New additions to ISO standards help companies anticipate climate change
The consequences of climate change make it a pressing issue that will increasingly rise on the agenda of companies, today and in the future. In the ranking of global short-term risks (2 years), the World Economic Forum does not underestimate the consequences. As a global challenge, extreme weather events rank second here. Pollution, meanwhile, ranks 10th within the top 10.
In the long term (a period of 10 years), extreme weather events rank first overall. But the 2nd, 3rd and 4th places also contain risks linked to climate change. This concerns, for example, the critical changes to the “Earth system”, which severely disrupt biodiversity, ecosystems and natural resources.
Jeroen Crepeele
New ISO clauses on climate change
To respond to this, additional amendments were published on 23 February for 31 management system standards, which apply immediately without a transition period.
For other standards that are under revision and due to be published shortly, such as ISO 550001 asset management, it was decided not to publish an amendment, as this will soon be incorporated directly into the standard.
As this is not a version change, no new certificates need to be issued.
Anticipating climate challenges
A new element has been added to the standards. Under clause 4.1, Understanding the organisation and its context, the organisation must identify the internal and external issues resulting from climate change.
In clause 4.2, Understanding the needs and expectations of interested parties, the needs and expectations of stakeholders regarding climate change must be included.
The purpose of this amendment is to encourage the organisation to consider:
- Mitigation (measures to limit climate change), such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions and managing energy use.
- Adaptation: adjusting to climate change by making organisations resilient to its effects.
Practical application
From now on, the context analysis must consider the role that climate change plays within the organisation. The focus here is on clearly mapping the climate impact on the organisation's management system, as well as on the company's products and services.
E.g. for the care sector, heat can cause peak strain among the elderly, and higher mortality rates can occur during heatwaves.
E.g. the electrification of vehicles for car manufacturers.
E.g. extreme weather conditions can lead to damage.
It is also possible that an organisation considers this not to be relevant. If this is the case, you must demonstrate why it would not be relevant, including the reasoning behind this.
You must also map out the requirements and expectations of stakeholders and how climate change affects the organisation's products and services.
As there is no transition period, the organisation must demonstrate that it is aware of this amendment. If, for example, it is not possible to implement the proposals, you should prepare a plan ahead of the next audit to structure the implementation process.
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