How Climate Change Is Becoming Part of Your Quality Initiative

Climate change can no longer be swept under the rug

Given its increasingly obvious effects, climate change can no longer be swept under the rug by corporate executive committees. The “business as usual” scenario is no longer sustainable. In this sense, the fact that the International Organization for Standardization has added this topic as a new consideration in the challenges and requirements set forth by the major ISO management system standards is no surprise. We discussed this here shortly after the publication of this amendment.
Nevertheless, in the world of quality—which is directly affected in that ISO 9001 is one of the standards impacted—this measure is by no means insignificant. It directly affects the understanding of the organization, its context, its quality objectives, and management’s commitment to implementing the management system.

What is the environmental clause in the ISO 9001 standard?

Strictly speaking, ISO 9001 does not include an “environmental clause” comparable to that in ISO 14001. The climate amendment primarily affects the interpretation of the organization’s context and the expectations of interested parties, particularly in the chapters of the standard that address context and planning. It encourages the company to consider whether climate change could affect its quality management system, its processes, or its ability to deliver the expected level of service.

This clarification is important: the ISO 9001 does not become an environmental standard. It remains a quality management standard, focused on an organization’s ability to provide compliant products and services, control its processes, and satisfy its customers. This is also what makes ISO 9001 certification a framework for achieving consistent results over the long term. Where the ISO 14001 While ISO 9001 examines the company’s impact on the environment, it also encourages us to consider how the environment—and climate change in particular—can affect the continuity and quality of business operations. This approach is part of the quality and performance initiative sponsored by AFNOR.

Whether it’s extreme weather events (such as a flash flood) or more profound climate shifts (such as a drought that becomes recurrent), almost every week brings its share of events linked, directly or indirectly, to climate change. And these events also impact—directly or indirectly—a company’s performance with customers, suppliers, and its supply chain.

ISO 9001 Environmental Standard: Identifying Risks

But even so, a quality initiative won’t make it rain or boost production… So what can be done? Vincent Gillet responds: “The whole point lies in the continuity of operations. By carrying out the risk and opportunity assessment required by ISO 9001, the company will better identify the threats it faces—particularly climate-related ones, such as a water shortage in our example. It will then take steps to address these threats as part of a process of continuous improvement in its practices. For example, by developing a water conservation plan.”

The Importance of Risk Analysis 

From an ISO 9001 perspective, the analysis of risks and opportunities makes it possible to link these events to very concrete consequences: reduced production capacity, delivery delays, potential nonconformities, supplier tensions, the need to improve customer communication, or the need to formalize a business continuity plan. The challenge, therefore, is not to add another topic alongside the quality management system, but to verify whether the ISO 9001 QMS remains robust in the face of these new constraints. This analysis can also reveal opportunities for improvement, best practices to formalize, and, where necessary, corrective actions to implement.

An example from the Beauvais region

In the Beauvais region (Oise), Vincent Blache, the AFNOR Group’s development manager for quality and performance, faced another consequence of climate change. Following a major flood, the entire premises of a company he was auditing were inundated, destroying some of the equipment and bringing operations to a halt for several weeks.

During an on-site audit, this type of response also helps document the decisions made and demonstrate how potential nonconformities are being addressed. Far from being a topic reserved solely for quality professionals, ISO 9001 thus plays a genuine role as a safeguard against climate change.

ISO 9001 Process = Plan Ahead to Minimize Problems

All sectors should take a page from their book! In the middle of summer, repeated heat waves slow down—or even bring to a halt—construction sites. Identifying this risk means adapting schedules and planning ahead more effectively, or even taking direct action to improve the environment by using more insulating and sustainable materials, in line with the CSR initiatives, sustainable development, and ecological transition that many companies have committed to.

Many industries must also reevaluate their investment strategies. With the addition of climate-related requirements, ISO 9001 helps identify the effects of rising temperatures on cooling systems, particularly in sectors that require temperature-controlled environments. This may even mean rethinking location choices in some cases!

“In this regard, climate change is a perfectly legitimate factor to guide a quality approach, using matrix-based analysis tools such as SWOT and PESTEL, for example,” adds Pascal Thomas, sector-specific quality auditor at the AFNOR Group. “Using these methodologies, a manufacturer of internal combustion engine parts will be able to stay ahead of the curve by pivoting toward other activities or modifying its production to supply different components to the automotive industry of the future. The entire value chain is affected: from procurement to production, and from organizational knowledge to strategic decision-making.”

ISO 9001:2015 Assessment: Risk Mapping 

This step can be effectively formalized through a climate risk mapping exercise applied to key processes: production, procurement, maintenance, logistics, customer relations, human resources, and supplier management. The company can then prioritize critical activities, define action plans, document responsibilities, track key indicators, and revisit these points during management reviews. This is a natural extension of the process-based approach and continuous improvement principles outlined in ISO 9001:2015. This process can begin with an initial assessment, sometimes supplemented by an analysis to measure the gap between existing practices and the standard’s requirements.

ISO 9001 AFNOR: Proving Your Credentials to Clients 

Another aspect to consider is the expectations of clients. In the context of the 2022 European Sustainability Reporting Directive (known as the CSRD, to be revised by the end of 2025) , large companies must quantify their greenhouse gas emissions using standardized metrics: their direct emissions—those related to their operations—as well as their associated and indirect emissions, or “Scope 3” emissions, which include emissions from their subcontractors. And the updated ISO 9001 standard, in light of climate-related amendments, can help these companies demonstrate their compliance to clients whose CSR requirements are gradually becoming more structured.
In certain sectors, particularly public procurement, this ability to document a company’s quality and climate initiatives is also becoming a major asset for its brand image and the trust placed in it. “Some calls for bids already include CSR clauses,” particularly regarding carbon footprints, notes Erwan Chagnot, AFNOR’s regional representative in Brittany.

Sooner or later, all companies will have to integrate these challenges into a quality management system. For organizations pursuing ISO certification, the challenge lies in incorporating these regulatory and climate-related changes without losing sight of customer satisfaction.

ISO 9001:2026: Start Preparing for the Transition Now

So don't be surprised that the next version of the standard, which is currently in the works and expected in October 2026, place even greater emphasis on climate change. The latest news Published by AFNOR, these documents indicate that the requirements of the February 2024 Climate Amendment A1 will be incorporated into the revised version. They also highlight other developments to watch for: business continuity in the event that a risk materializes, a clearer distinction between risks and opportunities, quality culture, ethical behavior, and emerging technologies.

For certified organizations, the transition will take place over a three-year period following the publication of the standard. AFNOR Certification specifies that all active ISO 9001 certificates must be compliant with Version 2026 by the 36th month after publication, which would be the third quarter of 2029 if the announced timeline is confirmed. Follow-up or renewal audits can serve as a basis for assessing the level of maturity and preparing for the transition audit.

Also keep AFNOR BAO in mind : For those who would like to entrust the topic of quality and climate to an outside expert for the duration of an assignment, the AFNOR Group can help you find a standards specialist near you. An expert can help you identify essential documents, review quality objectives, strengthen employee engagement, and prepare for interactions with the certification body. This support can, in particular, help you conduct an ISO 9001 assessment, prepare QSE teams, review the risk and opportunity analysis, or integrate ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 into an integrated management system.