Lesson 05 - Transision Matrix (Clause 6: Planning)

6 Planning

6.1 Actions to address risks and opportunities

6.1.1 General

The organization shall establish, implement and maintain (a) process(es) needed to meet the requirements

in 6.1.2 to 6.1.5.

The process(es) for 6.1.2 to 6.1.5 shall be available as documented information to the extent necessary to have confidence that they are carried out as planned.

6 Planning

6.1 Actions to address risks and opportunities

6.1.1 General

The organization shall establish, implement and maintain the process(es) needed to meet the requirements in 6.1.1 to 6.1.4.

When planning for the environmental management system, the organization shall consider:

4. the issues referred to in 4.1;
5. the requirements referred to in 4.2;
6. the scope of its environmental management system;

and determine the risks and opportunities, related to its environmental aspects (see 6.1.2), compliance obligations (see 6.1.3) and other issues and requirements, identified in 4.1 and 4.2, that need to be addressed to:

• give assurance that the environmental management system can achieve its intended outcomes;
• prevent or reduce undesired effects, including the potential for external environmental conditions to affect the organization;
• achieve continual improvement.

Within the scope of the environmental management system, the organization shall determine potential emergency situations, including those that can have an environmental impact.

The organization shall maintain documented information of its:

• risks and opportunities that need to be addressed;
• process(es) needed in 1.1 to 6.1.4, to the extent necessary to have confidence they are carried out as planned.

Clauses 6.1–6.3

6.1.1: The 2015 planning content is reorganized. General now points to new 6.1.2–6.1.5 and requires those processes to be available as documented information. Risk-and-opportunity planning moves to new 6.1.4; emergency-situation determination moves to 6.1.2.

6.1.2 Environmental aspects

Within the defined scope of the environmental management system, the organization shall determine the environmental aspects of its activities, products and services that it can control and those that it can influence, and their associated environmental impacts, considering a life cycle perspective.

NOTE 1 A life cycle perspective includes consideration of the environmental aspects and impacts at each life cycle stage. The life cycle stages include acquisition of raw materials, design, production, transportation/ delivery, use, end-of-life treatment and final disposal.

The organization shall determine potential emergency situations (see 8.2), including those that can have an environmental impact.

When determining environmental aspects, the organization shall take into account:

1. normal and abnormal conditions;
2. change, including planned or new developments, and new or modified activities, products and services (see 3);
3. potential emergency

The organization shall determine those aspects that have or can have a significant environmental impact (i.e. significant environmental aspects) by using established criteria.

NOTE 2 Significant environmental aspects can result in risks and opportunities associated with either adverse or beneficial environmental impacts.

The organization shall communicate its significant environmental aspects among the various levels and functions of the organization, as appropriate.

The following shall be available as documented information:

• environmental aspects and associated environmental impacts;
• criteria used to determine its significant environmental aspects;
• significant environmental

6.1.2 Environmental aspects

Within the defined scope of the environmental management system, the organization shall determine the environmental aspects of its activities, products and services that it can control and those that it can influence, and their associated environmental impacts, considering a life cycle perspective.

When determining environmental aspects, the organization shall take into account:

1. change, including planned or new developments, and new or modified activities, products and services;
2. abnormal conditions and reasonably foreseeable emergency situations.

The organization shall determine those aspects that have or can have a significant environmental impact, i.e. significant environmental aspects, by using established criteria.

The organization shall communicate its significant environmental aspects among the various levels and functions of the organization, as appropriate.

The organization shall maintain documented information of its:

• environmental aspects and associated environmental impacts;
• criteria used to determine its significant environmental aspects;
• significant environmental aspects.

NOTE Significant environmental aspects can result in risks and opportunities associated with either adverse environmental impacts (threats) or beneficial environmental impacts (opportunities).

6.1.2: Adds a life-cycle-stage note. Considerations are revised to normal and abnormal conditions, changes, and potential emergency situations, with a new 6.3 cross-reference.

Emergency situations are separately determined with an 8.2 reference.

The note on significant aspects removes the labels “threats” and “opportunities.” Required records are now “available as” rather than “maintained” documented information.

6.1.3  Compliance obligations

The organization shall:

1. determine and have access to the compliance obligations related to its environmental aspects;
2. determine how these compliance obligations apply to the organization;
3. take these compliance obligations into account when establishing, implementing, maintaining and continually improving its environmental management system.

NOTE      Compliance obligations can result in risks and opportunities to the organization.

The compliance obligations shall be available as documented information.

6.1.3 Compliance obligations

The organization shall:

1. determine and have access to the compliance obligations related to its environmental aspects;
2. determine how these compliance obligations apply to the organization;
3. take these compliance obligations into account when establishing, implementing, maintaining and continually improving its environmental management system.

The organization shall maintain documented information of its compliance obligations.

