ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management
ISO 14001 consulting: when you need it and when you do not
The standard does not require a consultant. A small business that knows its own processes, energy use and permits can reach the certificate through an online self-assessment instead of a consulting project. This page shows what consultants do, what they cost on an indicative basis, and where Zertify fits.
01: Consultant role
What does an ISO 14001 consultant actually do?
A consultant builds or reviews your environmental management system and prepares you for the certification step. The work follows the structure of the standard, from context and leadership through planning and operation to evaluation and improvement.
Typical building blocks of a consulting project:
- Gap analysis
- The consultant compares what your company does today with the requirements of the standard and lists what is missing.
- Register of environmental aspects
- Together with you, the consultant records where energy, materials and water are used and where emissions and waste arise, then rates their impact.
- Register of legal obligations
- Laws, permits and conditions that apply to your site are collected and each one is assigned to a responsible person.
- Documentation
- Environmental policy, objectives, procedures and emergency instructions are written or adapted to your company.
- Training, internal audit and management review
- Staff are briefed, an internal audit is carried out and management reviews the results.
- Audit support
- On the classic route, the consultant accompanies you during the on-site audit by a certification body.
02: Costs
What does ISO 14001 consulting cost?
Consulting is billed by the day. The figures below are indicative ranges for Switzerland, based on a day rate of roughly CHF 1,200 to 2,000. Real quotes depend on the provider, the number of sites and the state of your documentation.
On the classic route, the fee of the certification body for the on-site audit comes on top of any consulting.
| Service | Indicative effort | Indicative total |
|---|---|---|
| Gap analysis and advice | 1 to 3 days | CHF 1,200 to 6,000 |
| Full implementation project | 10 to 25 days over 3 to 9 months | CHF 12,000 to 50,000 |
| Internal audit and management review | 2 to 4 days | CHF 2,400 to 8,000 |
| Accompanying the on-site audit | 1 to 2 days | CHF 1,200 to 4,000 |
03: Decision
Do you need a consultant for ISO 14001?
Often not. If you run an office, a workshop or a small production site with a manageable list of permits, you can describe your environmental aspects yourself. You know which materials you buy, which waste you hand over and which authority has issued which permit.
A consultant earns the fee in other situations: several sites with different permits, hazardous substances, a history of incidents, or a customer who explicitly asks for an on-site audit by a certification body. The same applies if nobody on your team has the time to build the registers and the policy.
If the real question is which certification route fits your customers, the comparison guide sets the classic route and the online route side by side.
04: Zertify
How Zertify certifies you without a consulting project
You answer 34 yes/no questions online. Fourteen of them are mandatory requirements of ISO 14001 and must all be answered yes. Among the other 20 questions you need at least 14 yes answers. There is no on-site audit.
G6 Agency AG issues the certificate under licence from SICE, the Swiss Institute of Certification and Education. SICE reviews every assessment before the certificate is issued. After you pass and pay, the certificate arrives within 4 hours. Every certificate can be checked publicly by its number or by the QR code on the PDF, which is what a purchasing department or a customer audit will use.
The price is CHF 699 (€699) in the first year, then CHF 469 (€469) per year including the yearly online re-audit. The certificate is valid for 3 years. Compare that with the consulting ranges above before you decide to commission a project.
05: Preparation
What you prepare yourself before the self-assessment
The questions ask about the same things a consultant would build with you. If you can answer them honestly with yes, your system exists in practice. If you cannot, the question shows you what is still missing.
Environmental aspects and impacts
Walk through your site and list where energy, materials and water are used and where emissions and waste arise. This sits under planning, clause 6.
Compliance obligations
Write down the laws and permits that apply to you and who is responsible for each. Clause 6 covers this as well.
Environmental policy
Management states the policy and commits to improvement. This is a leadership task under clause 5.
Objectives and actions
Set a few measurable objectives, for example less waste going to disposal, and name who does what by when.
Emergency preparedness
Decide what happens in case of a spill or a fire, and tell the people who would have to act. Clause 8, operation.
Monitoring and reporting
Track consumption and waste figures and report them to management. Clause 9, performance evaluation.
If one of these points is too large to handle alone, a consultant can work on exactly that part. A day or two of targeted advice costs far less than a full project.
06: FAQ
Questions about ISO 14001 consulting
07: Guide
Related pages
Check where your company stands on ISO 14001
The self-assessment has 34 yes/no questions and shows you which requirements you already meet.
Free and without registration.