Clause 6.1.2StrengthenedHigh impact typical effort 4-8 hours
Environmental aspects — lifecycle perspective strengthened
What changed in the 2026 revision
The 2026 revision strengthens emphasis on lifecycle perspective when identifying environmental aspects. A new note explains the lifecycle concept. Upstream and downstream impacts must be considered more explicitly across scoping, aspects evaluation, and planning.
What auditors will look for
Extend your environmental aspect identification to cover the full life cycle: raw material acquisition, design, production, transport, use, and end-of-life. A full LCA is not required — a qualitative lifecycle perspective documented in your aspects register is sufficient. The 2026 revision includes a new explanatory note on this concept.
How to close the gap
- 1Add lifecycle columns to your aspects register (upstream/downstream)
- 2Identify key upstream aspects (raw materials, supplier impacts)
- 3Identify key downstream aspects (product use, disposal, end-of-life)
- 4Document what lifecycle stages you can control vs influence
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 6
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