Certification

Certification means that an impartial expert evaluates whether the object of certification (product or management system) meets a clearly established standard. If this is indeed the case, it is laid down in an official document: the certificate.

Certification bodies

Agencies acting as independent experts in certification are called certification bodies (CBs). The Council for Accreditation (CA) supervises the certification bodies.The evaluation is done using ground rules laid down in the certification scheme, which have been approved by a committee of experts in which all interested parties are represented. The Dutch version of the certification scheme is leading. A summary of changes in the certification scheme and transitional period for implementation is available on the Dutch website.

A certification body issues a certificate if it has confidence that an organization satisfies the requirements in the standard and can continue to do so. At least once a year there is an audit to see if the organization still meets the standard. If it does not, the certificate may be withdrawn. A certificate is issued for three years, with a complete re-audit in the third year.

The certificate allows an organization to demonstrate that it meets all the requirements in the standard. This makes the certificate a valuable tool for communication, since various other parties have an interest in an organization’s energy performance, and thereby in the certificate.

Continual improvement

One requirement for certification is that the organization’s energy policy is aimed at continual improvement of its energy performance. The organization must therefore demonstrate that it has an idea of the possibilities for improving its energy efficiency, and that it includes these possibilities when formulating its energy objectives. The desire to improve must be apparent from these objectives.

Links

• List of certification bodies
• Certification scheme for ISO 50001:2018
• 10 steps for setting up an environmental or occupational health and safety management system