NOTE Compliance obligations can result in risks and opportunities to the organization.

6.1.3: Core requirements are unchanged. A note on risks and opportunities is repositioned, and compliance obligations are now “available as” rather than “maintained” documented information.

6.1.4 Risks and opportunities

When planning for the environmental management system, the organization shall consider:

4. the external and internal issues referred to in 4.1;
5. the relevant needs and expectations (i.e. requirements) of interested parties referred to in 4.2;
6. the scope of its environmental management system referred to in 4.3;

and determine the risks and opportunities to the organization related to its environmental aspects (see 6.1.2), compliance obligations (see 6.1.3) and other issues and requirements, if any, identified in 4.1 and 4.2, that need to be addressed to:

• give assurance that the environmental management system can achieve its intended outcomes;
• prevent, or reduce, undesired effects, including the potential for external environmental conditions to affect the organization;
• achieve continual

The risks and opportunities that need to be addressed shall be available as documented information.

6.1.4: New dedicated clause for determining risks and opportunities. It explicitly references 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 6.1.2, and 6.1.3; adds “to the organization” and “if any”; changes “prevent or reduce” to “prevent, or reduce”; and requires the resulting risks and opportunities to be available as documented information.

6.1.5 Planning action

The organization shall plan:

1. to take actions to address its:
   • significant environmental aspects determined in 6.1.2;
   • compliance obligations determined in 6.1.3;
   • risks and opportunities determined in 6.1.4;
2. how to:
   • implement the actions into its environmental management system processes (see 6.2 Clause 7, Clause 8 and 9.1) or integrate the actions into other business processes;
   • evaluate the effectiveness of these actions (see 9.1).

When planning these actions, the organization shall consider its technological options and its financial, operational and business requirements.

6.1.4 Planning action

The organization shall plan:

1. to take actions to address its:

• significant environmental aspects;
• compliance obligations;
• risks and opportunities identified in 6.1.1;

1. how to:

• integrate and implement the actions into its environmental management system processes (see 6.2, Clause 7, Clause 8 and 9.1), or other business processes;
• evaluate the effectiveness of these actions (see 9.1).

When planning these actions, the organization shall consider its technological options and its financial, operational and business requirements.

6.1.5: The former 2015 Clause 6.1.4 “Planning action” is renumbered. Its three action categories now cross-reference 6.1.2–6.1.4. Implementation wording allows actions to be integrated into other business processes.

6.2  Environmental objectives and planning to achieve them

6.2.1 Environmental objectives

The organization shall establish environmental objectives at relevant functions and levels, taking into account the organization’s significant environmental aspects and related compliance obligations, and considering its risks and opportunities.

The environmental objectives shall be:

1. consistent with the environmental policy;
2. measurable (if practicable);
3. monitored;
4. communicated;
5. updated as appropriate;
6. available as documented information.

6.2 Environmental objectives and planning to achieve them

6.2.1 Environmental objectives

The organization shall establish environmental objectives at relevant functions and levels, taking into account the organization’s significant environmental aspects and associated compliance obligations, and considering its risks and opportunities.

The environmental objectives shall be:

1. consistent with the environmental policy;
2. measurable (if practicable);
3. monitored;
4. communicated;
5. updated as appropriate.

The organization shall maintain documented information on the environmental objectives.

6.2.1: “Associated compliance obligations” becomes “related compliance obligations.” The documented-information requirement becomes a listed objective characteristic: objectives shall be available as documented information rather than maintained.

6.2.2 Planning actions to achieve environmental objectives

When planning how to achieve its environmental objectives, the organization shall determine:

1. what will be done;
2. what resources will be required;
3. who will be responsible;
4. when it will be completed;
5. how the results will be evaluated, including indicators for monitoring progress toward achievement of its measurable environmental objectives (see 9.1.1).

The organization shall consider how actions to achieve its environmental objectives can be integrated into the organization’s business processes.

6.2.2 Planning actions to achieve environmental objectives

When planning how to achieve its environmental objectives, the organization shall determine:

1. what will be done;
2. what resources will be required;
3. who will be responsible;
4. when it will be completed;
5. how the results will be evaluated, including indicators for monitoring progress toward achievement of its measurable environmental objectives (see 9.1.1).

The organization shall consider how actions to achieve its environmental objectives can be integrated into the organization’s business processes.

6.2.2: No substantive change.

6.3 Planning of changes

When the organization determines the need for changes that affect or can affect the environmental management system, the changes shall be carried out in a planned manner. The changes shall be managed to ensure that the organization can achieve the intended outcomes of its environmental management system.

NOTE 1   The need for change to the environmental management system can arise from internal or external sources.

See A.6.3 for examples.

NOTE 2   Managing change is addressed in various requirements in this document. See A.6.3 for examples.