Climate Change and Quality
If occupational safety has always been the closest cousin to quality management, since February 2024 the environment has joined the family of best friends: now we have climate change and quality going hand in hand!
A Amendment 1:2024 to ISO 9001 has officially added the climate change with a topic that needs to be considered in your quality management system. The new requirements are:
4.1 The organization must determine whether climate change is a relevant issue.
4.2 Relevant stakeholders may have requirements related to climate change.
That's why we've dedicated this post to explaining how you, in Quality, should start thinking about this.
And now Quality needs to think about climate change, what to do?
The amendment requires an assessment - not an automatic plan of action or that you solve the world's problem.
It requires a conscious assessment: does climate change impact your organization or not? Right now, it's risky to quickly assume that climate change doesn't impact your business.
The risk of not considering this change is real. Ignoring this issue can lead to:
- Non-conformities in audits
- Loss of credibility
- Supply chain disruptions
- Increased costs due to environmental requirements
Action 1: How can climate change affect my business?
Climate change and its impacts can appear as:
- extreme heat wave: reduced productivity, equipment failures
- heavy rains, floods: logistical disruption, impaired access, physical damage
- forest fires: supply problems, health risks, structural damage
- storms, gales: physical damage, electrical and communication disruption
- prolonged droughts: water shortages, increased costs, drop in the quality of inputs
- sea level rise: risk of flooding, unfeasibility of expansion
I believe that any of these phenomena, if they happen, could affect your business!
Action 2: What are the stakeholders' requirements in relation to climate change?
The requirements, needs and expectations of stakeholders can appear in various forms, such as:
- Clients: demand for environmental policies or sustainable certifications
- Regulatory bodies: compliance with environmental laws and emission reduction targets
- Suppliers: ability to deliver even in the face of extreme weather events
- Employees: safe and healthy working environment in the face of heatwaves or extreme events
- Local community: environmental responsibility and contribution to reducing impacts
- Shareholders / Investors: commitment to ESG and climate risk management
Translate this into Risk and Opportunity Management
After thinking about the above questions, the Quality professional with Senior Management should:
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Update the item in the Quality Manual dealing with the “context of the organization” and “interested parties”
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Consider the possible impacts of uncertainty (climate change) on risk and opportunity management.
After all, what can I do to prevent a piece of equipment from breaking down due to an extreme heat wave; or what can I do to anticipate a possible extreme drought and the quality of my input decreasing?
What preventive actions can I take for my employees if extreme heat arrives?
NAPO video
” Climate change has moved up the political and social agenda. Napo's new film was created to raise awareness of the impact of climate change on the workplace and the measures that can be taken to reduce the risks of heat stress for workers. Working hours should be organized so as to avoid the times when the sun is at its hottest... the sun is the enemy. The main target audience is outdoor workers - street cleaners and construction and agricultural workers - but also office workers.”
(more videos on Quality in our official playlist)
Conclusion: It's not easy, but to think is to act
Start small.
You don't need to create a giant climate policy or discuss every possible climate change event.
So it's enough to show that the company has thought about the issue and is aware of the possible consequences of climate change.
Quality now officially thinks green too!
Qualiexpert Services - Processes that add value
Do you want to understand how climate change can impact your Quality Management System and how to prepare for the new ISO 9001 requirements? At Qualiexpert, we believe that anticipating climate risks is a way of adding real value to processes.
Our mission is to connect Quality, Sustainability and Strategy, helping organizations to integrate these pillars in a practical and efficient way.
We are here to support your company in this new scenario! If you want to adapt your QMS to Amendment 1:2024 with intelligence and lightness, contact Qualiexpert to transform environmental challenges into opportunities for continuous improvement.
Find out more with our ISO 9001 Professionals Expert Online Shop
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