By Darshanpreet Kaur

The 2024 update of ISO 9001 introduced significant changes, with a strong emphasis on climate change. For auditors, it is now essential to understand and evaluate these updates to ensure organizations remain compliant with the dynamic standard.

Key Quotes from ISO 9001:2024

• “The organization shall determine whether climate change is a relevant issue.” (Clause 4.1)
• “NOTE: Relevant interested parties can have requirements related to climate change.” (Clause 4.2, note)

Changes in ISO 9001:2024 related to climate change

• Determining relevance. Organizations must decide if climate change affects their operations.
• Stakeholder requirements. Customers, suppliers, and partners may demand climate-related information.
• Risk assessment. Climate change is considered a risk, so organizations must identify and manage it.
• Action planning. If climate change is material, organizations need clear procedures to address related risks and opportunities.

Challenges for auditors

Auditors may face several hurdles when reviewing compliance with these new requirements:

• Determining relevance. Different organizations may interpret “relevant” in diverse ways.
• Identifying stakeholder needs. It can be difficult to recognize every stakeholder requirement.
• Assessing risks and opportunities. Evaluating threats and opportunities linked to climate change is complex.
• Verifying actions. Ensuring that an organization’s climate actions are both effective and compliant is often challenging.

Tips for auditors

To audit effectively against ISO 9001:2024, auditors should:

• Stay informed. Review public documents and quarterly ISO updates.
• Ask probing questions. Confirm that organizations assess risks, engage stakeholders, and prepare action plans.
• Use a risk-based approach. Focus on how climate risks affect the quality management system.
• Consider the broader context. Take into account industry, geography, and other external factors.

Conclusion

Climate change is one of today’s most pressing global challenges. Its inclusion in ISO 9001:2024 ensures that quality management systems address both environmental and business risks. By adapting their approach, auditors can play an active role in strengthening compliance and supporting the global response to climate change.

Disclaimer

This article is for informational purposes only. It does not endorse or criticize any specific brand or product.