ISO at COP24: International Standards as essential tools for climate action

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International Standards help to mainstream climate change actions in transitioning to a low-carbon, climate-resilient future, according to leading sustainability experts who will speak at an ISO side event at the COP24 in Katowice, Poland.

ISO is holding a side event as part of the 24^th Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP24) taking place in Katowice, Poland, from 2-14 December 2018. Organized by the ISO Climate Change Coordination Task Force (TF7), in conjunction with the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), the ISO event will feature talks and discussions about the use of International Standards for driving action, performance and transition on climate change.

The Task Force works with experts from across ISO committees, guiding them to address critical aspects of climate change in ISO standards.

The opportunities that International Standards bring to the global challenges of climate change will be discussed, such as mainstreaming climate action, supporting measurement and monitoring techniques, facilitating technology and non-technology innovation, and promoting behavioural changes and climate change adaptation. ISO standards can also contribute to the progress of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction that sets the pace for disaster mitigation by 2030.

Nick Blyth, Vice Chair of the ISO TF7, said that International Standards are fundamental in helping organizations advance climate change actions, whether they be management system standards that shape organizational culture and processes or new ISO technical standards.

“ISO standards are built on international collaboration and consensus, by some of the world’s leading experts in the field,” he said.

“They are relevant and powerful tools to help organizations not only measure their impact on climate change, but take strategic actions to transition towards the zero-carbon future and prepare for the inevitable challenges that result from our changing climate.”

The latest ISO standards and guidance related to climate change adaptation and greenhouse gas emissions will be presented and discussed, including ISO 14064-1 for quantifying greenhouse gas emissions and ISO 14067 for quantifying the carbon footprint of products. The event will also introduce new standards in development for adaptation to climate change (ISO 14090); impacts, vulnerability and risk assessment (ISO 14091); and green bonds for environmental performance of projects and assets (ISO 14030).

In addition, the ISO mapping exercise carried out in 2018, which links hundreds of ISO International Standards to the objectives of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, will be profiled.

By Clare Naden