TSE ISO/IEC TS 17021-2

TSE ISO/IEC TS 17021-2 is a Technical Specification focused on the competence of personnel involved in auditing and certifying environmental management systems (EMS). It adds subject-specific competence requirements on top of ISO/IEC 17021, the general framework for certification bodies performing management system audits and certification, so that people working on EMS certification can apply environmental concepts, audit practice, and terminology correctly.

Why competence is treated separately for EMS certification

Environmental management systems are built around the way an organisation manages environmental aspects, compliance obligations, operational controls, and continual improvement. Because of that, the people who audit an EMS and contribute to certification decisions need more than general management system audit skills; they also need competence in environmental management concepts. This Technical Specification addresses that additional layer of expertise.

Relationship with ISO/IEC 17021 and typical use

In general technical terms, ISO/IEC 17021 sets the core principles for certification bodies, including impartiality, consistency, and competence. TSE ISO/IEC TS 17021-2 complements that framework by focusing on the additional competence expected of personnel working with EMS audits and certification. It is therefore relevant to certification bodies that assess, assign, and train personnel for environmental management system certification activities; it is not a product standard and it does not itself establish an EMS.

This listing represents a withdrawn Technical Specification from 2017. Its subject remains useful as general technical context for understanding how EMS certification competence is structured.