The Department of Standards Malaysia has issued ACB Circular 5/2026 setting out the transition requirements from ISO 14001:2015 to ISO 14001:2026.
The circular establishes a three-year transition period and defines important milestones for accredited Certification Bodies, new certifications and existing ISO 14001:2015 certified organisations.
ACB Circular 5/2026 was issued by the Department of Standards Malaysia on 29 June 2026. It establishes the transition requirements for ISO 14001:2026, which replaces ISO 14001:2015.
The circular is primarily directed to applicant and accredited Certification Bodies operating under the Standards Malaysia Accreditation of Certification Bodies Scheme.
However, the dates in the circular are also important to organisations that currently hold ISO 14001:2015 certification or are planning to obtain environmental management system certification.
Some dates in the circular apply directly to Certification Bodies rather than certified organisations. Organisations should nevertheless understand these milestones because they affect the availability and issuance of accredited ISO 14001:2026 certification.
| Date | Transition Milestone | Primary Application |
|---|---|---|
| April 2026 | ISO 14001:2026 published, replacing ISO 14001:2015. | ISO 14001 stakeholders |
| 29 June 2026 | DSM issues ACB Circular 5/2026 establishing the Malaysian accreditation transition requirements. | Applicant and accredited Certification Bodies |
| 31 January 2027 | Accredited Certification Bodies must submit their transition declaration and supporting documents to DSM. | Accredited Certification Bodies |
| 30 April 2027 | Accredited Certification Bodies must complete their transition to ISO 14001:2026. | Accredited Certification Bodies |
| After 30 April 2027 | New Certification Body accreditation applications must be based on the revised ISO 14001:2026 standard. | Applicant Certification Bodies |
| After 31 October 2027 | New and initial certifications issued by Certification Bodies must be based on ISO 14001:2026. | Organisations seeking initial certification |
| 30 April 2029 | Certification Bodies must complete the transition of all existing certified clients. | Existing ISO 14001:2015 certified organisations |
| After 30 April 2029 | Accredited certification to ISO 14001:2015 will no longer be accepted. | All existing certified organisations |
ISO 14001:2026 was published in April 2026 and formally replaced ISO 14001:2015 as the current edition of the environmental management system standard.
DSM issued ACB Circular 5/2026 to establish the national accreditation transition requirements and related deadlines.
Accredited Certification Bodies must submit a formal declaration and supporting evidence confirming their readiness to transition to the revised standard.
Accredited Certification Bodies must complete their transition to ISO 14001:2026 by this date before issuing accredited certificates to the revised standard.
After this date, new and initial ISO 14001 certifications must be conducted against ISO 14001:2026 rather than ISO 14001:2015.
All existing certified clients must complete their transition before the end of the three-year transition period.
Organisations currently certified to ISO 14001:2015 should not treat 30 April 2029 as the date to begin transition activities. It is the final date by which the certification transition must already be completed.
Adequate time should be allowed to understand the revised requirements, update the environmental management system, implement the necessary changes and verify that the revised arrangements are effective.
The transition deadline relates to successful certification transition, not merely completion of a gap assessment or revision of EMS documents. Organisations should ensure that revised requirements are implemented and supported by objective evidence before the transition audit.
Access a complete ISO 14001:2026 Document Kit containing structured manuals, procedures, operational controls, registers, forms and implementation records.
View ISO 14001:2026 Document KitOrganisations planning to obtain ISO 14001 certification should consider the timing of their implementation and certification programme.
Under the DSM transition timeline, new and initial certifications issued after 31 October 2027 must be based on ISO 14001:2026.
An organisation beginning its EMS implementation during the transition period should therefore assess whether it is practical to implement ISO 14001:2026 directly rather than establishing a system against the previous edition and transitioning shortly afterwards.
Organisations planning initial certification in late 2027 or afterwards should build their environmental management system against ISO 14001:2026 from the beginning.
The following is a practical planning approach rather than a mandatory schedule stated in the DSM circular.
| Suggested Period | Recommended Activities |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Review ISO 14001:2026, conduct awareness training and begin the transition gap assessment. |
| Early to Mid-2027 | Establish the transition plan, update affected processes and revise documented information. |
| Late 2027 to 2028 | Complete implementation, build operational evidence and conduct internal audits against ISO 14001:2026. |
| During 2028 | Complete management review and arrange the transition audit through the normal certification cycle where practicable. |
| Before 30 April 2029 | Close audit findings and obtain the upgraded ISO 14001:2026 certification. |
Leaving the transition until 2029 may create insufficient time to implement changes, complete internal verification and resolve certification findings.
Revised documents alone do not demonstrate effective implementation. Auditors will normally seek objective evidence that updated processes are operating.
EMS coordinators, process owners, internal auditors and relevant personnel should understand the changes affecting their responsibilities.
Transition planning should consider the organisation’s surveillance and recertification schedule to avoid unnecessary time pressure.
Internal audit criteria and checklists should be updated before the organisation evaluates its readiness for transition.
Top Management should review transition progress, EMS changes, resource needs and readiness before the external transition audit.
ISO 14001:2026 was published in April 2026 and replaces ISO 14001:2015.
DSM ACB Circular 5/2026 establishes a three-year transition period from ISO 14001:2015 to ISO 14001:2026.
Certification Bodies must complete the transition of all existing certified clients by 30 April 2029.
After 30 April 2029, accredited certification to ISO 14001:2015 will no longer be accepted.
New and initial certifications issued after 31 October 2027 must be based on ISO 14001:2026.
The 30 April 2027 deadline applies primarily to the completion of transition by accredited Certification Bodies. Existing certified organisations have until 30 April 2029 to complete their certification transition.
No. Organisations should begin early enough to assess gaps, implement changes, conduct internal verification and complete the certification transition before the final deadline.
Not necessarily. Organisations should review existing documented information and revise only what is necessary to support the updated requirements and effective EMS implementation.
Department of Standards Malaysia, ACB Circular 5/2026: Transition Requirements for ISO 14001:2026 — Environmental Management Systems — Requirements with Guidance for Use from ISO 14001:2015.
The circular was issued on 29 June 2026 under the Standards Malaysia Accreditation of Certification Bodies Scheme.
Use a complete Level 1–4 environmental management system document kit designed to support practical implementation, internal auditing and certification readiness.
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