Discover how ISO standards are evolving to address climate change in certification audits, featuring insights from experienced auditor Jan Jörgensmann on navigating compliance and real-world implications.
A new blog post of Joseph Beratung was published on Oct 29, 2024 with the original title:
Klimawandel im Zertifizierungsaudit
Overview:
The post discusses the integration of climate change considerations within certification audits, emphasizing the gap between ISO requirements and auditor practices. It highlights recent changes in certification standards and shares practical examples relevant to organizations undergoing audits.
Core content:
- ISO’s 2021 decision acknowledges climate change, mandating organizations to assess its relevance to their operations during audits.
- New requirements took effect with an ISO 9001 amendment, emphasizing the need for an analysis of climate change impacts rather than documentation obligations.
- Auditors have shown varying levels of understanding regarding climate change requirements, leading to instances of misinformation during audits.
- Practical examples depict how different organizations address climate implications without necessarily documenting actions, aligning with ISO guidelines.
- Organizations are advised to acknowledge climate change discussions within their management reviews to clarify compliance without excessive documentation.
Learnings:
- Readers will understand the importance of recognizing climate change as a relevant issue in management systems and the implications for certification audits.
- The content clarifies the distinction between the organization’s impact on climate change versus the climate’s impact on the organization.
- It highlights the necessity for auditors to align their practices with updated ISO standards to avoid confusion during certification processes.
- Organizations can learn to document discussions about climate impacts concisely during management reviews, which aids in fulfilling normative expectations.
- Insights are provided on how to apply climate considerations across various ISO standards like ISO 45001 and ISO 27001.
The original content was published in German.
