ISO 14001:2026 is published: the transition dates that matter

ISO 14001:2026 was published in April 2026. It replaces ISO 14001:2015 including Amendment 1:2024. The transition requirements issued by Global ACI in September 2026 are mandatory for accreditation bodies and accredited certification bodies; certified organizations move to the new edition through their certification body, on the same dates.

ISO 14001:2015 certificates remain valid until 30 April 2029 at the latest. The rest of this article sets out what happens between now and then.

The dates

• April 2026: ISO 14001:2026 published.
• 31 October 2026: accreditation bodies ready to carry out transition assessments for ISO 14001:2026.
• 31 January 2027: certification bodies declare their transition readiness to their accreditation body.
• 30 April 2027: accreditation bodies complete their transition decisions.
• 31 October 2027: new certifications are issued only to ISO 14001:2026.
• 30 April 2029: the transition ends and ISO 14001:2015 certificates are no longer valid.

What changed in the standard

Global ACI summarises the key changes as:

• alignment with the harmonized structure, including changes to terms and definitions;
• new wording for documented information, clarifying that documented information shall be available;
• a new clause 6.3, Planning of changes;
• new sub-clauses under clause 9.3, Management review.

Annex A clarifies organizational context, risks and opportunities, the life cycle perspective, and alignment with strategy, business processes and an integrated management system approach. Global ACI describes the overall changes as minimal.

How the transition happens for a certified organization

Transition happens at an audit: a surveillance audit, a recertification audit or a special transition audit. The transition audit reviews, at a minimum, the changed requirements, changes to the organization's context, and the need for any other changes to the management system. It may be conducted remotely where the certification body can show that its objectives are met.

The certification body decides whether extra audit time is needed, considering at a minimum the degree of change to the management system and whether the transition is combined with a scheduled audit or held as a special audit. A full system audit may need no extra time.

CAS's position today

CAS will contact each certified client to plan its transition audit.

What this means for you

If you are certified to ISO 14001:2015: your certificate remains valid until 30 April 2029 at the latest. Plan the transition with your next surveillance or recertification audit wherever the schedule allows.

If you are planning first certification: certification to ISO 14001:2015 remains possible until 31 October 2027, and that certificate will still need to complete its transition before 30 April 2029, including the transition audit and the issue of the ISO 14001:2026 certificate.

If you are a buyer: a supplier's accredited ISO 14001:2015 certificate is valid until 30 April 2029 at the latest.

If you choose not to transition: your certificate expires at the end of the transition period, even if its printed expiry date is later.

CAS — An EGAC accredited MS certification body No. 012418. Accredited scope: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 22000, ISO 50001 and ISO 22301. Certificates accredited for ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, 22000 and 50001 fall within EGAC's IAF MLA scope; ISO 22301 is accredited by EGAC and sits outside that scope.

Source: Global ACI-TECH-3-TR 2029-04-30 (M), Transition Requirements for ISO 14001:2026, issued 04 September 2026.

Verify any certificate: cas.com.eg/certsearch