Q: What is the main change for the new ISO 14001 standard?

The main changes to the revised ISO 14001:2026 standard are a stronger emphasis on environmental performance and sustainability, with a significant amount of user guidance added within Annex A. It also incorporates lifecycle thinking into the standard and has updated terminology to align more closely with other ISO management system standards (e.g. ISO 9001 & ISO 45001).

Our article summarising the changes proposed in the final draft international standard (FDIS) can be found here.

Q: Given the recent changes to EU F‑gas regulations and new technician certification requirements, how should organisations incorporate these into their ISO 14001:2026 compliance obligations and competency management?

Organisations should ensure that any new F-gas regulatory requirements, including technician certification and training obligations, are identified within their compliance obligations under their EMS. This should be reflected in updated legal registers, competency requirements, and training records to demonstrate that those carrying out F-gas works are qualified to do so and that regulatory requirements are being managed.

Q: When are the 9001 & 45001 due to change?

Revisions to ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 are currently under review, with an updated version of ISO 9001 expected in the second half of 2026 and a revised ISO 45001 expected to follow in 2027 or 2028. These dates are currently estimates as we do not have an official timeline or draft copies of these revised versions.

Q: Will we need to recertify when a new ISO version is released?

No, organisations usually do not need to immediately recertify when a new version is published. ISO standards have historically included a transition period of three years to allow organisations to update their systems and migrate to the new version during their normal certification cycle. Assuming that this is the case this time, you will be able to wait until your recertification audit to migrate to the updated standard.

Q: For Northern Ireland, in relation to ISO 14001, what information will you require after selling products for their life cycle from companies?

Modifications are made mainly to the language to emphasise the requirement for lifecycle thinking, considering the entire lifecycle of a product or service for example from extraction of raw resources all the way to final disposal. This is not a new requirement in itself, rather an amendment aimed to provide more clarity.

Q: Will road transport operators need to report any additional information because of the changes to the national register of road transport operators?

In most cases operators won’t need to submit anything new directly. The changes mainly affect what information regulators record in the national electronic register of road transport undertakings. For operators, it’s more about greater transparency in the information regulators already hold, rather than a new reporting requirement.

Q: Can you expand on the impact to road vehicles and the changes for operators?

From 1st January 2026, the national electronic register of road operators must include additional information on undertakings involved in the transport of goods.

The additional data to be recorded in the register includes:

• data on risk rating bands for goods vehicle operators; and
• goods vehicle registration numbers.

This data must be available to competent authorities during roadside checks.

The changes made are primarily so that UK enforcement agencies can better share information with EU counterparts, as part of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA).

Q: Building safety levy- who actually has to pay it for developments?

Under The Building Safety Levy (England) Regulations 2025, the levy, applicable from 1st October 2026, is payable by what the Regulations call the ‘named client’, which is essentially the organisation responsible for the development project. They’ll need to provide levy information as part of the building control process, and the levy must be paid after work has started but before the building is occupied or the completion notice is submitted, whichever comes first.

Our article summarising the key building safety levy information can be accessed here.

Q: Please could you give an update on the current status of the requirement that Fire Risk assessors competence is being mapped to BS 8674:2025 and when we can expect this to be fully in place?

Changes are expected this year and the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Government Progress Report in September 2025 indicated that delivery plans and milestones to support a UK-wide approach to fire risk assessor competence requirements would be set out in the near future.

Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 awaits being brought into force which will implement specific competency requirements for risk assessment assistance under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 in England and Wales.

We’d recommend organisations ensure fire risk assessments are completed by those with the appropriate level of competence in line with BS 8674:2025; this will ensure they remain suitable and sufficient, and compliant with future changes.

Q: Will there be any changes or bans for firefighting equipment in the UK?

PFAS are commonly used in firefighting foams that can be found in some firefighting equipment such as foam fire extinguishers and foam fire suppression systems. The EU has introduced a ban on firefighting foams containing PFAS in concentration equal to or more than 1 milligram per litre, by 23rd October 2030. The ban will apply in Northern Ireland, which still follows the EU version of REACH. In Great Britain, a consultation was conducted by the HSE between August 2025 and February 2026, proposing a ban on all the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) used in firefighting foams. As such, a future ban on PFAS seems likely, but the extent and timeline for implementation is currently unknown. More information on the consultation can be found here.

Q: Does the new Construction Products Regulation change CE marking requirements for products placed on the EU market?

CE marking will still be required for construction products covered by harmonised standards, so that part isn’t going away. What the new regulation does is expand the information that needs to be provided alongside it, particularly around environmental performance across the product’s lifecycle. Manufacturers still need to comply with harmonised technical specifications and CE marking requirements.

Q: On the Construction Products Regs (UK vers) – when should we expect UK construction supplies to be comprehensively covered by EPDs?

The Construction Products (Amendment) Regulations 2025 focuses on market access, CE marking continuity, and technical alignment, rather than environmental performance. For now, there is no indication that the UK intends to mandate Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).

Q: Do the same EPC exemptions apply for commercial buildings in England (as Scotland) from April 2027?

There are currently no minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES) for private-rented sector (PRS) properties in Scotland meaning landlords are able to let properties that are of any EPC rating. The Scottish government ran a consultation which closed in August 2025 which proposes to implement MEES for the PRS only in relation to domestic properties.

