The Central Secretariat of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in Geneva expects to publish and release by April 2026 the revised edition of ISO 14001, the international standard for Environmental Management System.

ISO 14001:2026 will gradually replace ISO 14001:2015, the current edition of the standard, over a three-year period. During this transition, planned from April 2026 to April 2029 under guidelines to be issued by ISO and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), both the new 2026 and old 2015 editions of the standard exist side by side until the 2015 edition is fully phased out by April 2029*.

Compared with ISO 14001:2015, the Final Draft International Standard (FDIS) of ISO 14001:2026 does not contain major or drastic changes. ISO retained the core structure and intent of the 2015 edition. Requirements under various clauses, although not entirely new, are presented in the revised edition in a manner that gains clearer and easier understanding, especially among small and medium sized enterprises committed to a sustainable environment for all.

Editorial revisions to the 2015 edition were done through modifications of some wordings and slight changes in the order of presentation of certain sub-clauses. The editorial improvements can simplify too the integration of the EMS with other management systems, like QMS, OHSMS, operated by organizations.

With its whole-of-organization and risk-based approach, ISO 14001:2026 aims to help organizations achieve their evolving strategic objectives that are anchored on environmental performance improvements at levels expected of them by their stakeholders. The revisions call for more effective management of change resulting from leadership and management review decisions.

Requirements for more effective actions on risks and opportunities are described more clearly; these entail a more thorough analysis of what are relevant to the context of the organization, taking into account broader sustainability goals such as climate change effects, biodiversity loss, availability of water and other resources and how these impact the organization’s operations and vice versa. Editorial improvements were also done to clarify the manner of dealing with externally provided processes, products and services.

Upon release of ISO 14001:2026, organizations certified to ISO 14001:2015 can maintain their EMS-certified status provided within the three-year transition period they convert their EMS to the requirements of ISO 14001:2026 and successfully complete a transition audit. A transition audit normally coincides with a surveillance audit or a reassessment. Organizations that miss this transition but later seek restoration of certified status need to undergo an initial audit once again (Stage 1 and Stage 2) against ISO 14001:2026 criteria.

For practical reasons, organizations establishing for the first time their EMS and seeking certification for it, even during the transition period, have the option to proceed directly to the 2026 edition of the standard.

Certification International Philippines extends assistance to organizations, groups or individuals preparing for a successful transition to ISO 14001:2026. This assistance is in the form of public trainings, forums, webinars, and gap analyses through pre-audits. Interested parties are welcome to contact CIP for more details.

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