On a global basis, the Kyoto protocol sets standards for overall emissions. However, individual companies also control emissions. For information on American emissions standards, visit doe.gov or epa.gov. In the US, states can impose further restrictions.
California Air Resources Board or CARB sets the emission standards for California. California has been well known for years as having tough emissions standards for vehicles destined to be sold there.
The Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services sets the standards and requirements for citizenship in the U.S.
Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) set US GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Practices)
Tangible
The OSHA regulations set the requirement to have extingishers, refers to the NFPA standards, and sets a requirement to train workers to use them.
Generally speaking, european emissions regulations are much stricter than the standards emplyed by *most* states. The EPA sets some general emission standards for the entire nation (regulating mercury emissions, which Europe does not regulate) and some other heavy toxins. California and Pennslyvania regulate many other emissions, including visible particulates, allergens, carcinogens, and even noise (although usually noise emissions are restricted by city ordinance, not state law). Europe, on the other hand, has a very easily defined grouped emissions standard: not to exceed certain parts per million emissions of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxides, nitrogen oxides, in addition to visible grit and grime. Interestingly enough, in neither continent are airplane or oceangoing vessel's emissions regulated.
The W3C
Tangible
do you think unifrom transmission standards and code sets were included in HIPAA?
It depends on the context. If you mean in general, it would be a standards committee. If you mean in federal government, that would be Congress or Parliament, depending on where you live.
who sets the standards for work place competency
The legal environment sets the normative standards of ethical behavior