The Environmental Management and Coordination Act (EMCA) of 1999 and the 2025 regulations say that projects that could harm the environment must have environmental assessments. An environmental audit (EA) ensures compliance with the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) through regular, unbiased evaluations.

Initial audits establish a baseline, while ongoing audits assess adherence to the EMP, occurring at different frequencies based on project risk—low-risk projects every three years, medium-risk every two years, and high-risk annually.

Only NEMA-registered experts can conduct audits, with self-audits allowed under supervision. Reports must encompass various required elements, such as non-technical summaries and compliance assessments, and are generally submitted to NEMA annually by December 31st. Non-compliance may lead to enforcement actions, including improvement orders from NEMA, which also conducts inspections to ensure conformity.