ISO 14001, the world’s most widely used environmental management standard, is being revised in 2026.
The update aims to make the standard easier to interpret, with relatively minor changes to the main text and significant improvements to the explanatory annex. It also brings in some changes from the ISO ‘Harmonised Structure’, which all management standards are required to adopt.
As a result, organisations are not expected to make significant modifications to their environmental management systems. However, the improved clarity of the standard may prompt them to take measures to enhance their systems.
The revised standard was available for public comment earlier in 2025 and is now being prepared for approval by ISO’s national member bodies, with publication likely in early 2026.
Key updates in the upcoming ISO 14001 revision
Key changes include:
- replacement of the term ‘outsource’ with ‘external provider’
- more explanation of environmental issues related to an organisation’s context
- greater flexibility for documented information. The current addition uses the term ‘documented information’ in two ways:
- to ‘maintain’ policies and procedures (in earlier editions referred to as ‘documents’) that set out an organisation’s intent
- to ‘retain’ evidence (i.e. records) that results have been achieved. The wording is changing to ‘being available as documented information’, giving organisations the flexibility to decide what types of documented information are needed
- restructuring clause 6 Actions to address risks and opportunities. The bulk of clause 6.1.1 is being moved to a separate new subclause (6.1.4), following the clauses on environmental aspects and compliance obligations. This makes it much easier to understand that risks and opportunities result from environmental aspects and compliance obligations
- a new clause 6.3 Planning of changes. This brings into the main text from the annex the need to carry out any changes to the EMS in a planned manner and ensure that intended outcomes of the EMS are achieved. It refers to extended guidance in the annex on dealing with change
- clause 9.3 Management review has been sub-divided, with sub-clauses for management review inputs and results. There are no significant changes to requirements, other than to clarify that it is the results of the management review that have to be available as documented information
- Clause 10 Improvement. This has been restructured, with contents of 10.1 being moved to what was 10.3 (so Nonconformity and corrective action becomes 10.1).
There are many more changes to the main text, aimed at improving clarity. This includes many of the notes to definitions, although the definitions themselves remain mostly unchanged.
Given that there are no significant new requirements, it is anticipated that there will be no implications for recertification cycles.
