Overview
EN ISO/IEC 17021-2:2018 (identical to ISO/IEC 17021-2:2016) is the Part 2 specification within the ISO/IEC 17021 series that defines competence requirements for bodies auditing and certifying Environmental Management Systems (EMS). Endorsed by CEN and published as a European Standard, it supplements the generic conformity assessment requirements for management-system certification by detailing the technical knowledge and skills auditors and certification personnel need for EMS auditing and certification.
Key topics and technical requirements
The standard focuses on competence rather than process or audit method. Major topics include:
- Generic competence requirements for EMS auditors and certification personnel.
- Environmental terminology and environmental metrics needed to interpret EMS evidence.
- Monitoring and measurement techniques relevant to environmental performance.
- Environmental aspects and impacts, including life‑cycle perspective.
- Environmental performance evaluation and compliance obligations (legal and other).
- Emergency preparedness and response, and operational control mechanisms.
- Site‑related factors, scope definition, and communicated information required for audits.
- Risks and opportunities as applied to EMSs.
- Aspect‑specific competence: emissions to air, releases to land and water, raw material/energy use, energy emissions, waste, and use of space - with guidance on operational control and monitoring for each.
- Competence of other personnel: those carrying out application reviews, selecting audit teams, determining audit time, reviewing reports, and making certification decisions.
Practical applications
This standard is used to ensure that bodies providing EMS audits and certification maintain personnel competence appropriate to the environmental aspects and technical complexity of the auditee. It helps:
- Certification bodies design auditor qualification, training and team‑selection processes.
- Accreditation bodies assess whether an EMS certification body meets EMS‑specific competence expectations.
- Organizations understand the level of auditor expertise they can expect when seeking ISO/EMS certification.
Who uses this standard
- Certification bodies that offer EMS (e.g., ISO 14001) audits and certification.
- Accreditation bodies evaluating certification schemes.
- Audit team leaders and HR/training managers responsible for auditor competence.
- Large organizations and regulators verifying rigour and credibility of EMS certification.
Related standards
- ISO/IEC 17021‑1 - generic requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems.
- ISO 14001 - specification for Environmental Management Systems (commonly audited under this competence regime).
Keywords: EN ISO/IEC 17021-2:2018, ISO/IEC 17021-2, EMS auditing, environmental management systems, auditor competence, conformity assessment, environmental certification.
