ISO 14001:2026 Transition
A new version of the ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems standard was published in April 2026.
The updated standard includes a number of changes designed to bring it more closely in line with other ISO management system standards and place greater emphasis on wider environmental issues, environmental risks and opportunities, and the effective management of change.
What are the main changes?
The updated standard places greater emphasis on:
- Managing environmental risks and opportunities
- Planning and managing organisational change
- Considering the wider environmental context in which an organisation operates
- Understanding the needs and expectations of relevant interested parties
- Considering a lifecycle perspective where relevant
- Demonstrating effective internal audits and retaining appropriate supporting evidence
- Continual improvement of environmental performance and the Environmental Management System
The standard also places greater emphasis on wider environmental issues, including:
- Climate change
- Pollution
- Biodiversity
- Natural resource use
- Ecosystem health
- Water availability and other relevant environmental conditions
- What does this mean in practice?
For most organisations, the changes are expected to involve a review of existing arrangements and some targeted updates, rather than a complete overhaul of the Environmental Management System.
Organisations should begin considering questions such as:
- Are environmental risks and opportunities clearly identified and managed?
- Has the organisation considered whether climate change could affect its ability to achieve the intended outcomes of its Environmental Management System?
- Have wider environmental issues, such as biodiversity, pollution, natural resource use and ecosystem health, been considered where relevant?
- Are the needs and expectations of relevant interested parties understood and reviewed?
- Are lifecycle impacts, from purchasing and suppliers through to use and disposal, being considered where relevant?
- Are organisational changes assessed for potential environmental impacts?
- Are internal audit programmes sufficiently detailed and effective, with appropriate records retained?
- Are environmental objectives and performance being monitored and evaluated effectively?
Many organisations are likely to already be addressing a number of these areas within their existing Environmental Management Systems.
Transitioning to ISO 14001:2026
Approachable Certification has formally applied to UKAS for accreditation to certify organisations against ISO 14001:2026.
Until UKAS has completed its assessment and granted accreditation, we are not permitted to carry out certification, surveillance or recertification audits against the new edition of the standard. In the meantime, we will continue to audit and certify organisations against ISO 14001:2015.
Existing certified organisations therefore do not need to take any immediate action to maintain their certification.
Once our accreditation has been granted, we will communicate with affected clients and begin scheduling transition audits in line with the applicable transition arrangements.
We recommend that organisations begin familiarising themselves with the key changes and reviewing their existing Environmental Management System arrangements. Early preparation will help organisations identify any areas requiring attention and plan their transition in a controlled and proportionate way.
We are running ISO 14001:2026 Transition Courses to help customers with the changes involved in the transition. Please visit our ISO 14001:2026 Transition Training Course for more information.
We will continue to update this page as further information becomes available.