In an environmental management system in accordance with ISO 14001, an organization defines the responsibilities and processes of operational environmental protection. This includes regulations on planning, implementation and control as well as the definition of responsibilities and codes of conduct and procedures. The organization agrees on goals and takes the appropriate measures. As part of internal audits, the organization itself checks whether these requirements are being met. An environmental management system in accordance with ISO 14001 should, on the one hand, meet the individual requirements of the company or authority and ensure the continuous improvement of environmental performance and, on the other hand, provide the opportunity to have this performance certified by independent, external auditors ("certification body")