In England and Wales, there was a proposed framework to raise the minimum EPC rating of privately rented non-domestic properties (commercial buildings) to a B by 2030, with an interim target of C by 2027, however the government is yet to publish their response to the consultation which presented this proposal.

Q: Are valid EPC’s required for existing buildings and need to be displayed?

In Scotland, under both The Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2008 and the new Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2025, EPCs must be displayed in buildings which are frequently visited by the public, or in buildings where the owner is not the occupier.

Q: What is happening with MEES for EPCs in England?

A very recently published government response to a 2025 consultation regarding privately rented domestic properties outlines planned reforms to the energy performance of buildings regime, confirming new metrics that will be introduced to EPCs and how they are assessed. The response also states their intention to bring into force legislation in 2027 which would raise the minimum energy efficiency standards (MEES) of privately rented homes against the new metrics. The 2025 consultation proposed raising the minimum EPC rating to a ‘C’. Landlords of privately rented domestic properties should continue to monitor draft legislation on this matter to ensure they allow themselves time to conduct any necessary works on properties.

In England and Wales, there was a proposed framework to raise the minimum EPC rating of privately rented non-domestic properties (commercial buildings) to a B by 2030, with an interim target of C by 2027, however the government is yet to publish their response to the consultation which presented this proposal.

Q: Do we know yet what the scope of EU CPR will be for electronic equipment installed in buildings? Interested in whether energy smart appliances (e.g. EV charge-points) will be in scope?

Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 laying down harmonised rules for the marketing of construction products covers construction products defined in the legislation as ‘any formed or formless physical item, including 3D-printed products, or a kit that is placed on the market, including by means of supply to the construction site, for incorporation in a permanent manner into construction works or parts thereof with the exception of items that need first to be integrated into a kit or another construction product prior to being incorporated in a permanent manner into construction works’. Harmonised technical specifications are being developed for the product families in Annex VII which gives an indication of the types of products that are covered under this legislation; this may be expanded over time.

Q: Is there any guidance available on the recent changes to the Heat Network Regulations ?

If you are a LUS subscriber, we have an entry for The Heat Networks (Market Framework) (Great Britain) Regulations 2025, which includes the new update for The Heat Networks (Market Framework) (Great Britain) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2026.  

The UK Government has issued guidance around different aspects of the heat network requirements which can be found here: Heat networks – GOV.UK. 

Q: Is the CBAM exemption for goods under 50 tonnes per consignment or per year? 

According to the Officially published: Simplifications for the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), the exemption applies to those who import less than 50 tonnes worth of goods annually. 

Q: Is the UK CBAM expected to be very similar to that of the EU CBAM?

Whilst the schemes are expected to be similar, there are some key differences. As UK CBAM is not yet in force, the exact specifics of the interplay between the two aren’t known.  

Whilst both schemes will cover aluminium, cement, fertilizers, iron, and steel, the UK scheme will not include glass and ceramics despite them being in the initial proposal. EU CBAM includes electricity, but UK CBAM does not. 

The mechanisms of payment might be slightly different with EU CBAM requiring the purchase of certificates to cover emissions and UK CBAM being a tax on the imported goods. 

The reporting periods are expected to be slightly different, however, this has not been confirmed.  

UK Government guidance can be found here: Factsheet: Carbon border adjustment mechanism – GOV.UK. EU guidance can be found here: Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism – Taxation and Customs Union. 

Q: Have you had any feedback referring to difficulty in obtaining CBAM information from suppliers? 

There have been reports of difficulties in obtaining CBAM information from suppliers, as there is no legal obligation on non-EU suppliers to provide the information. 

Default values may be used to estimate emissions if the information is unavailable, but these may be higher than the actual data.  

If you are having or predict to have difficulties with suppliers then it’s recommended to either require the data as part of your contract with them, or try to find a compliant supplier where possible. 

Q: CBAM – when is it envisioned this will impact Aviation Fuel? 

At the moment, there are no immediate plans to include aviation fuel in either scheme (UK or EU CBAM). Whilst it is expected to be included in the future to encourage a swap to sustainable aviation fuel, there are no set or expected dates to when this might be.  

If you are a LUS subscriber, then you will receive updates if the legislation is changed. We also publish consultations which include proposed changes to legislation so you will be able to prepare and see what is being planned in future. 

Q: What size companies does the sustainability disclosure apply to?

The UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (SRS) proposed mandatory implementation will cover UK listed companies initially, with it expected to be expanded shortly after to include large private companies and limited liability partnerships (LLPs).

Q: What was the regulations in regard to POPs please?

EU Regulation 2025/1482 amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 on persistent organic pollutants tightened restrictions on the group of persistent organic pollutants known together as ‘listed PBDEs’, by reducing their threshold limits in mixtures or articles. The ‘listed PBDEs’ include tetrabromodiphenyl ether, pentabromodiphenyl ether, hexabromodiphenyl ether, heptabromodiphenyl ether and decabromodiphenyl ether.

Q: A lot of slides had other flags, but not the UK flag, why is this?

On our slides we show the flags of relevant individual UK nations in the same way that we do on LUS. It’s common that legislation does not apply across the whole of the UK, therefore we use the flags for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland individually and collectively to identify which nations the legislation applies to. For legislation that applies across the UK, all 4 flags are shown.