The Kids' ISO 14000 Programme

What is it ?

The Kids' ISO 14000 Programme

• Develops environmental awareness among children and young people
  
  
• Teaches them to implement environmental management based on the ISO 14000 approach in their homes and communities, and
  
  
• Ppens them to the value of networking with young people in other schools, communities and countries in order to bring the force of collective action to global environmental issues.

Why is it so special ?

Twenty per cent of the world's population is aged between 10 and 19. Clearly, what children and young people think and do about the environment today will influence the environment they live in tomorrow. The environmental awareness they develop when they are young will shape the impact they make on the environment as adults.

The Kids' ISO 14000 Programme begins by developing environmental awareness - but goes much further. What makes it special is that it nurtures autonomous, "environmentally mature" children and young people who are confident in their ability to act positively on the environment.

They learn by their own experience that their actions can have a beneficial impact on the environment. In addition, they learn to network with children in other schools, communities and countries and so discover that collective action can be a force multiplier for resolving global environmental issues.

Who created it ?

The Kids' ISO 14000 Programme was created by Prof. Takaya Kawabe and Ms. Miyuki Koyama, respectively President and Secretary-General of the Japanese non-profit, non-governmental organization ArTech which operates the programme.

ArTech President Prof. Takaya Kawabe (right) and Secretary-General Ms. Miyuki Koyama (left)

Prof. Kawabe explains:
"Following the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002, the United Nations announced plans to launch the 'Decade of Education for Sustainable Development' for 2005-2015. It is evident that the environmental education of children and young peoples is now one of the keys for the solution of global environmental problems and for achieving sustainable development."

What's ISO's involvement ?

• In October 2002, ISO signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ArTech giving permission for the use of its name in the title of The Kids' ISO 14000 Programme and allowing ArTech to use the ISO logo to demonstrate the organization's support.
  


• In October 2003, ISO signed a new MoU under which ISO Central Secretariat pledged active support by using its communication media to promote the programme, and by encouraging its dissemination worldwide through ISO's network of national standards institutes in 148 countries.

ISO Secretary-General Alan Bryden commented: "Just about everyone is agreed on the need to 'do something' to control the negative impacts of man's activities on the environment. Practical tools for achieving this, and for improving environmental performance, are provided by International Standards like the ISO 14001 environmental management system standard that is implemented by more than 50 000 organizations in 118 countries."

"Therefore, it is normal that ISO should respond positively to ArTech's desire for cooperation because its programme demonstrates even to young children that the small, practical steps they take can have incremental, positive results."

What's the link with ISO 14000 ?

The Kids' ISO 14000 Programme teaches children to put into practice the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle which is the operating principle of the ISO 14000 standards on environmental management systems. The children learn to use the PDCA cycle to establish environmental baselines (such as domestic water consumption), set targets to reduce negative impacts and monitor implementation of measures to achieve the targets.

Co-founder of the programme, Prof. Takaya Kawabe, commented: "In many cases in Japan, the parents of children participating in the programme work in business organizations that are implementing ISO 14001, and the families live in municipalities certified to ISO 14001, or seeking certification."

'"ISO 14001 enjoys recognition on the international scale as a tool for improving environmental performance. ArTech is therefore happy to incorporate reference to the ISO 14000 family in the name of its programme because it aims on the international scale at educating children to the practical measures they can take to improve the environment, first in their homes, then in their communities."

Who supports it ?

In addition to ISO, The Kids' ISO 14000 Programme receives practical support from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the United Nations University (which has cooperated since the launch of the programme).

It has received expressions of support from the Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT) and the Japanese Environment Ministry (MOE).

Support has come from a number of Japanese business organizations and the Japanese operations of multinational companies.

Launched in Japan in 2000, the programme is now on its way to becoming an international one. By December 2003, schools or other organizations (including ISO national member institutes) from many countries were preparing to, or expressing strong interest in, implementing or supporting the programme.

How does it work ?

First of all, children and young people participating in The Kids' ISO 14000 Programme learn to apply the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle at the heart of the ISO 14000 environmental management system standards. They do so by implementing PDCA in their own homes to:

Children thus learn by experience that they can reduce negative environmental impacts and improve environmental performance.

Next, in cases where the children's parents work in organizations pursuing certification to ISO 14001, there is a potential for synergy between programmes in the work place and activities at home. The possibilities are increased when they live in a community where the local authority too is promoting the use of ISO 14001. This creates opportunities for joint action programmes between schools, enterprises and local government.

In any case, The Kids' ISO 14000 Programme encourages participants to network with children engaged in the programme in other schools and communities, both nationally and internationally. Children learn by direct experience that cooperation and team work, regardless of frontiers multiplies the efficiency and effectiveness of their environmental management efforts.

Throughout the programme, there is an emphasis on feedback and two-way communication between the children and their teachers. This helps to build self-confidence in the young people which will serve them well as they grow up, giving them the strength to tackle environmental and other challenges in their adult lives.

The Kids' ISO 14000 Programme is a powerful learning tool. Here and now, it helps children to achieve measurable environmental results on their own doorsteps. For tomorrow, it forms responsible, environmentally mature citizens with a global perspective.

Plan - Do - Check - Act

The Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle is the operating principle of ISO's management system standards for the environment (ISO 14000) and quality (ISO 9000).

Plan - establish objectives and make plans (analyse the situation you are in, establish your overall objectives and set your interim targets, and develop plans to achieve them).

