Clause 4.1StrengthenedHigh impact typical effort 4-8 hours
Climate change as standing context element
What changed in the 2026 revision
The 2024 climate amendment (ISO 14001:2015/Amd1:2024) is now integrated into the 2026 standard. This has been a requirement since February 2024 with no transition period.
What auditors will look for
Ensure your context analysis explicitly identifies climate-related risks and opportunities. This has been mandatory since the 2024 amendment. Reference applicable climate legislation (e.g. UK Climate Change Act, SECR, TCFD recommendations). Document how climate change affects your organisation and how your organisation affects the climate.
How to close the gap
- 1Assess climate-related physical risks (flooding, heat, storms)
- 2Assess climate-related transitional risks (regulation, market, technology)
- 3Document climate considerations in your context analysis
Does your documentation meet this requirement?
Free scan checks this and the other 40 tracked changes against your actual EMS documents.
More changes in Clause 4
4.1 — Broadened environmental conditions analysis4.2 — Interested parties — requirements identified …4.3 — EMS scope — lifecycle approach reflected4.4 — Environmental management system and its proce…4.3 — Scope boundaries — upstream and downstream co…
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