ISO 9001 and Climate Change: Understanding the 2024 Amendment to Clause 4
Updated October 22, 2026
In February 2024, ISO published an amendment to ISO 9001:2015 that every certified organization needs to understand. For the first time, the standard explicitly requires you to consider climate change as part of your Quality Management System. The change is small – a single sentence in Clause 4.1 and a corresponding note in Clause 4.2 – but its implications are worth understanding.
This article explains what the 2024 amendment requires and how to address it in your QMS. These climate provisions are now carried forward in ISO 9001:2026; they are not a new obligation introduced for the first time by the 2026 revision.
What the Amendment Actually Says
The 2024 amendment is remarkably concise. It consists of two additions to Clause 4 of the standard:
Clause 4.1 – Understanding the Organization and its Context
The following text has been added at the end of the clause:
The organization shall determine whether climate change is a relevant issue.
Clause 4.2 – Understanding the Needs and Expectations of Interested Parties
A note has been added at the end of the clause:
NOTE: Relevant interested parties can have requirements related to climate change.
That is it. A single requirement and a single note. The amendment does not create a new clause, does not mandate a climate action plan, and does not require you to measure your carbon footprint. It simply requires you to determine whether climate change is a relevant factor for your QMS.
What This Means for Your Next Audit
Your certification auditor will expect to see evidence that your organization has considered climate change as part of its Context of the Organization analysis. This does not mean you need to implement a full environmental management system. It means you need to:
Assess relevance. Determine whether climate change could impact your operations, supply chain, customers, or regulatory environment.
Make your reasoning clear. We recommend keeping a brief note in an existing planning or review record so the decision is easy to explain and revisit.
If relevant, take proportionate action. If you determine climate change is a relevant factor, address its effects through your existing QMS processes, using proportionate actions.
Practical Steps to Update Your QMS
Start with how your organization already considers its context and interested parties. These practical steps can help:
Review your existing context analysis. Include climate change when considering issues that could affect the intended results of your QMS (Clause 4.1). You do not need a new procedure to do this.
Update any supporting forms or checklists. If you use a form that prompts managers with a list of possible external factors, add climate change to that list.
Assess and explain relevance. Involve people who understand your operations, supply chain and customer requirements. Be able to explain the outcome, including a conclusion that climate change is not relevant. Keeping a concise record is our recommendation, not a new mandatory form.
If climate change is determined to be relevant, it should be factored into your risk management process alongside other external issues like regulatory changes, market shifts, and technological developments. No new or separate process is required.
Considering Climate Change: What to Think About
When evaluating whether climate change is relevant to your organization, consider both direct and indirect implications. You do not need to address every one of these. They are prompts to help you determine relevance for your specific business:
Direct operational impacts: Changing weather patterns that affect your facilities, logistics, or raw material availability.
Regulatory requirements: New or emerging regulations on emissions, energy use, or environmental reporting that apply to your industry or location.
Supply chain disruptions: Extreme weather events or resource shortages affecting your suppliers' ability to deliver.
Customer and investor expectations: Growing demand from clients and stakeholders for environmentally responsible business practices.
Market and technology shifts: Emerging technologies or changing consumer preferences driven by climate concerns.
For many small businesses, the direct relevance of climate change may be minimal. For a manufacturer with a global supply chain, it could be significant. The standard does not prescribe the outcome of your assessment – only that you perform one.
This Amendment Is Not Limited to ISO 9001
It is worth noting that this amendment also affects approximately 30 other ISO management system standards, including ISO 14001, ISO 27001, ISO 45001, and ISO 22000. If your organization holds multiple certifications, the same climate change consideration has been added to each standard's equivalent Context of the Organization clause. An integrated review can cover several standards, provided it considers the purpose and intended results of each management system.
Conclusion
The 2024 amendment to ISO 9001:2015 is a small, targeted addition that reflects the growing importance of climate considerations in business. It does not require a new certification, a massive documentation overhaul, or a new management system. Determine whether climate change is relevant to your QMS, consider applicable interested-party requirements, and address relevant issues through the system.
Review relevance in the context of your business. If action is needed, integrate it into existing processes and check that it works. Keep the explanation and supporting evidence proportionate to the issue.
The ISO 9001 Certification Toolkit includes five years of documentation updates under its applicable purchase terms. Your team still needs to adapt and implement changes. Training upgrades and other products have their own arrangements; see the update and upgrade conditions.
