ISO 14001:2005 Changes – Clause 5

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

• 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

• 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