October 30, 2024
Clause 4 update: how to get started with new climate change requirements
How have ISO standards changed?
The updates relate to Clause 4: Context of the Organisation, specifically Clauses 4.1 and 4.2. These clauses now require businesses to consider climate change, even if the standard doesn’t directly relate to environmental management:
Clause 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.”
This means businesses must assess whether climate change could affect their ability to achieve the intended results of their management systems.
Clause 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”.
This means businesses need to consider whether their stakeholders (customers, suppliers, regulators, residents, employees etc.) have expectations or requirements for climate change.
Why has climate change been added to non-environmental standards?
You might wonder why climate change is being incorporated into standards that aren’t specifically focused on the environment, like ISO 9001 or ISO 27001. Well, it serves as a reminder to businesses that we all are responsible for climate change.
This change also aligns with the ISO’s London Declaration, which commits to supporting global efforts to combat climate change through the development of ISO standards. This ensures businesses worldwide are considering the impact of their operations on the environment, helping to achieve the climate agenda by 2050.
How can you get started?
Your business needs to assess whether climate change is relevant to your operations and management systems. This involves evaluating any internal and external issues that may impact or potentially impact your operations and understanding the expectations of your stakeholders.
If you determine that climate change is not relevant, no changes are required. However, you should still review this regularly in case anything changes. If climate change is applicable, you’ll need to develop and implement strategies to address this. If you’re a certification client of ISO QSL, your auditor can support you with these changes as part of your support visit or annual re-certification audit.
To help you get started, our Lead Assessor, Rick Allard, shares some of his recommendations:
Set up a clear environmental or ESG policy
Start by developing a policy that outlines your commitment to environmental management or Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG). This policy will serve as a foundation for integrating climate change considerations into your business. As Rick comments, “Having a policy in place, either for Environmental management or ESG, is an obvious first step. From there, you can develop processes to ensure your commitments are met“.
Make small but impactful changes to daily operations
Taking action doesn’t always require huge changes right away. As Rick suggests, “Making small alterations to daily working practices can help”. A few easy-to-implement ideas include:
- Switch to black-and-white printing instead of colour
- Encourage double-sided printing
- Add reminders to turn off utilities (e.g. stickers on light switches)
- Install electric vehicle charging points
- Set up in-house battery recycling services
- Support cycle-to-work schemes
- Offer sustainability awareness training for employees
These changes may seem small, but they can help reduce your carbon footprint and create a culture of sustainability.
Consider third-party certifications
ISO 14001 Environmental Management remains one of the most trusted ways to demonstrate your environmental responsibility and manage your environmental impact. If you’re not yet ISO 14001 certified, now could be a great time to explore it.
Beyond ISO 14001, there are other third-party certifications like B-Corp and EcoVardis. These certifications not only assess your environmental performance but also broader ESG factors, providing an additional layer of credibility to your sustainability efforts.
Pursue a broader ESG agenda
Beyond immediate changes, consider adopting a broader ESG agenda. More businesses are integrating ESG goals into their long-term strategy, not just for compliance, but to enhance corporate responsibility, improve stakeholder relations, and create long-term value.
As Rick points out: “Pursuing an ESG agenda is another option and one which a lot of clients seem to be going down. Having a policy in place, either for ESG or sustainability and environmental management on its own, is an obvious first step and then to develop the process from there”.
Why get started now?
Whilst these changes aren’t yet mandatory, they’re likely to become a compulsory element of ISO standards in the future. Getting ahead of the curve will ensure your business is compliant when these changes become mandatory. In addition, the sooner you implement these practices, the sooner you can start benefiting from a reduced environmental impact, cost savings and improved stakeholder trust.
Whether through small operational changes or adopting a wider strategy or third-party certifications, businesses should now evaluate how climate change could impact their operations and meet the needs and expectations of stakeholders. Starting now, before the changes become mandatory, will ensure compliance in the long run.
