Controversial proposals on environmental certifiers

Criteria to be used for accrediting organisations which will certify companies for compliance with the environmental management systems standard BS7750 and EMAS, its EC counterpart, have been issued for consultation by the National Accreditation Council for Certification Bodies (NACCB).¹ The paper goes a long way towards clarifying how the certification process will operate, but some of the NACCB's proposals are controversial and may result in damage to the credibility of the two standards unless its own policing of certification bodies is effective.