To conduct an analysis of the organisation ' s environmental system processes to determine compliance obligations.

Except for a pandemic or other natural disaster, this audit must be performed onsite at the auditee ' s location.

Gaps in the EMS against the requirements of ISO 14001 are reported as ' areas of concern ' .

The audit team ' s recommendation regarding certification is the key outcome of this stage.

Reviewing some of the auditee ' s documentation.

The purpose of this audit is to determine if the EMS is effectively implemented and maintained.