In accrediting certification bodies to provide certification of EMS, UKAS endeavours to contribute to the improvement of the environmental performance of the certified organisations.

UKAS aims to make this contribution through ensuring that accredited certification to ISO 14001 and accredited environmental verification under the EMAS Regulation is only granted where an organisation can demonstrate an effective EMS which:

a)     addresses the significant environmental aspects of their business (both those which they can control, and those over which they can be expected to have an influence), and

b)     is designed to achieve improvements in overall environmental performance of those aspects, as well as the prevention of pollution.

UKAS exercises its influence in this endeavour by ensuring that certification bodies will only achieve and maintain accreditation as the result of demonstrating full conformity with all the requirements of ISO/IEC Guide 66, and in particular, their competence:

a)     to understand the environmental aspects of the organisations that they certify,

b)     to determine whether EMS address the significant environmental aspects of organisations including regulatory compliance,

c)      to determine whether EMS are effective in delivering environmental performance improvement and regulatory compliance,

d)     to trace evidence of failures to achieve planned improvements in environmental performance back to the relevant elements of the EMS.

The overall intent of this is that accredited certification of EMS will deliver improvement in environmental performance.

UKAS will endeavour to promote the fulfilment of this intent internationally.