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IAF/ISO Joint Communiqué on the addition of Climate Change considerations to Management Systems Standards.

1. Introduction The purpose of this communiqué is to highlight the publication of Climate Action Amendments to existing and new ISO Management Systems Standards (MSS) to reflect ISO’s Climate Action commitments. It is important that all parties understand the intent so that the changes can be consistently introduced and implemented.
2. Addition of Climate Change considerations to the Management Systems Standards

2.1 Decision In support of the ISO London Declaration on Climate Change, ISO passed a resolution that will result in two new statements of text being added to a number of existing management systems standards, and will be included in all new standards under development/revision, to address the need to consider the effect of Climate Change on the ability to achieve the intended results of the management system. The changes will be introduced initially as Amendments to these published standards. The changes (two new statements) will be incorporated into the new text of the Harmonized Structure (Appendix 2 of the Annex SL in the ISO/IEC Directives Part 1 Consolidated ISO Supplement) as follows. The amendments to the standards will be published on February 23rd 2024.

The Harmonized Structure provides the identical clause numbers, clause titles, text and common terms and core definitions to be used by all management system standards within the ISO portfolio. These include standards such as ISO 9001 (for Quality Management), ISO/IEC 27001 (Information Security), ISO 14001 (Environmental), ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety) and ISO 50001 (Energy Management) among many others.

The ISO Resolution approved the additional wording (below in italics) that is intended to put a spotlight on climate change and will be incorporated within all ISO MSS as a matter of urgency.

4.1 Understanding the organization and its context

The organization shall determine external and internal issues that are relevant to its purpose and that affect its ability to achieve the intended result(s) of its XXX management system.

Added: The organization shall determine whether climate change is a relevant issue.

4.2 Understanding the needs and expectations of interested parties

The organization shall determine:

• the interested parties that are relevant to the XXX management system.

• the relevant requirements of these interested parties.

• which of these requirements will be addressed through the XXX management system.

Added: NOTE: Relevant interested parties can have requirements related to climate change.