing issues, for which, ISO draw on the successful implementation of the ISO9000 experience, and promulgated a series of  ISO14000 environmental management standard (promulgated the first batch of five) in 1996. ISO14000 standards promulgated immediately after being widely used around the world.

In the application of this standard, environmental factors are stressed and controlled. But what is the environmental factor? How to identify? What is the meaning of control? The standard guidelines give appropriate instructions.

The so-called environmental factors are an organization's activities, products or services in the environment can interact with the elements. Important environmental factors are those that have or are able to have significant environmental impact.

The environmental impact which environmental factors produced is measured through the environmental performance.

Implementation of an environmental management system of organizations to identify their environmental management system within the coverage of the activities, products and services that can control or influence of environmental factors, at this time should be taken into account have been included in the plan or the new development, new or Modify the activities, products and services, and other factors identified on the environment, or may have a significant impact on the factors (that is, important environmental factors), and such information should be formed to update the text and, organizations should ensure that in establishing, implementing and maintaining the environment Management system, the important environmental factors to consider.

Identification of environmental factors, including points clear procurement, technical preparation, process control, production processes, equipment testing, inspection and test the service, and other environmental factors, environmental factors and the preparation of the list, manage and control.