How can you be utilizing your internal auditor team to better address climate change? Although not yet a direct actionable requirement in the general ISO Management System Standards (MSS), if your company is currently registered with either ISO 14001 or ISO 50001, it is probably a good idea to continue thinking about this and taking some action. Other MSS’s could soon follow suit, so this topic is not going to go away any time soon. So, adding the topic into your internal auditor training process should be considered. And consider tying this to many European customers or corporate groups who are now requiring vendors to calculate greenhause gas (GHG).  

The topic of climate change is based on the Earth’s carbon cycle and is very complex. Wikipedia defines it as the following, “The carbon cycle comprises a sequence of events that are key to making Earth capable of sustaining life. It describes the movement of carbon as it is recycled and reused throughout the biosphere, as well as long-term processes of carbon sequestration (storage) to and release from carbon sinks’. The atmospheric impact of CO2 was first noted in science around 1824 and continues to develop in understanding and complexity. The earth has always had a balance in the Carbon Cycle between CO2 capture sinks versus carbon release as it is a natural part of everyday life (the oceans {CO2-12} and volcanos {CO2-13} are the largest releasers of CO2, and the oceans are the largest carbon sink absorbing 31% of the CO2 emissions released into the atmosphere according to a study published by NOAA and international partners in science.  

With the start of the industrial revolution and as the human population grows, with more burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, scientists started noting a shift in the natural patterns of the earth. Humans are releasing more carbon into the atmosphere than the earth can re-capture by natural means. This additional CO2 released by man is what some are referring to as manmade climate change and may be better stated as man release carbon.  

Climate change, in the MSS, directly relates to the release of gases (commonly called greenhouse gases) that could impact our atmosphere. Most commonly, these are considered to be CO2 and methane. In the news, you hear the term manmade carbon. However, humans do not “make” carbon. It is a naturally occurring substance in nature, and the root cause could be that we are releasing more CO2 into the atmosphere than the earth can naturally re-absorb.  

This article will focus on what your company can control to help prevent as much release of these greenhouse gases as we can, versus any political view around this topic. A potential starting point here could be ISO 9001 clause 7.1.3 Infrastructure or ISO 45001 clause 6.1.2.1 Hazard identification which also notes infrastructure in subclause b2. Infrastructure includes your buildings and equipment used in your process. For many organizations in North America (both the U.S. and Canada), a lot of companies are already trying to reduce operating costs by any number of means. These can include changing to LED lighting, variable speed air compressors, updated HVAC systems, electrified PIT / forklifts, and many other items.  

The note in ISO 9001 7.1.3 states that Infrastructure can include:  

a) buildings and associated utilities. 

b) equipment, including hardware and software. 

c) transportation resources. 

d) information and communication technology. 

Let’s do an initial look at each of these from a climate perspective: 

Many energy audits will start with a detailed look at utility bills over the past several years. Are unusual patterns (outside seasonal weather or major changes in customer needs) evident that could signal issues around the property? This could require some advanced training for your internal auditors to be aware of and how to look at these issues.  

Buildings and Associated Utilities 

• Regardless of the age of the building, you should always be on the lookout for air gaps around man doors, dock doors or anywhere else that you can see daylight in walls or windows where there should be none. This is also commonly seen on shipping dock plates. 
• Has an old oven been replaced lately with a new ductless mode; did maintenance repair the hole in the wall left from the old exhaust pipe – I actually wrote a finding on this at one plant. 
• Have LED lighting been installed and are motion sensors in use for limited accessed areas? 
• Have outside lights been equipped with mini solar panels to help save electrical costs? 
• Has natural light been designed inside the building, could changes be made? There are a number of new devices for home use to allow natural lighting. Could some of these be used in the plant as well?  
• Can the site install waste heat recovery systems? 
• Are natural sources of heating and cooling utilized? Ford Motor Company and other have been experimenting for years in alternative roofing that includes dirt and plants.  
• Does your site have any green space around the building that might be utilized as a carbon credit area? 
• Are filters (air, oil, etc.) changed regularly to help ensure equipment operating efficiency? 
• Are interior door seals working as intended? 
• Are cold or hot drafts (depending on the time of year) evident around the plant that could signal air leaks from worn seals around windows, doors, or something left open when it should not be?  

Equipment, Including Hardware and Software 

• Does your site have variable speed air compressors? These can mask energy usage in the plant. Is your maintenance team using an ultrasonic tester to look for air leaks or vacuum leaks? In many plants, the air compressor system is the biggest energy hog in the building.  
• There are now water ultrasonic testers to look for water leaks.  
• Are equipment and lights turned off when not in use? 
• Is software updated to reduce electric demands when an option exists? 
• Is the equipment energy-efficient? 
• Are motors the newer variable frequency drives (VFD) in use? 
• Are pipes that carry hot or cold liquids properly insulated? 
• Could renewable energy sources be utilized around the site – solar, wind power, water flow, etc.?  
• Is the equipment maintained properly – i.e. motors often run hot due to insufficient lubrication? 
• Is the maintenance checking for harmonic distortion in electrical systems that can cause energy loss or even overheating? Basic thermal imaging cameras are now available for around two hundred dollars.  
• When purchasing new equipment, are you preventing oversizing for the site needs? American engineers love oversizing equipment for safety consideration; however, this can lead to wasted energy consumption.  
• Is the maintenance team doing an ongoing energy consumption pattern review at your site? 

Transportation Resources 

• Has your site changed from propane to electric Powered Industrial Trucks (forklifts)? 
• Are multiple trips being conducted with equipment when consolidating would work – wasting transportation time inside the site or to suppliers or customers? 
• Is the transportation equipment well maintained? 
• Have you conducted spaghetti diagrams to study your workflow of internal transportation? 

Information and Communication Technology 

• Have smart controls been installed on equipment? 
• Can reductions be made in operations during utility peak demand times – i.e. many foundries run a first and third shift to save costs during second shift peak electrical usage? 
• Has the site had an intensive and comprehensive lighting and energy audit? 
• Are programable thermostats in use? 
• Are there ways to prevent “phantom energy”? Many electrical devices, even when turned off, still use some electricity. 

When performing internal audits that involve human-released carbon issues, consider using the ISO 56001:2024 Innovation management system as an additional tool for looking at the concepts to reduce, reuse and recycle. ISO touts the 56001 as: “In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing business environment, the ability to innovate is crucial for the survival and growth of organizations.” Thus, training internal auditors to understand innovations could assist in identifying additional ways that your organization could reduce their carbon footprint.  

Also, there is a growing number of ISO guidance documents and verification guidelines, such as the ISO 14068-1:2023 Climate change management — Transition to net zero Part 1: Carbon neutrality, that your customers could propose that you must follow. I have already had one client who has a customer requesting registration to ISO 14068. However, this is not a registration standard of the MSS, but a verification standard that many registrars can assist with if you ever find the need to be verified to the ISO 14068-1 or similar verification standards.  

The need to train internal auditors to think beyond the typical check sheets used for auditing is becoming more important and will be needed with future releases of the ISO MSS. Potential updates to both the ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 could occur in 2026, and ensuring that your internal auditors are current should assist your organization in the understanding that your company plays an important role in the global economy.