All ISO 9001-certified businesses, take note! It’s time to get acquainted with the most current update to the ISO 9001:2015 standard, which was made in 2024. The purpose of this new amendment is to incorporate organizational management systems with climate change considerations. It will go into effect on February 22, 2024. Continue reading to see how this modification may impact ISO 9001:2015 certifications, both current and future.
Knowing About the Amendment to ISO 9001:2015
The ISO 9001 standard was last revised in 2015, and the 2024 amendment is the only change to the current version since then. With this change, the standard in clause 4 will have two additions:
Clause 4.1: Under “Understanding the organization and its context,” organizations must now evaluate the relevance of climate change in their activities. This has been added after conclusion of clause 4.1: The organization will decide if climate change is a pertinent concern.
Clause 4.2: Which notes that “relevant interested parties can have requirements related to climate change,” has a note included to it indicating that no new requirements have been established. It is important to remember that the modification affects 30 additional management system standards in addition to ISO 9001. Prominent instances comprise ISO 14001, ISO 27001, and ISO 45001, which rank among the most extensively acknowledged standards globally.
What is the Purpose of the Additional Requirements for Climate Change Included in Clauses 4.1 and 4.2?
Fortunately, a new ISO 9001 certification is not needed for this adjustment. Organizations must prioritize taking the necessary steps to assess how climate change relates to their quality management system (QMS) and to show that this matter has been considered when evaluating internal and external issues. Climate change ought to be considered with other external factors and factored into the risk assessment if it is determined to be relevant to the QMS.
The International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and ISO jointly released the following statement: “The organization must take into account all internal and external issues that may affect the effectiveness of their management system; this is the general intent of the requirements for clauses 4.1 and 4.2, and it remains unchanged.” Therefore, businesses should have already taken climate change into account when evaluating external issues, even though it wasn’t specifically mentioned in the prior norm.
Changes to Your Documentation
It’s crucial to remember that the broad list of requirements in the ISO 9001 standard has been expanded by this latest revision, which is only a minor addition. It does not change the intent of the current regulations. However, auditors can look for proof that businesses have given climate change some thought. We advise taking the following steps to provide this evidence:
- Revise Your Procedures: Add consideration of climate change to the list of external elements to be taken into account in the procedure that fulfils the requirements of clause 4.1.
- Make Changes to Your Forms: Make sure to include climate change in the list of potential external causes that appear on forms that address clause 4.1 and ask you to do so.
Policies ought to be in place within organizations to suitably handle all relevant external challenges, including climate change.
Taking Climate Change into Account
Both direct and indirect effects of climate change must be taken into account when assessing the external elements affecting your company. Organizations need to think about the wider effects of climate change in addition to the immediate ones, such as shifting weather patterns, increasing temperatures, and shifting water levels. These effects could include new technology being introduced, changes in consumer behaviour and preferences, and the possibility of supply chain disruptions brought on by extreme weather, a lack of resources, and shifting customer expectations. Additionally, businesses need to understand how investors’ and consumers’ behaviour may be impacted by climate change.
It is becoming increasingly important to incorporate climate change issues into organizational management systems, as evidenced by the recent revision to the ISO 9001:2015 standard. Although a new certification is not required to implement this amendment, firms must evaluate how climate change affects their quality management systems and provide evidence that reflects this assessment.
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