Course Description

An effective Environmental Management System (EMS) audit provides confidence that an organization is managing its environmental responsibilities in a structured, credible and forward-looking way. It supports not only conformity with ISO 14001:2026, but also the organization’s ability to respond to its context, changing environmental conditions and evolving stakeholder expectations.

This practical 2-day course develops the competence and confidence required to plan, conduct, report and follow up internal audits of an EMS. Through case studies and interactive exercises, participants will assess conformity, implementation and effectiveness, while exploring key concepts such as life cycle thinking, management of change and performance improvement.

By the end of the course, delegates will be able to initiate and prepare audits, conduct audit activities, report findings clearly and support corrective action and continual improvement in line with ISO 14001:2026.

Course aim

To equip participants with the knowledge and practical skills to plan, conduct, report and follow-up internal audits that evaluate the effectiveness and conformity of an Environmental Management System (EMS) against ISO 14001 requirements.

How will I benefit?

Benefits of the course include:

• Understanding what certification bodies typically look for when assessing internal audit effectiveness, including the intent behind ISO 14001 requirements and internal auditing principles
• Learn how to effectively plan, execute and follow up internal EMS audits with confidence and consistency
• Evaluate not only conformity, but also the effectiveness and performance of an Environmental Management System
• Assess how well an organization addresses its context, environmental aspects (including life cycle considerations), risks, opportunities and change
• Identify meaningful audit findings that support corrective action and continual improvement
• Prepare clear, objective and value-adding audit reports

What will I Learn

You will learn how to:

• Apply the guidelines of management system auditing according to ISO 19011:2018
• The application of these guidelines to auditing ISO 14001:2026

You will have the skills to:

• Initiate the audit
• Prepare audit activities
• Conduct audit activities
• Prepare and distribute the audit report
• Complete the audit
• Audit follow-up

Who should attend?

This course is suitable for anyone involved in auditing, maintaining or overseeing an ISO 14001:2026 Environmental Management System, as well as those seeking to develop competence to become an internal auditor.