Environment and energy
ISO 14001:2015
Environmental management systems
ISO 14001:2015 is the previous edition of the environmental management system standard. ISO replaced it with ISO 14001:2026 in April 2026.
Previous edition, in transition
ISO 14001:2026 is the current edition of ISO 14001. Read about ISO 14001:2026.
Key facts
- Edition
- Previous edition, in transition (2015)
- Current edition
- ISO 14001:2026
- Transition period
- Contact us
It is now in transition: certificates that name ISO 14001:2015 can stay valid for a limited period while certified organisations move to the new edition. For new certification, see the current edition.
Who it suits
Organisations that hold an ISO 14001:2015 certificate and are preparing to move to ISO 14001:2026, and anyone checking a certificate that still names the 2015 edition. For new certification, see ISO 14001:2026.
Edition and transition
- This edition
- ISO 14001:2015Previous edition, in transition
- Current edition
- ISO 14001:2026Replaces this edition
- Transition period under ISAO accreditation
- Contact us
What the transition means
A certificate to ISO 14001:2015 does not lose its validity just because a new edition has been published. It can stay valid until the transition period ends or the certificate expires, whichever comes first, as long as it is not suspended or withdrawn. To move across, the organisation updates its environmental management system and its certification body audits it against the new requirements, usually alongside a surveillance or recertification audit. If the audit shows that the system meets the new edition, the certification body issues a certificate that names ISO 14001:2026.
What changes in the 2026 edition
- The text follows ISO's latest common structure and wording for management system standards
- Risks and opportunities, including those linked to environmental conditions such as climate change, are set out more clearly
- The life cycle perspective carries more weight, including when the organisation sets the scope of its system
- Changes to the system must be planned and managed
Edition history
ISO 14001:2015, the third edition, was published in September 2015 and replaced ISO 14001:2004. An amendment published in February 2024 asks the organisation to consider whether climate change matters to it when it reviews its context, and adds a note that interested parties may have expectations about climate change. ISO 14001:2026 replaced both the 2015 edition and its amendment in April 2026.
Check a certificate for ISO 14001:2015
- Enter the certificate number or verification code at Verify a certificate, or scan the QR code on the certificate. The record shows the certificate's status today, for example valid, suspended, withdrawn or expired.
- Compare the organisation name, scope and sites on the record with the copy you were given. Check the expiry date as well: a certificate to this edition cannot stay valid beyond the end of the transition period.
- Check who issued the certificate, as named on the record. Where a certification body accredited by ISAO issued it, the record shows the status of that accreditation and its accreditation number, and says so if the accreditation did not cover ISO 14001:2015 when the certificate was issued.
- If the certificate is not on the register, ISAO cannot confirm it: it may have been issued under another accreditation, or a detail may be wrong. Ask the issuing body, and report a concern if something does not look right.
Related standards
This is ISAO’s own summary, not the text of the standard. Copies of ISO 14001:2015 can be bought from ISO or from national standards bodies.