Do - implement your plans (do what you planned to do)

Check - measure your results (measure/monitor how far your actual achievements meet your planned objectives).

Act : correct and improve your plans and how you put them into practice (correct and learn from your mistakes to improve your plans in order to achieve better results next time).

What exactly's in the programme ?

The Kids' ISO 14000 Programme begins with training of "Eco-Kids' Instructors" who, in turn, train teachers at schools that have decided to participate. The teachers learn how to manage the programme in their classes and how to use the programme workbooks and evaluation manuals.

The programme is suitable for children from the age of 10. It comprises four levels:

After the participants complete their workbooks or projects, these are sent to ArTech for evaluation and marking by the Eco-Kids' Instructors and then returned to the children. This recognition of the children's work and positive feedback valorises them and encourages them to continue.

On successful completion of the primary, middle and highest levels, the young people are invited to an award ceremony where they receive a certificate from The Kids' ISO 14000 Programme International Committee, which is appointed by ArTech and comprises representatives of organizations cooperating on, or supporting the programme.

How is integrity maintained ?

The three guiding principles for implementation of The Kids' ISO 14000 Programme, in whatever country it takes place, are the following:

1. Retain the essential points of the original concept and the aims of the programme in the workbooks at each level.

Develop an understanding of the programme in its totality, which consists of instructors, workbook, training course, manual for evaluation, manual for teachers.

2. Take account of the different geographic, climatic and socio-economic characteristics in different countries and regions, and respect cultural differences.

Obviously, from country to country, or even between regions, there may be important differences in heating and cooling systems. These need to be taken into account in preparing the workbooks. In addition to the physical environment, the different technologies used are products of the 'wisdom' of the national or regional culture and this heritage must be understood and respected to ensure the relevance and effectiveness of the programme.

3. Nurture a "sense of togetherness" for working on global environmental issues.

The ultimate target of the programme is to form a worldwide network of 'environmen­tally mature' children. It is well known that environmental ­problems know no frontiers and that, for example, one country acting alone cannot stop global warming. Therefore, it is crucial for children to understand the need to work together to resolve global environmental issues.

What results does it achieve ?

The Kids' ISO 14000 Programme has achieved the following results during three years' operation (2000-2003) in Japan:

Increasing participation

• The programme was launched in 2000, when 450 children took part in a pilot project. By the third quarter of 2003, more than 50 000 Japanese schoolchildren had participated.
  
  
• A clear trend has been established: once a local government administration or local education authority holds a pilot project in one school, the programme spreads to other schools and municipalities throughout the administrative area, and from there to neighbouring provinces.
  
  
• With the above ripple effect, the number of Eco-Kids Instructors trained to support the programme increases - which stimulates further growth.
  

Growing awareness

Survey evidence points to increased environmental awareness among 80% of children that have participated. One study of children three months after their participation showed that environmental awareness persisted. Environmental awareness also increased among 60% of family members, including parents, of participating children. This revealed the effectiveness of environmental education of adults by children.

Improved communication

• Participating children require the cooperation of their families in implementing the programme in their households. This increases the number of exchanges - by as much as 85% in one household studied - and generally improves communication within the family.
  
  
• One Japanese city is using the programme in its efforts to reduce crime by young offenders because it believes that improved communication within families removes one of the factors that can drive young people to crime.
  

Reduced emissions

• Reductions of carbon dioxide emissions of 10-15% per household have been demonstrated.

Synergy with enterprise and community environmental programmes

• Business and local government organizations in Japan have taken a keen interest in The Kids' ISO 14000 Programme. Reaching their employees and citizens in their homes, it complements, reinforces, or even multiplies their own enterprise or community programmes and efforts to build environmental awareness and in their own ISO 14001 implementation programmes.

Value-added learning

• The Kids' ISO 14000 Programme has proved to be effective when used in combination with other environmental programmes, such as nature study and conservation.
  
  
• The programme has been shown to be value-adding and enhancing in its effect. For example, one survey showed that children who had participated were keener to reduce the number of plastic bags used at supermarkets.
  
  
• The programme has also proved to interact well with other school subjects. For example, programme workbooks have been used in national and foreign language teaching, and the programme has also inspired environmental themes for drama classes.
  

What if we want to participate ?

As the creator and overall coordinator of the programme, ArTech is the initial contact for enquiries about participating in, or supporting the programme, about whether it is operating in a particular country, whether any partnerships have been established with local organizations, and about the availability of material in the national language.

ISO is encouraging the national standards institutes that make up its membership to become programme facilitators and national partners of ArTech.

In the public sector, ISO members could consider contacting and establishing partnerships around the programme with ministries and other administrations - central, regional and local - responsible for areas such as education, youth, the environment, trade, consumers, national heritage and culture.

In the private sector, potential partners and sponsors could include industry and business associations, individual businesses and consumer organizations.

Once the programme material is available in the national language, a typical implementation in a school, or other organization, would take place as follows.

An Eco-Kids' Instructor visits the establishment and provides the following explanations of the programme:

If the school decides to go ahead, then it signs a contract with ArTech and designates a representative for training at an Eco-Kids' Instructor.
ArTech then provides the following:

What's the path forward ?

Launched in Japan in 2000, The Kids' ISO 14000 Programme is scheduled for its international roll-out in 2004 with the development of programme material in English for subsequent national adoptions and translations.

Whom do we contact ?

Primary contact for The Kids' ISO 14000 Programme: