ISO 14001:2026 is the upcoming updated version of the international environmental management system standard, with publication expected in January 2026.
The final version will incorporate changes and new requirements that address today’s global environmental challenges, such as climate change adaptation, biodiversity conservation, supply chain transparency, and increased stakeholder demands for robust environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance and reporting.
Organizations certified to the ISO 14001:2015 standard must transition to the new version within three years following publication, so it is essential to begin planning for your ISO 14001:2026 transition early to avoid disruption and maintain certification.
This article is for business owners and environmental managers and is a reliable resource for ISO 14001:2026 transition preparation. It provides sound, actionable advice when preparing for the new requirements, whilst maintaining a cautious balance between providing useful planning information and acknowledging the preliminary nature of the draft requirements.
ISO 14001:2026 is the upcoming version of the ISO 14001 environmental management system requirements standard, which replaces ISO 14001:2015. It maintains the same high-level structure (Annex SL) but introduces new terminology and refined clauses with a stronger focus on environmental performance.
This revision requires businesses to consider the environmental impact of their suppliers and supply chain, use tools like data analytics or smart monitoring to monitor environmental performance, plan for environmental changes and disruptions, and ensure the transparency of environmental performance reporting.
Stay informed about the ISO 14001:2026 changes by keeping up with the latest updates and expert insights to ensure your business is ready for the 2026 transition. Subscribe to industry newsletters or network with or follow trusted ISO professionals. Below is a realistic timeline with a phase-based approach; however, the timeline is not yet definitive until the new version is officially released. It is likely that by:
During the transition period, organizations can still get certified to the 2015 version, but they will need to transition to the 2026 version by the end of the transition period, which is expected in January 2029, to maintain their certification. Start your ISO 14001:2026 transition planning early to avoid disruption and maintain certification.
One main frame condition decided for the update has been to clarify existing requirements associated with key topics, but to limit the introduction of new requirements. Another aim has been to incorporate the relevant content of ISO’s Harmonized Structure for management system standards.The ISO 14001:2026 update will focus on clarifications and alignment rather than sweeping new requirements:
In addition, there are some other textual changes to align with the Harmonized Structure. The overall changes are relatively moderate and less extensive than those for transitioning to the 2015 edition.
To reassure businesses already compliant with ISO 14001:2015, the continuity of the unchanged ISO 14001:2015 requirements will remain, so expect to undertake targeted updates to the 2026 version rather than a complete overhaul of your environmental management system.
Although new themes such as sustainability, digital environmental, and resilience will be woven into the proposed standard, they will likely add new dimensions to consider rather than a radical departure from the previous requirements.
You do not need to overhaul your environmental management system! As the ISO 14001:2026 update approaches, organizations must proactively prepare for the anticipated changes. This 7-step preparation process involves understanding the new requirements, assessing current systems, and planning for necessary adjustments.
Our environmental management system templates offer a reliable way of achieving process-based compliance to ISO 14001:2015 and will ease the eventual transition to the new version of ISO 14001:2026.
The three-year transition period, which is expected to end in January 2029, is plenty of time to achieve compliance even if you are beginning from scratch today.
The greatest resource of any organization is its people, so strategies for managing real and perceived change, or concerns and attitudes, should be addressed during transition planning. It is likely that during the first few months, Top management will need to regularly reinforce the benefits of the transition project to ensure that your employees maintain focus and motivation for upgrading the environmental management system.
Adjusting the environmental management system documents should also be expected as staff become accustomed to the requirements and suggest usability improvements. Instant business or environmental improvements may be initially observed; however, experience suggests a lag phase before consistent improvements become the norm.
The benefits to the organization of a properly functioning environmental management system are not just restricted to the knowledge that it complies with regulatory requirements, but that it has the discipline to manage customer requirements effectively.
The extent of the documented information will differ from one organization to another because of the organization's size and its activities, processes, products, and services; the complexity of processes and their interactions, and the competence of personnel. In ISO 14001:2015, the environmental manual helped to establish and document the framework of your organization's environmental management system while articulating those aspects of the EMS to any interested parties.
While there is still no requirement for an environmental manual or documented procedures in ISO 14001:2026, it is suggested that they should not simply be binned if they add value. You will be expected to maintain the integrity of the environmental management system during the transition process.
You do not need to renumber your existing documentation to correspond to the new clauses. It is down to each organization to determine whether the benefits gained from renumbering will exceed the effort involved. You do not need to restructure your management system to follow the sequence and titles of the requirements. Providing all of the requirements in ISO 14001:2026 are met, your organization’s environmental management system will be compliant.
The type and extent of documented information that your organization should retain and maintain, to comply with ISO 14001:2026, clearly depend on the nature of your organization’s products and processes.
The following criteria can be used to assess the different types of ISO 9001:2015 documents and information that your organization should retain and maintain as documented information by determining whether the information:
Suppose any of the above criteria apply to any type of document or information within your organization's domain, it should be retained and maintained as a form of 'documented information' per Clause 7.5.
This is the 'Plan' part of the PDCA process. Establish the objectives and processes necessary to deliver results in accordance with customer requirements and the organizational policies. This is often implemented using stated objectives, work instructions or procedures as required for consistent process output.
This is the 'Do' part of the PDCA process. Ensure the availability of resources and information necessary to support the operation and monitoring of your processes. This may be through management review or other methods that define resource requirements.
This is the 'Check' part of the PDCA process. Monitor, measure and analyse process performance. Monitor and measure processes and products against policies, objectives and requirements, and report the results. The methods employed and the timing of such analysis should be based upon priorities established by the organization.
This is the 'Act' part of the PDCA process. Implement the actions necessary to achieve the planned results, and for the continual improvement of those processes. Auditors will expect to see evidence that corrective action is taken when measurable objectives and performance indicators fall below target or a pre-defined action level.
The latest and current quality management principles (QMPs), stated in ISO 9000:2015, are intended to provide the foundation by which any organization can continually improve its performance.
You can learn to apply the latest quality management principles in the context of your business's own particular operations by reviewing and documenting its activities in the context of each quality management principle.
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ISO Navigator™ is our FREE online training tool that shows you how to apply the principles of PDCA to your operations. We also offer many helpful templates that get you on the road to documenting your management system, please visit the download page.