ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 Changes 2026: A Plain-English Guide

If your business is certified to ISO 9001 or ISO 14001 — or planning to be — it’s important to understand the changes coming by 2026.

These ISO updates won’t turn your management system upside down, but they will require some action. Leaving it until the last minute (or until your auditor brings it up) could add unnecessary stress.

This plain-English guide explains the ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 changes: what’s already been updated, what’s coming in 2026, and what businesses — especially SMEs — actually need to do to stay compliant.

2024 ISO 9001 & 14001 Updates

In early 2024, both ISO 9001 (Quality Management) and ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) were quietly updated. Rather than a major overhaul, ISO issued an “amendment” that added references to climate change in two core clauses:

• Clause 4.1: Understanding the organisation and its context

• Clause 4.2: Understanding the needs and expectations of interested parties

So what does this mean in practice? Businesses now need to show they’ve considered climate-related risks as part of their wider context and stakeholder analysis. Not because ISO expects you to publish sustainability reports or commit to net zero, but because issues such as flooding, energy costs, supply chain disruption, and customer expectations can affect how your business operates.

For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), this requirement is about awareness and proportionate action — not red tape. A short note in your risk register or a paragraph in your management review may be enough. What matters is showing that you’ve thought about climate risk in a way that’s relevant to your business.

If you’ve already had an ISO audit recently, you might have noticed your auditor asking about this. If not, you can expect it at your next assessment.

What’s Changing in 2026

Timeline of ISO changes

Both ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 are now going through formal revision processes, with full new versions expected to be published by the end of 2026.

• ISO 9001: This will be the first major revision since 2015. The new version is expected to modernise the language and place more emphasis on risk, resilience, digitalisation, and stakeholder value, with stronger integration of climate and sustainability considerations.

• ISO 14001: The revision looks set to refine rather than overhaul. Expect clearer guidance on identifying environmental aspects, lifecycle thinking, and leadership accountability — with climate change remaining a central theme.

Once these new versions are published, there will likely be a three-year transition period — meaning businesses will need to align by 2029. While that may sound far off, organisations that stay ahead of the curve will be in a stronger position, especially when it comes to surveillance audits or meeting tender requirements.

What This Means for Businesses

These revisions will apply across the board — but the impact will look very different depending on the size and setup of your organisation.

For larger companies:

• Likely to respond with full ESG strategies.

• Climate risk assessments, sustainability targets, and detailed reporting.

• Consultants, audit teams, and compliance staff may be brought in to cover every angle.

For smaller and medium-sized businesses (SMEs):

• You’re not expected to publish climate reports or hire compliance officers.

• Instead, the focus is far more practical: show that you’ve considered potential risks and documented your thinking in a way that’s relevant to your business.

• This could be:

  • A note in your context analysis or risk register.

  • A paragraph in your management review.

Examples might include:

• A supplier based in a flood-prone area.

• Rising fuel or energy costs affecting your operations.

• Customers beginning to request environmental policies in tenders.

“It’s not about doing everything — it’s about showing you’ve thought it through”

What You Can Do Now

If you’re already certified, now’s the time to review your documents and make sure climate considerations are included in the right places.

Start with your context and stakeholder analysis. Have you noted any climate-related risks? Are your key stakeholders expecting action on sustainability, even in small ways?

Next, check your risk register or business planning process. Could climate risks disrupt you directly or indirectly? For example:

• Severe weather affecting a supplier.

• Rising fuel or energy costs.

• Clients asking for sustainability policies in tenders.

Finally, look at your management review. If you haven’t already, add climate change as a point of discussion. This doesn’t need to be complex — it just shows you’ve thought about it.

And if you’re in the early stages of implementing ISO 9001 or 14001, it’s best to build this in now. Doing it right the first time is always easier than retrofitting later.

This isn’t about red tape. It’s about keeping your ISO systems relevant, resilient, and fit for the real-world risks that small businesses face — now and in the years to come.

If you’re not sure where to start or don’t want to spend hours trying to interpret clauses, that’s where I come in. I help small businesses make sense of these changes in plain English, with practical solutions that fit your business (not someone else’s checklist).

Need help updating your ISO system before your next audit?