Environmental Management System certification is delivered by certification bodies (CBs) to organizations whose management systems meet the requirements of the ISO 14001 standard. ISO 14001 specifies the elements of an environmental management system that an organization must have in place to become certified. To achieve this standard, a company must have an environmental policy that is communicated to all employees. It must identify its environmental aspects and set objectives and targets to improve its environmental impact and performance. These objectives and targets should be measurable and closely monitored by the organization. A company must also ensure compliance with any applicable environmental legislation.

A Conformity Assessment Bodies applying for ISO 14001 accreditation must conform to ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO 17021-2 and other additional International requirements as detailed in Specific Requirements for Accreditation for EMS Scheme.