An internal auditor of a manufacturer of aluminium products for the car industry asked to see the most recent management review minutes and found no…

The nonconformity was raised against ISO 14001:2015, clause 9.3.c, because the management review failed to consider "the extent to which environmental objectives have been met." An effective response must address this process failure.
Option B proposes scheduling specific internal audits to cover the completion of objectives. According to clause 9.3.b.3, the "results of internal and external audits" are a mandatory input for management review. By scheduling these specific audits, the Environmental Manager ensures that a formal report on the status of objectives will be generated. This report must then be presented to top management during their review, directly addressing the gap identified by the auditor. While not the only possible solution, it is the most effective procedural control offered among the choices.

A. This action corrects a potential issue with the objectives themselves but fails to address the root cause of the nonconformity, which is the deficiency in the management review process.
C. Rejecting the nonconformity is improper. The standard explicitly requires management to review the status of objectives (9.3.c), a separate requirement from the internal audit programme (9.2).
D. The internal auditor correctly identified a valid nonconformity in the management system. Therefore, training the auditor is an inappropriate response that fails to address the actual process failure.

1. International Organization for Standardization (ISO). (2015). ISO 14001:2015 Environmental management systems — Requirements with guidance for use.

Section 9.3 Management review: This clause specifies the required inputs for the management review. It lists "information on the organization’s environmental performance, including trends in: ... 3) the results of internal and external audits" (9.3.b.3) and, as a separate item, "the extent to which environmental objectives have been met" (9.3.c). This confirms the validity of the nonconformity and demonstrates how using the audit process (Option B) can formally feed the missing information into the management review.

2. PECB. (2017). ISO 14001:2015 Lead Auditor Training Course Material.

Module: Audit Process, Section on Nonconformity Reporting and Corrective Actions: The courseware emphasizes that a corrective action must address the root cause of the identified problem. In this scenario, the problem is a gap in the management review inputs. Option B provides a systematic way to ensure this input is generated and presented, thereby addressing the cause of the finding. The material would clarify that simply revising objectives (A) or rejecting a valid finding (C) are not acceptable corrective actions.

3. Sârbu, R., & Bârsan, G. (2017). Aspects Regarding the Implementation of the Management Review Process within the Environmental Management System. Annals of the „Constantin Brâncuşi” University of Târgu Jiu, Engineering Series, (4), 136-141.

Page 138, Table 1 - Input data for management analysis: This academic paper outlines the inputs for management review, mirroring ISO 14001. It states, "The results of internal and external audits of the environmental management system" and "The level of achieving the environmental objectives and targets" are key inputs. This supports the distinction between the two and validates that a failure to review objectives is a nonconformity. It also implicitly supports that strengthening the audit process to formally report on objectives is a valid method to ensure the information reaches the review.