Clause 7.4clarifiedLow impact typical effort 1-2 hours
Communication must empower employee contribution
What changed in the 2026 revision
Communication processes must now empower employees to contribute to continual improvement. This strengthens the existing 7.4.2 requirement that communication enables persons to 'contribute to continual improvement'.
What auditors will look for
Ensure your communication processes enable and encourage all employees to contribute to environmental improvement. This could include suggestion schemes, environmental forums, reporting mechanisms, or regular environmental updates that invite feedback.
How to close the gap
- 1Review communication processes for employee contribution mechanisms
- 2Consider: suggestion schemes, environmental forums, feedback channels
- 3Ensure communication flows both ways (not just top-down)
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 7
7 — Terminology standardised across documentation…7.5 — Documentation requirements clarified — what t…7.4 — Two-way feedback and reporting mechanisms7.5 — Documented information terminology alignment7.1 — Resources — determined and provided for EMS o…7.2 — Competence — training, education and experien…
Planning your transition timeline? Use the free deadline calculator →