An Environmental Audit intends to obtain tangible data that can help top management to know the environmental performance of a organization or activity.

An audit to a Environmental Management System aims, among other aspects, to assess the adequacy of the policy, objectives, legislation complaince and procedures compliance relatively to the requirements of the standard ISO 14001.

Environmental audits can also seek to:
- Verify compliance with national and EU legislation;
- Identify practices that entail risks, so that they can be minimized;
- Planning awareness and training sessions for the employees of the organization to the problems affecting their activities.