An amendment to the standard text of important management system standards is intended to ensure that climate change is given greater consideration in future risk assessments within the framework of management systems.
In a statement issued at the end of February 2024, the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) pointed out that climate change and its associated risks must be given greater consideration in the design and operation of management systems with immediate effect.
What do these changes mean for businesses?
The changes apply to all Type A management system standards (including ISO 9001 , ISO 14001 , ISO 45001 , and ISO 50001 ). The changes consist of two brief additions to sections 4.1 (Understanding the organization and its context) and 4.2 (Understanding the needs and expectations of interested parties). Overall, this results in two consequences:
- Companies must now assess, as part of their context analysis, whether and how climate change may affect the effectiveness and implementation of their management system.
- When analyzing interested parties, it must be taken into account that they may make demands in the future related to climate change.
Examples of potentially negative impacts on the management system and its effectiveness include, for example, extreme weather-related effects on occupational safety in the company, on supply chains and transport routes, or on the efficiency of facilities.
Your contact person at Arqum: Christian Heinrichs