Overview
This standard describes the skills and knowledge requirements to plan and establish an organisational environmental audit. It includes the preparation required to undertake an environmental audit.
This standard is suitable for:
· A manager with responsibility for environmental management and/or sustainability
· An owner/manager of a business seeking to improve the environmental performance of the organisation
· An environmental management systems co-ordinator or equivalent
· An environmental auditor
· A consultant providing environmental advice.
This standard covers the preparation required to conduct an effective organisational environmental audit, considering the resources, audit objectives and communication methods required.
Those involved in planning and establishing an organisational environmental audit must consider carbon accounting and Life Cycle Assessments of the products, services, and activities offered by the organisation. This will involve assessing the carbon footprint of the products and services. Organisations need to be accountable for how they manage their impact on the environment, they need to become more sustainable. The organisation needs to look at their carbon impact at global as well as a local level. This will also involve assessing the impact.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
1. Specify the objectives of the organisational environmental audit and identify what the measures of success are
2. Establish the relevant stakeholders to liaise with during the audit process, including those from protected characteristics
3. Plan and establish the responsibilities and resources required to conduct the organisational environmental audit
4. Plan and establish the audit techniques required to achieve the audit objectives and determine whether the organisation is meeting the agreed measures
5. Establish suitable communication methods during and after the audit process
6. Communicate the audit objectives with all relevant stakeholders, including those from protected characteristics
7. Establish the sources of information for use during the audit process
8. Confirm that the audit objectives are realistic and meet the organisation’s requirements
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and
understand:
1. How to establish the objectives of the organisational environmental audit and the measures of success
2. The relevant stakeholders, including those from protected characteristics, to liaise with during the audit process
3. How to plan and establish the responsibilities and resources required to conduct the organisational environmental audit
4. The different types of environmental audits
5. The role of environmental audits and situations in which they are applicable
6. The stages in the environmental audit process
7. The audit techniques to be used and the reasons for their selection
8. How to determine measures of success and assess if an organisation is meeting the agreed measures
9. Those aspects of the organisation to be audited and sources of information
10. How to specify and obtain any additional audit expertise as and when required
11. The methods of liaising with relevant stakeholders during and after the audit process
12. How to define the relevant level of liaison and consultation with relevant stakeholders
Relevant Occupations
Consultant, Environmental Consultant, Environmental Management Officer, Environmental Manager, Manager, Owner/Manager, Environmental Auditor, Environmental Management Systems Co-ordinator
Keywords
impact; pollution; climate;