How Climate Change Is Shaping Your Quality Approach

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, given that ISO 9001 is one of the standards impacted—this measure is by no means insignificant.

Whether it’s extreme weather events (such as a flash flood) or more profound shifts in the climate (such as a drought that becomes recurrent), almost every week brings its share of events linked, directly or indirectly, to climate change.

And it also affects a company’s performance, whether directly or indirectly. “Take the example of a printing company located in the Pyrénées-Orientales, a department that has been facing a water shortage for several years,” continues Vincent Gillet. “This is a major disruption to its operations, since water restriction orders limit its production capacity. Its quality approach is directly affected: without production, there is no customer satisfaction.”

ISO 9001: Identifying Risks

But a quality management system won’t make it rain or boost production… So what should be done? Vincent Gillet responds: “The whole point lies in ensuring business continuity. By undertaking 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 therefore prepare itself, with a view to continuously improving its practices. For example, by developing a water conservation plan.”

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.

"In the event of another flood, the disruption to operations will be minimal; customer satisfaction and quality will remain high." Far from being just another quality management standard for quality professionals, ISO 9001 serves here as a genuine safeguard against climate-related risks.

Plan ahead to avoid hardship

Every sector could learn a thing or two from this! In the middle of summer, repeated heat waves slow down—or even bring to a halt—construction sites. Identifying this risk means adjusting schedules and planning ahead more effectively, or even taking direct action to improve the environment by using more insulating and sustainable materials. Many industries must also reevaluate their investment strategies. With its climate-focused update, 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 this regard, climate change is a perfectly valid driver for a quality-focused approach, using analytical frameworks such as SWOT and PESTEL, for example. With these methodologies, a manufacturer of internal combustion engine parts will be able to stay ahead of the curve by pivoting toward other activities or adapting its production to supply different components to the automotive industry of the future. The entire value chain is affected."

ISO 9001: Proving Your Credentials to Clients

Another factor to consider is the expectations of clients. Under the 2022 European Sustainability Reporting Directive (known as CSRD), large companies must quantify their greenhouse gas emissions using standardized indicators: their direct emissions, related to their operations, as well as their associated and indirect emissions—those classified as “Scope 3”—including emissions from their subcontractors. And the updated ISO 9001 standard, in light of climate-related amendments, can help these companies prove their credentials to clients who are now more demanding than ever.

"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 issues into their quality management systems. So don’t be surprised if the next version of the standard, currently in development and scheduled for 2026 (read here), places an even stronger emphasis on climate change! And 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 a project, the AFNOR Group will find you a standards specialist near you.