The most recent ISO Survey covering the annual period up to 31 December 2017 showed that there were 160, 803 ISO 14001:2004 certificates held by organisations who had not made the transition to ISO 14001:2015.
However, the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) has conducted a bespoke survey, which more accurately covers the final position as at the end of September 2018.
Their data coordinated from IAF Accreditation Body members and their accredited Certification Bodies gave a 93% transition rate to the 2015 versions of the quality and environmental management system standards ISO 14001 & ISO 9001. However, the information is not further sub-divided into ISO 14001 & ISO 9001.
If this 93% figure applies to ISO 14001 transitions, it would mean that approximately 337, 277 certificate have been transitioned.
It does, however, mean that an estimated 25, 400 ISO 14001:2004 certificates have expired at that the organisations are not benefiting from the enhanced environmental performance and compliance that they may have experienced as a ISO 14001 certificate holder.
It should be noted that any organization certified to the previous versions of these two standards is no longer has a valid certificate. However, the IAF does allow for a certificate to be reinstated within six months of the 15 September 2018 deadline, provided all the appropriate requirements and processes have been undertaken & that the transition audit was started before 15 September 2018 (see my previous post – Important Further Information for Certification Bodies regarding transition to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001).
I am sure that the transition rate will increase further from the current 93% but it remains to be seen, just how many ISO 14001:2004 certificates are finally transitioned.
What have been your experience of the ISO 14001:2015 transition?
I welcome your comments below.
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