The revised environmental management system standard ISO 14001:2026 has now been published. The updated standard replaces ISO 14001:2015, including the climate change amendment published in 2024.
ISO 14001 is one of the world’s most widely used environmental management system standards, supporting hundreds of thousands of organisations globally in managing their environmental responsibilities and improving performance. Regular reviews are essential to ensure the continued relevance of international standards.
Regular reviews are essential to ensure the continued relevance of international standards.
ISO 14001 has proven its value in supporting systematic environmental management and improved environmental performance. We therefore welcome the publication of the new edition.
Tor Gunnar Tollefsen
Global Service Manager for Management Systems
DNV
“It is key that standards such as ISO 14001 are reviewed and revised regularly with the involvement of subject matter experts. This ensures that the standard evolves based on user experience and remains fit for purpose in addressing emerging environmental challenges and sustainability trends,” Tollefsen adds.
Moderate changes in the revised standard
A key premise for the revision has been to clarify existing requirements while limiting the introduction of new ones. At the same time, the standard has been aligned with the latest version of ISO’s Harmonized Structure (HS) for management system standards.
Overall, the extent of the changes is considered moderate and is not expected to require substantial implementation efforts for organisations already certified to ISO 14001:2015.
Key changes in ISO 14001:2026
Among the main changes in ISO 14001:2026 are:
A strengthened focus on a broader range of environmental conditions in addition to climate change for the analysis of the organisational context, such as pollution levels, biodiversity and availability of natural resources
Restructured and clarified requirements related to risk and opportunity processes
Strengthened emphasis on life cycle perspective in the environmental aspect process
New requirements for planning and managing changes
For operational controls, the focus is extended from “outsourced processes” to “externally provided processes, products and services”
In addition, the guidance section has been substantially extended and improved across several clauses to support interpretation of the requirements.
Transition period of three years
The transition period for ISO 14001:2026 is expected to be three years. Certificates issued to ISO 14001:2015 must transition to the new edition before May 2029 to remain valid.
DNV supports organisations throughout the transition to ISO 14001:2026 through webinars, training and transition audits, helping them align their existing certification with the revised standard.
