The ISO 9001 Climate Change Amendment

On February 23, 2024, the ISO 9001 Climate Change Amendment was published, affecting all companies currently certified under ISO 9001 and future certifications.

As we come to terms with the changes it's natural to feel some resistance. However, this could present an oppourtune moment to change our perspective.

The Changes to ISO 9001

The new climate change amendments to ISO Management System Standards Clauses 4.1 and 4.2.

• Clause 4.1 - Understanding the organization and its context has had the following added to it:
  The organization shall determine whether climate change is a relevant issue.
• Clause 4.2 - Understanding the needs and expectations of interested parties has had the following added to it:
  NOTE: Relevant interested parties can have requirements related to climate change.

Notes are requirements and therefore not subject to audit. The new note may help influence how the organisation chooses to operate in future.

What is ISO 9001:2015 Clause 4?

Clause 4 of the ISO 9001 standard, titled "Context of the Organization," aims to establish a thorough comprehension of the organisation and its operational surroundings. Its overarching objective is to lay the groundwork for crafting and executing a quality management system (QMS) that aligns with the organisation's goals and fulfils the requirements of stakeholders.

Clause 4, "Context of the Organization," initiates the framework for subsequent clauses in ISO 9001, providing the groundwork for creating, implementing, and enhancing a resilient and efficient QMS.

Why are these changes to ISO 9001 being made?

By the inclusions of these new requirements, the spotlight is firmly on the question of climate change. Some organisations may already address climate change but this may not be the case for every organisation.

All organisation’s using ISO 9001 now have to ensure they ask the question when addressing their context. Tools such as PESTLE may already addresses these issues.

The first auditable point of the change is the requirement for evidence that climate change was considered as a potential issue (directly impacting or being impacted by climate change) that can affect an organisation’s ability to achieve the intended outcomes of the management system. This does not mean that that a company is been forced to reduce their carbon footprint or GHG emissions (unless that is a goal for that organisation).

The second point of the change is the addition of a note that states that relevant interested parties can have requirements that relate to climate change. There is no auditable evidence required but rather it is a reminder that interested parties may have interests in climate change and may require the organisation to address them.

The gradual integration of climate change into the ISO standards reflects a broader recognition of business's role in environmental stewardship. It's a clear signal from the ISO that addressing climate change is now an indispensable aspect of an organization's strategic and operational groundwork.

Way’s on how Climate Change can be considered into an organisation :

Product Lifecycle:​

Consider the environmental impact of your products throughout the life cycle, which includes raw material, production, installation, decommissioning and disposal.

Production efficiency:

Consider the improvement of waste management, lower carbon footprint of the operations of your business.

Customer Expectations:

Consider that your customers may increasingly demand products that are more sustainable and eco-friendlier.

Supply Chain Management:

What external climate change impacts could impact the stability of your supply chain? Severe weather events impacting transport or accessibility, availability of natural resources or even insurance and financial risk that led to higher premiums.

Industry scenarios on how Climate Change may have an impact:

Manufacturing Industry

• Distributions from extreme weather: Floods, droughts and wildfires can damage factories, disrupt supply chains and cause production delays.
• Resource efficiency: Adopting sustainable practices like renewable energy and water conservation can reduce costs and improve brand image.
• Rising raw material costs: Climate change can impact resource availability and drive up process for materials like metals.
• Innovation in clean technologies: Developing and using low-carbon manufacturing processes and products can create a competitive advantage.
• Carbon pricing regulations: Government may impose carbon tazes or emissions trading schemes, increasing production costs.
• Shifting consumer preferences: Consumers are increasingly demanding sustainable products putting pressure on manufacturers.
• Compliance with regulations: Early adopters of sustainable practices can benefit from government incentives and avoid future regulatory burdens.

Service Industry

• Distributions to transportation and logistics: Extreme weather events can disrupt travel and delivery impacting service delivery.
• Remote work opportunities: Shifting to remote work models can reduce commuting emissions and improve employee well-being.
• Green services: Developing and offering eco-friendly services like green cleaning or sustainable tourism can attract new customers.
• Reputational risk: Being associated with unsustainable practices can damage a company’s reputation.

Where Climate Change may not be applicable:

• If your operations are in areas that could be affected by extreme weather and/or rising sea levels, this could affect employees ability to travel to work.
• If you are confident that climate change is not relevant to your approach to managing quality then you should be able to clearly explain this to an external auditor.
• If you have no significant influence on your supply chain and distribution networks, then that too makes climate change not relevant to your approach.

ISO 9001 Consultation

The CGBC team supports our clients to establish, adopt and continuously improve Quality best practices, helping to drive efficiency, risk management, excellence and an organisation wide awareness and understanding of all aspects ISO 9001.

For more information on how our team will work with your organisation to achieve ISO excellence, contact us on 01 620 4121.

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