The ISO 14001 Environmental Standard and Exports

Analyses that examine the role of international standards on export performance have been concentrated on quality certifications, like the ISO 9000. In this article, we assess the impact of environmental certifications on export outcomes. Using firm-level data from Ecuador, we found that holding an ISO 14001 environmental certification increases the likelihood of becoming an exporter. We did not find an impact on the firm’s level of exports or on the growth rate of exports. The results suggest that ISO 14001 certification is most useful when it comes to reducing information frictions, thus allowing firms to initiate export transactions.