Climate issues in ISO 9001 and ISO 14001
December 16, 2024
In December 2023, the ISO Technical Management Board, the part of ISO that leads the development of standards, took a very unusual decision. The decision means that a wide range of standards, including ISO 9001 and 14001, will require organizations to investigate and determine whether and how climate change is affecting them.
Lennart Gidlöf, expert for Sweden in the international ISO 9001 working group, clarifies.
- Firstly, formally speaking, the use of standards is voluntary, the requirement only applies to those organizations that have committed to working according to the respective standard concerned. In plain language, this means that those who, for example, are certified according to ISO 9001 need to meet the requirement.
- Second, the new requirement 'only' requires organizations to investigate and determine whether climate change and the associated risks will, or may, affect the organization's capabilities. However, once it has been established that climate change is having an impact, organizations need to ensure that they can 'deliver' despite the changes.
We asked Lennart if there are no requirements for organizations and companies to reduce or completely eliminate their negative climate impact.
- Unfortunately, there is no such requirement. The only thing that has been added is a 'note', which states that 'customers and other stakeholders may make demands related to climate change. Lennart continues - "In my opinion, the decision comes far too late and does not go far enough.
So will the changes have any impact on businesses and organizations? We also asked Lennart this question.
- EU directives from the EU such as CSRD will have a much greater impact on Swedish organizations than the adopted changes in ISO 9001, ISO 14001, etc. If there is anything positive to be said about the new requirements, it is that ISO makes it perfectly clear to all organizations, regardless of where on the planet they operate, that the climate is changing.
We will be happy to help you analyze how climate change will affect your business. Contact us for more information!
Lennart Gidlöf works at Sustema ABone of ZeroMission's office neighbors at the "Sustainability Hub" in Stockholm's Gamla Stan.
Sustema supports organizations and companies in their work to introduce and develop management systems according to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.
SIS website: www.sis.se
Lennart Gidlöf
