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Climate, a game changer for management standards

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) have announced the publication of an amendment to 31 major management standards as part of their decision to introduce climate change as a vital issue. AFNOR explains the amendment in 10 questions and answers.

Published on 04/03/2024, updated 13/09/2024 à 08:26 Reading time : 6 minutes

What is the ISO amendment A1:2024 all about?

Amendment A1:2024 places the issue of climate change as a strategic topic inviting organizations and their stakeholders to question their stakes, within the meaning of the requirements set out in paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 of management system standards built according to the harmonized structure: ” the organization must determine whether any issues arise from climate change “(4.1) and relevant stakeholders may have climate change requirements ” (4.2). ISO acknowledges that the questioning could already be implicitly effective, by assimilating climate change to an ” external factor “, but it gives this subject a higher and transversal dimension, which requires particular attention.

Which standards are affected?

ISO has clarified that amendment A1:2024 covers 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 endorse the publication of a new version of the standards?

The publication of amendment A1:2024 effectively adds a new section to the standards concerned. In the same way that a legislative amendment modifies a law, it brings the original text into existence in a new version, which is authoritative in its ISO or ISO/IEC form for each of the 31 standards cited. Its conversion into an EN ISO or EN ISO/IEC version presupposes the opening of a public inquiry, which will take place from May 4 to June 17, 2024 in one go for all the standards concerned, and the translation of the text into French for the NF version intended for the French collection.

How to get it and at what price?

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

Why is it coming out now, and not at the end of the standards review process?

The content of amendment A1:2024 was validated by the ISO technical governance body (the TMB), at its 88th meeting on September 19, 2023 in Brisbane. This decision was due to lead to effective publication on January 31, 2024, but the actual publication took place on February 23, 2024, announced by a joint press release from ISO and the IAF (International Accreditation Forum). Given the scale of the climate issue and its impact on everyday life, ISO felt it necessary to include the subject in an immediate amendment, without waiting for each standard to be revised. However, it has already been established that those already in this process, such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001 or ISO 37001, will include this amendment in their new version. We announced it here in connection with ISO 9001, scheduled for the end of 2025, and here in connection with the future ISO 14001.

Why introduce the subject of climate into the standards?

Climate change is a game changer that is shaking up the global economy and the way economic players organize themselves. It is, by necessity, a management issue: occupational health and safety management, because working environments will be affected by rising temperatures; urban planning management, because cities will have to be adapted and developed to take account of temperatures and new hazards; quality management in the nuclear industry, because the water used to cool 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 for extra-financial reporting, it also has its place in voluntary standards. And on an international scale.

How does an organization applying the standards have to change its way of doing things?

Many organizations have not waited for ISO amendment A1:2024 to question their business model with regard to climate change. This subject is perfectly soluble in the risks and opportunities matrix: climate change poses new risks for the organization, which in turn needs to 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, and can no longer avoid asking the question. For those requesting a certification audit, this is a new and inescapable point of attention.

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

This amendment strengthens the consideration of climate change issues among those already facing organizations. The auditors will pay particular attention to this point, and the organization will be required to demonstrate that there are no issues at stake, or if there are issues, to present them in the organization’s policy. This new feature does not require a transition or a new management system audit. The current certificate is not modified. Audit durations remain unchanged.

Should this point be taken into account in certification audits from now on?

ISO and IAF invite all stakeholders – certified bodies, certification bodies, accreditation bodies – to integrate this amendment now. However, the obligation is not formally mentioned. Their joint press release indicates that the IAF will return to the accredited certification bodies at a later date to clarify this point. AFNOR Certification will send you these details.

Can this point of attention generate non-conformity deviations in an audit?

The requirements of chapters 4.1 and 4.2 may give rise to non-conformities during audits. If an organization fails to take climate change-related issues into account, the auditor will be able to assess the degree of this failure according to its importance and impact on the organization. For example, if an organization that consumes a lot of water fails to take into account the effects of drought and possible water restrictions. On this point too, the IAF must return to the accredited certification bodies with instructions. AFNOR Certification will send them to you.