ISO 14001:2026 is on track for publication in mid-April, replacing the 2015 edition of the world’s most widely used environmental management system standard. The final draft was approved following a ballot that closed in early March. For organisations currently certified to ISO 14001:2015, a three-year transition window is expected, meaning certificates issued to the current version would need to transition before approximately May 2029.
The changes are moderate. The revision consolidates the 2024 climate change amendment into the main text and introduces a new requirement for explicitly planning and managing changes to the environmental management system. The scope of operational controls has been broadened from outsourced processes to all externally provided processes, products, and services. Annex A has been substantially expanded to improve guidance throughout. The revision also aligns more closely with ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 through the harmonised structure, which matters for anyone running an integrated management system.
ISO has confirmed that final production is underway and that the standard will replace ISO 14001:2015 before the end of April. ISO For anyone managing an EMS in the Norwegian offshore or energy sector, now is a reasonable time to review what a gap analysis against the new requirements would involve.
SOURCE: ISO, no individual author listed, standard page accessed 24 March 2026. https://www.iso.org/standard/92300.html Supporting detail: DNV, https://www.dnv.com/assurance/Management-Systems/new-iso/transition/iso-14001-revision/
