Auditing With Climate Change Requirements In ISO
9001:2015 QMS – 3
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Impact of climate change on the scope of the QMS
As you are aware that following are the amendments in ISO 9001:2015 QMS
standard:
Clause 4.1 – Added requirement – The organization needs to determine
whether climate change is a relevant issue.
Clause 4.2 – Added note – Relevant interested parties can have needs and
expectations related to climate change.
In this connection, the auditor job should be to know:
(1)
How the organization determined whether climate
change is a relevant issue for the organization?
(2)
Are there needs and expectations of interested
parties related to climate change?
If climate change is a relevant issue for the organization, then the
determined climate change issues may impact the scope of the organization's
quality management system. If it is so, then the organization should change the
scope of the organization's quality management system, although this is not
specifically written in the year 2024 amendments of ISO 9001:2015 QMS standard.
The auditor needs to look for the objective evidence for the following:
(1)
Do the determined climate change issues impact the
scope of the organization's quality management system?
(2)
Is it required to change the scope of the
organization's quality management system?
Due to climate change issues, an organization may take following steps
and improve the scope of the organization’s quality management system
accordingly:
(1)
Change of location: The organization may consider
to move to a safer and appropriate new location due to flood in the current
location or any other climate issue.
(2)
Change in products and services: The organization
may consider providing different or changed products and services.
(1)
Change in raw materials: The organization may
consider change in raw materials.
(2)
Change in raw processes: The organization may
consider change in processes.
Examples of Impact on the Scope of the QMS
Here-in-below a few examples of impact on the scope of an organization’s
quality management system are mentioned.
(1)
Change of Location: A coastal manufacturing organization
may experience increased risk of flooding due to rising sea levels caused by
climate change. As a result, the organization may decide to relocate its
operations to a safer inland location to mitigate this risk and ensure business
continuity.
(2)
Change in Products and Services: An organization
producing single-use plastic products may face increased scrutiny and consumer
backlash due to concerns about plastic pollution and climate change. In
response, the organization may transition its product line to include more
sustainable alternatives, such as biodegradable or reusable materials.
(3)
Change in Raw Materials: A beverage organization
reliant on water-intensive agricultural crops may face challenges sourcing raw
materials due to changing climate patterns leading to droughts or water
scarcity. To adapt, the organization may explore alternative ingredients or
invest in water-saving agricultural practices to ensure a sustainable supply
chain.
(4)
Change in Processes: A manufacturing organization
may need to modify its production processes to reduce energy consumption and
greenhouse gas emissions in response to climate change regulations or carbon
pricing mechanisms. This may involve upgrading equipment to improve energy
efficiency, implementing waste reduction measures, or adopting renewable energy
sources.
Above examples illustrate how climate change can necessitate changes to
an organization's operations, products, services, raw materials, and processes,
ultimately impacting the scope of its quality management system.
Organization should find out whether such changes are necessary and
accordingly take improvement decisions. An auditor needs to assess out whether
changes have been appropriately integrated into the organization's quality
management system to ensure continual effectiveness and compliance with ISO
9001:2015 requirements.
Regards,
Keshav Ram Singhal
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