ISO 21401:2018/Amd 1:2024

Overview

ISO 21401:2018/Amd 1:2024 is an amendment to the International Standard ISO 21401:2018 for sustainability management systems in accommodation establishments. This Amendment 1 introduces targeted climate action changes that reinforce the role of climate change within sustainability management. The published changes are concise and focused on two subclauses (4.1 and 4.2), clarifying organisational responsibilities and interested-party considerations related to climate change.

Why this matters: the amendment integrates climate relevance into management-system decision-making and highlights that interested parties can hold climate-related requirements. This supports operators in aligning sustainability practices with emerging climate expectations.

Key Topics

• Clause references: updates specified to subclause 4.1 and 4.2 of ISO 21401:2018.
• Determine climate relevance (4.1): the organisation shall determine whether climate change is a relevant issue for its sustainability management system.
• Interested-party considerations (4.2): a new note clarifies that relevant interested parties can have requirements related to climate change, reinforcing stakeholder-driven obligations.
• Scope of amendment: limited, targeted changes that focus on recognising climate change as a material factor within the existing sustainability framework.

Applications

This amendment has practical value for a range of accommodation providers, including hotels, guesthouses, hostels and other lodging operators that implement or maintain ISO 21401-based sustainability management systems. Practical applications include:

• Integrating a climate relevance assessment into existing risk and context analyses to inform policies and objectives.
• Updating stakeholder mapping and communication to capture climate-related expectations and requirements from guests, regulators, suppliers and communities.
• Using the clarified clauses to justify focused climate actions within sustainability plans, reporting and continuous improvement cycles.

Benefits:

• Clearer decision-making on whether climate change should drive management-system activities.
• Improved stakeholder alignment by recognising climate-related requirements as part of interested-party inputs.
• Streamlined compliance and planning by embedding climate relevance into already established ISO 21401 processes.

Related Standards

• ISO 21401:2018 - Sustainability management system for accommodation establishments (base standard).
• Relevant ISO guidance on management-system context, stakeholder analysis and environmental topics (consult national standards bodies or ISO resources for applicable cross-references).

For implementation questions or interpretation, consult your national standards body or the official ISO publication for ISO 21401:2018/Amd 1:2024. The amendment is concise but significant for embedding climate-awareness into sustainability management for accommodation establishments.