The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has registered a draft update for ISO 14001, the globally recognised standard for environmental management systems.
However, this is not the official Draft International Standard (DIS) yet. The draft has been registered as a DIS but must undergo a 12-week ballot period. The outcome of the voting process remains uncertain; if consensus is reached, the draft may proceed to become the official Draft International Standard (DIS). However, if further changes are required, it could be sent back to the committee for additional revisions before moving forward. The final version of ISO 14001 is anticipated for publication in January 2026.
Key proposed changes
The draft update to ISO 14001 introduces refinements aimed at improving clarity, consistency and alignment with other ISO management system standards. Key proposed changes include:
- Alignment with ISO's harmonised structure (HS): The draft incorporates the latest HS to ensure consistency across management system standards.
- Enhanced clarity: Text revisions aimed at improving understanding by rephrasing existing requirements and adding explanatory notes.
- Detailed guidance in Annex A: The draft provides expanded guidance on key topics to clarify requirements.
- Climate change considerations: Climate change has been explicitly included in Clause 4.1 (understanding the organisation and its context), reinforcing the importance of environmental risks and external factors.
- Examples of interested parties: Aligning with ISO 9001, a new NOTE in Clause 4.2 (understanding the needs and expectations of interested parties) provides examples to clarify who may be considered an interested party.
- Life cycle perspective: A NOTE has been added to Clause 6.1.2 (environmental aspects) to provide additional guidance on the application of a life cycle perspective.
- Revised planning structure: Clause 6.1.4 (planning action) has been renamed "Risks and Opportunities", while a new Clause 6.1.5 ("Planning Actions") is under consideration.
- New clause on managing change: A new Clause 6.3 has been introduced, titled "Planning and Managing Changes", emphasising the need for structured change management in environmental management systems.
- Strengthened operational controls: Clause 8.1 (operational planning and control) now explicitly states that organisations must control or influence externally provided processes, products or services that are relevant to their environmental management system. The type and extent of this control must be clearly defined within the EMS.
- Management review restructuring: Clause 9.3 (management review) has been reorganised into three sub-clauses: 9.1 General, 9.2 Management Review Inputs and 9.3 Management Review Outputs, improving clarity and structure.
- Improvement section revision: Clause 10.1 (General) under section 10 (Improvement) has been deleted as part of the simplification process.
It is important to emphasise that all of these changes are still in draft form and are subject to the ongoing 12-week ballot process. At this stage, nothing is finalised – the proposed updates may move forward as part of the Draft International Standard (DIS) if consensus is reached, or they could be sent back to the committee for further revisions.
The ballot process is designed to gather feedback from stakeholders and ensure that any modifications to ISO 14001 align with best practices and industry needs. Until the final version is officially published, there remains the possibility of further refinements, clarifications or adjustments.
Transition timeline
Following the final publication in January 2026 organisations will be granted a transition period to align with the updated standard. While the typical transition period for ISO management system standards is up to three years, this may be shorter due to the limited scope of changes in this update. Further details are expected by spring 2025.
How LRQA can help you
At LRQA, we are committed to keeping our clients informed and prepared for upcoming changes. Our experts are closely monitoring the ISO 14001 update process to provide you with timely insights and guidance.
Katerina Liana, Technical Product Manager at LRQA, comments:
"While the draft update to ISO 14001 does not introduce new requirements, it refines existing ones to improve clarity and consistency. At LRQA, we are proactively engaging with the revision process to ensure our clients understand the changes and transition seamlessly. Our priority is to provide the latest insights, training and certification support, reinforcing our role as a trusted partner in environmental management."
Stay tuned for more updates and resources as the revision process progresses.