Overview
ISO 30301:2019/Amd 1:2024 is an official amendment to ISO 30301 (Management systems for records - Requirements) that introduces climate action considerations into records management systems. The amendment is concise: it requires organizations to determine whether climate change is a relevant issue to their records management context and reminds organizations that interested parties can have requirements related to climate change. This update helps align records management with broader environmental risk, resilience and compliance agendas.
Key topics and requirements
- Context of the organization (climate relevance)
- Organizations must determine whether climate change is a relevant issue when establishing the scope and context of their records management system (added to clause 4.1.1).
- Interested parties and climate-related requirements
- A note added to clause 4.2 emphasizes that relevant interested parties (stakeholders) can impose requirements connected to climate change (e.g., legal, regulatory, contractual or stakeholder expectations).
- Integration with records management requirements
- While the amendment is brief, it directs organizations to consider climate-related risks, impacts and stakeholder needs when defining objectives, controls and records practices.
Practical applications
- Ensure your records management system reflects climate-related risks that could affect the creation, preservation, accessibility or integrity of records (for example, physical records storage vulnerability to extreme weather; digital resilience to power or network disruption).
- Use the amendment to justify integrating climate considerations into risk assessments, business continuity planning, retention and preservation strategies, and supplier/partner requirements.
- Support regulatory and stakeholder reporting by recognizing and documenting climate-related obligations that affect records and their governance.
Who should apply this:
- Records managers, information governance and compliance teams
- Archivists and records custodians in both public and private sectors
- Quality, risk and continuity managers aligning information controls with climate resilience efforts
Related standards
- ISO 30301 (main standard) - management systems for records
- ISO 15489 - records management principles and implementation (commonly referenced)
- ISO 14001 - environmental management (useful for aligning climate action and EMS requirements)
- ISO 9001 - quality management (integration opportunities for management system alignment)
This amendment is a targeted, practical update for organizations seeking to make their records management systems more resilient and aligned with climate-related governance, compliance and stakeholder expectations. Keywords: ISO 30301:2019/Amd 1:2024, records management, climate action, management systems for records, information and documentation.
