5. Leadership
5.1 Changes – Leadership and Commitment
- New clause on leadership and commitment
- Identifies actions for top management’s personal involvement, direction, and support
- Adds to ensure policy and objectives are compatible with “strategic direction”
- Adds to ensure EMS requirements are integrated into business processes
- Top management is critical to EMS success
- May delegate some responsibilities, but still accountable to ensure they are performed
- Adds to Annex SL that top management must take accountability for EMS effectiveness
- Expect more top management questions from auditors
5.2 Changes – Policy
- Replaces old clause 4.2 on policy
- Adds environmental policy must be appropriate to purpose and context of organization
- Use of “target” dropped; captured in “objective”
- Adds NOTE on environmental commitments
- Introduces new term “compliance obligations”
- Adds to enhance environmental performance
- Policy was to be made available to public; now must make it available to interested parties
5.3 Changes – Organizational Roles, Responsibilities, and Authorities
- Replaces old clause 4.4.1 on resources, roles, responsibility, and authority
- Resources are now covered in 7.1, Resources
- Drops need for Management Representative
(could retain for reporting on EMS performance)
- Old duties can be spread among top managers
- Registrars will still need a nominated contact