Dear Members,
The ISO 14001:2026 Environmental Management Systems Standard was published on 15 April 2026, replacing the ISO 14001:2015 standard and the climate change amendment published in 2024.
The revision does not constitute a fundamental change requiring the complete re-establishment of existing environmental management systems. However, the expectations regarding environmental context, leadership, life cycle, value chain, change management and the evaluation of environmental performance have been clarified.
The following topics are particularly highlighted in the revision:
- The assessment of climate change, pollution, the availability of natural resources, biodiversity and ecosystem health within the organisation’s context,
- Taking into account the organisation’s sphere of control and influence throughout the life cycle of its activities, products and services,
- A new requirement under Clause 6.3 regarding the planning and management of changes,
- Environmental control of externally provided processes, products and services, including suppliers, contract manufacturers, laboratories, contractors, transporters and waste management organisations,
- A more comprehensive assessment of potential emergencies and environmental impacts,
- Establishing audit objectives for each internal audit and ensuring that evidence of the audit programme’s implementation is available,
- More clearly documenting the inputs, outcomes and decisions of management reviews.
Organisations holding an accredited ISO 14001:2015 certificate must complete their transition by 30 April 2029 at the latest. From 31 October 2027 onwards, new and initial accredited certifications will be issued solely in accordance with the ISO 14001:2026 standard.
As part of their transition preparations, it is recommended that our members:
- Obtain the licensed text of the standard,
- Conduct an organization-specific gap analysis,
- Review their organizational context, interested parties, scope, environmental aspects, risks, and emergency preparedness arrangements,
- Update their change management and supplier and externally provided service control processes,
- Complete internal audit and management review activities covering the new requirements,
- Clarify in writing with their certification bodies the date of the transition audit and any potential additional audit time required.
You can access the “ISO 14001:2026 Environmental Management Systems Standard Changes and Transition Process – TKSD Member Information Note”, prepared for our members following a joint assessment of the summary of the ISO 14001:2026 standard changes seminar and resources from ISO, Global ACI and BSI, here.
Note: This information note has been prepared for general information purposes only and does not replace the licensed text of the ISO 14001:2026 standard. When developing an organisation-specific implementation and transition plan, the licensed standard text and the written guidance provided by the certification body must be taken as the basis.
Respectfully,
Turkish Chemical Manufacturers Association
*This content is intended solely for the use of TKSD members. It must not be shared with third parties, reproduced in whole or in part, or published in public forums without the written consent of TKSD.