Incorporating climate change considerations into management system standards

Action required

The climate action amendments to ISO/IEC  management systems standards were finalized, and the amendments to the standards were published on February 23, 2024.
 

As a result of these changes, certification bodies shall ensure that certified organizations have adequately considered climate change, along with other internal and external aspects required by the management system standards.
 

The overall intent of the requirements remains unchanged, and considering that this amendment is viewed as a clarification rather than a new requirement, a comprehensive transition program is unnecessary in this scenario.

Affected customers

Management Systems Accreditation Program customers, applicants.

Background

These amendments were initiated in response to the London Declaration on Climate Action. IAF and ISO have released a joint communiqué (PDF), highlighting revisions to multiple management systems standards and emphasizing the importance of integrating climate change considerations into organizational management systems. As stated in the communiqué:
 

"The overall intent of the requirements for clauses 4.1 and 4.2 remains unchanged; these clauses already mandate that organizations consider all internal and external issues affecting their management system's effectiveness. The new inclusions ensure that Climate Change is explicitly addressed within the management system, affirming its importance for our community."
 

Additionally, the IAF has issued a Final Decision regarding the implementation and management of these amendments for accredited certification. Further details can be found in the IAF TC Searchable Decision Log under decision 24/11/01.
 

The purpose of this SCC Accreditation Bulletin, in alignment with the IAF Decision, is to clarify expectations for management system certification bodies (CBs) and their certified clients. It emphasizes that while the overall intent of the requirements for clauses 4.1 and 4.2 found in the management system standards remains unchanged, the amendments stress the importance of including climate change considerations within management systems. While organizations have long had to consider the internal and external factors that influence ones’ management system, climate change is having a stronger impact which needs to be better understood.

New requirements

As stipulated in the IAF Final Decision, when auditing clauses 4.1 and 4.2, CB audit teams must verify that the organization has addressed climate change and its relevance to the management system(s). It's important to note that this doesn't necessitate audit teams to be experts in climate change, similar to other issues impacting the management system(s). The role of the CB audit team is to ensure that the organization has appropriately considered climate change, and if deemed relevant, integrated it into their objectives and risk assessment. Conversely, if the organization determines climate change to be irrelevant, the CB audit team ensures the effectiveness of the organization's process for making this determination.
 

Certified organizations (including applicants) must assess whether climate change is pertinent within their management system(s). If deemed relevant, akin to other pertinent issues, organizations must integrate it into their system’s objectives and risk evaluation, within the framework of their management system(s).

Deadline

Effective immediately, as part of the ongoing accreditation cycle, customers will be assessed to ensure they are confirming that their certified clients have considered all aspects as required by clauses 4.1 and 4.2, including the issue of climate change. Further note that no separate transition is necessary nor is there a need to update certificates.

Questions?

Please contact Abdel Kassou, Manager, Compliance and Assessment Services, at abdel.kassou@scc-ccn.ca or +1 613 238 3222 for more information.