The text supports the argument that ISO 14000 will not solve the complex problems of Brazilian environment. It is postulated that its incorporation in business does not yet represent a paradigmatic change in the direction of sustainability, rather representing a change in the business culture caused more by the changes in the world political economy than by a possible environmental consciousness. In spite of the clean technology appearing to be the greatest contemporary competitive advantage in the actual scenario of governmental deregulation, its reach is still limited to its intrinsic dependence on the demand of a significant green market.
Environmentalism; ideology; market; green consumer; clean technology