ISO and climate change
In February 2024, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published amendments to its existing standards (such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001, and others) as part of the measures to implement the London Declaration on Climate Change. These amendments aim to enhance organizational resilience and adaptability to climate-related risks.
Key Changes
The key amendments focus on modifications to clauses 4.1 and 4.2 of the Annex SL standard:
- Clause 4.1: Organizations must determine whether climate change is a relevant issue that could impact their ability to achieve their planned results.
- Clause 4.2: Organizations should identify and assess the requirements of interested parties regarding climate change.
These changes are designed to integrate climate actions into the organization’s management systems, encouraging them to evaluate risks and opportunities related to climate change. It includes understanding how climate change may affect internal processes, infrastructure, resource availability, and supply chains. Organizations are also encouraged to document and integrate considerations of climate change into their strategic planning and risk management processes.
Implementation
The implementation of these amendments begins immediately after the publication on February 23, 2024. Organizations that have already implemented and certified ISO standards must consider these changes in their management systems. However, there is no strict deadline for transitioning to these new requirements as they are considered an addition to existing standards. It is recommended that these changes be reviewed and implemented by the first supervisory/re-certification audit.
Important Note
Organizations will not need new certificates due to these amendments. They are expected to assess the relevance of climate change for their business and incorporate it into their risk assessment and the evaluation of other external factors affecting the effectiveness of their management systems. Auditors will look for evidence during future audits that the organization has considered climate change in its operations.
Considerations and Examples
- Integrated Management Systems: If an organization manages multiple integrated systems, it must ensure climate change is considered within each applicable standard.
- Impact on Different Systems: Climate change can affect each management system differently. For instance, its impact on a quality management system may vary significantly from its impact on health and safety management systems.
- Impact on Working Conditions: Rising temperatures may impact working conditions, affecting both worker safety and equipment efficiency.
- Climate and Supply Chain: Extreme weather events like floods, hurricanes, and droughts can disrupt operations, damage production facilities, interfere with supply chains, and impact service organizations.
- Resource Shortages: Climate variations may lead to resource shortages, particularly for industries reliant on water or specific natural resources.
- Health and Safety: Climate change can impact employee health and safety, especially in service industries, outdoor operations, or industries with frequent travel. This may also trigger labor market changes, requiring new skills to manage the emerging business conditions.