ISO 14006 is a guideline for enterprises to use in creating, documenting, implementing, maintaining, and continuously improving their eco-design management as part of an environmental management system (EMS). This guideline is intended for companies that have established an EMS in accordance with ISO 14001, but it may also be used to integrate eco-design into other management systems. ISO 14006 pertains to any organization, regardless of its kind, size, or product(s) delivered, and it is concerned with product-related environmental characteristics and activities that an organization may manage and influence.

Organizations are realizing the need to prevent negative impacts on the environment from their goods as well as the necessity to include environmental issues into design and development through the use of life cycle thinking. This is commonly referred to as "Eco-design." Instead of Eco-design, alternative terminology like design for environment (DfE), environmentally conscious design (ECD), ecologically sustainable design, and green design are used. Eco-design requires a life cycle perspective. The examination of environmental elements relevant to a product across its full life cycle is referred to as life cycle thinking. This entails taking into account a series of interconnected steps, such as material procurement, design and development, production, delivery, and installation, usage (including reuse, maintenance, repair, remanufacturing, refurbishing, and upgrading), end-of-life treatment, and disposal..