Climate change: a game changer for management standards

What is Amendment A1:2024 published by ISO about?

Amendment A1:2024 makes climate change a strategic issue, inviting organizations and their stakeholders to consider their challenges, as defined in paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 of management system standards based on the harmonized structure: "The organization shall determine whether issues arise from climate change" (4.1) and "Interested parties may have requirements relating to climate change" (4.2). ISO recognizes that, implicitly, this questioning could already be effective, by assimilating climate change to an "external factor," but it gives this subject a higher and cross-cutting dimension, which requires special attention.

Which standards are affected?

ISO specified that amendment A1:2024 covered 31 "type A" management system standards, including the entire QSE scope: ISO 9001, ISO 14298, ISO 16000-40, ISO 22163, ISO 22301, ISO 28000, ISO 29001, ISO 30301, ISO 34101, ISO 35001, ISO 37301, ISO 46001, ISO/IEC 27001, ISO 21401, ISO 30401, ISO 50001, ISO/IEC 20000-1, ISO 19443, ISO/IEC 19770-1, ISO 21001, ISO 37001, ISO 41001, ISO 44001, ISO 14001, ISO 15378, ISO 18788, ISO 21101, ISO 22000, ISO 37101, ISO 39001, ISO 45001.

Does it approve the publication of the standards in a new version?

De facto, the publication of amendment A1:2024 adds a new part to the standards concerned. In the same way that a legislative amendment modifies a law, it creates a new version of the original text, which is authoritative in its ISO or ISO/IEC form for each of the 31 standards cited. Its release in EN ISO or EN ISO/IEC versions requires a public inquiry, which will take place from May 4 to June 17, 2024, for all the standards concerned, and the translation of the text into French for the NF version intended for the French collection.

How can I get it and how much does it cost?

As amendment A1:2024 covers 31 standards, it is attached to each of these standards individually, in the form of a document containing a few brief lines. It can be consulted free of charge in the collection of standards of the national standardization bodies affiliated to ISO, by searching for any of the standards concerned, which remain subject to a fee. For ISO 9001 on quality, for example, AFNOR Editions has made it available on its website here.

Why is it being released now, rather than at the end of the standards revision process?

The content of amendment A1:2024 was approved by the ISO technical governance body (the TMB) at its 88th meeting on September 19, 2023, in Brisbane. This decision was expected to result in effective publication on January 31, 2024, but publication actually took place on February 23, 2024, announced by a joint statement by ISO and IAF  (International Accreditation Forum). Given the scale of the climate issue and its impact on everyday life, ISO felt it was necessary to include the subject in an immediate amendment, without waiting for each standard to be revised. That said, it has already been established that those standards already in the process, such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 37001, will include the entire amendment in their new versions. We announced it here about ISO 9001 scheduled for the end of 2025 and here about the future ISO 14001.

Why include climate issues in standards?

Climate change is a game changer that is disrupting the global economy and the way economic players organize themselves. It is, by necessity, a management issue: occupational health and safety management because work environments are impacted by rising temperatures, urban planning management because cities need to be adapted and developed in line with temperatures and new hazards, quality management in the nuclear industry because the cooling water for nuclear power plants will be taken from the environment at higher temperatures, affecting equipment and safety, etc. Just as climate change has its place in the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and in the new European framework on non-financial reporting, it also has its place in voluntary standards. And this is true on an international scale.

How should an organization applying the standards change its way of doing things?

Many organizations did not wait for ISO amendment A1:2024 to question their model in light of climate change. This topic fits perfectly into the risk and opportunity matrix: climate change poses new risks to the organization, which in turn must identify opportunities (to modify its activity, develop new business models, etc.). Within the company, process managers will have to devote more time and resources to this issue; they can no longer avoid asking the question. For those requesting a certification audit, this is a new and essential point of attention.

Should this be considered a new criterion to be taken into account in certification audits?

This amendment reinforces the consideration of climate change issues among the challenges already faced by organizations. Auditors will pay particular attention to this point, with the organization being required to demonstrate that there is no issue, or if there is an issue, to present the breakdown in the organization's policy. This new requirement does not call for a transition or a new audit of the management system. The current certificate remains unchanged. Audit durations will not be modified.

Should this point be taken into account in certification audits as of today?

ISO and IAF invite all stakeholders—certified organizations, certification bodies, accreditation bodies—to incorporate this amendment immediately. However, the obligation is not formally mentioned. A practical guide  Webinars are offered to AFNOR Certification clients and auditors to help them prepare for this new amendment during audits.

Can this point of attention lead to non-compliance discrepancies in an audit?

The new requirement in section 4.1 may give rise to non-conformities during audits. Failure to consider an issue related to climate change within an organization may thus generate a finding, the severity of which will be assessed by the auditor based on its importance and impact for the organization, for example: failure to take into account the effects of drought and possible water restrictions for an organization that consumes large amounts of water. A practical guide was drafted by AFNOR Certification to help organizations fully understand this new amendment during audits.