In an environment where standards can be simply defined in an agreed-upon way of working, stakeholders are provided with appropriate guidance to help minimize risk and create a more efficient and continuous improvement structured framework.

Many companies address sustainability and integrate into practice ISO provides a guide to give you the clarity you need for conversation.

The world has already crossed a series of tipping points. Over the past decades, it has been defined as a distinct climate impact, accelerating biodiversity loss rates, plastic waste in the ocean, land agglomeration and political instability. A new era awaits all of us. But before the future is too late, we must be aware of the impact of choices and actions that we will constantly face.

In 2015, the United Nations set a global agenda for 2030 around the 1730 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to address some of the most pressing issues on the planet. This established a holistic purpose aimed at the future of peace and prosperity in the world. It listens to the urgent call for participation in a global partnership on sustainability that goes beyond our usual goals and is the key to unlocking our future.

According to the World Nature Fund (WWF), SDGs are now becoming a universal language in which governments, non-governmental organizations and businesses can collaborate around shared sustainability goals, commitments, achievements and impacts. It also emphasizes the responsibility of the private sector to address the social and environmental challenges of each supply chain, integrate sustainability into its core business mission, and participate in change in the wider sectors in which they belong.

WWF points out how sustainability standards can help accelerate SDG achievement. Sustainability standards are at the heart of market transformation. It sets standards that address sustainability challenges and provide ready-made tools to organizations around the world. Incorporating a variety of key players as standards implements a multi-stakeholder approach that is critical to the 2030 global agenda.

McKinsey said that of the 2,900 executives surveyed from a business perspective, 43% said they align sustainability with their overall business goals, mission, or values. Management has reduced waste to 63%, energy use in operations to 64% and corporate reputation for sustainability at 59%. This shows that sustainability is at the forefront of today's corporate agenda.

What the world needs now

International standards are the primary tool for solving the world's many pressing challenges. Composed of standards and sustainability experts, ISO Guide 82, Guidance for Addressing the Sustainability of Standards, provides standards developers with guidance on how to consider sustainability in their creation, revision, and update. It also raises awareness of sustainability issues among standards authors and provides a systematic and consistent approach to identifying and evaluating the sustainability factors essential in any standards decision process.

This guide has recently been updated to contain information on how standards can support SDG and to maintain standards that will help the world achieve a sustainable future. Jimmy Yoler, director of the working group that revised the guide, said that the 2030 SDG is the main task of revising the guide so that the sustainability expressed through the SDG is expressed through the SDG and included in the standard. “ISO Guide 82 enhances our understanding of what sustainability is and emphasizes a multifaceted approach to dealing with it in standards making. This guide is a valuable asset for standard developers to deliver the 2030 Global Agenda.”

There is also zero guidance on how sustainable development should be considered during the formation of the committee and in subsequent stages of the standards development process. This includes SDGs that the committee's work can support. Rather than raising awareness of sustainable development among the committee's leadership and participants, it provides guidance on how sustainable development can be incorporated into the technical committee's scope, structure and strategic plan.

Sustainable Solutions for Everyone

The SDGs set ambitious targets in 2030 and national development priorities must align with that vision, but joint efforts are needed to make that vision a reality. Creating standards can be a complex process that requires adapting to an ever-changing environment and environment, taking into account the three pillars of sustainable development of society, economy and the environment. Sustainability as a whole is much more likely to be achieved if these three aspects are dealt with in a truly equal and cohesive manner. Actions to address issues in these areas affect each other. Understanding dynamic interdependence is critical to driving a sustainable solution that includes all three pillars.

It can be said that there are similarities in addressing the sustainability of the standard and addressing the sustainability issues of an organization. If multiple sustainability issues are identified as relevant and important, there may be multiple solutions to address them. In these cases, conflicts can occur. In other words, implementing a solution to one problem may not implement a solution to another problem or may deepen the impact of another problem. Standard developers should be aware that there may be several suitable ways to solve these problems, and the resources and capabilities required to implement a particular solution can vary considerably.

In these cases, Yoler says, the standard developer should adjust the conflict whenever possible. Alternatively, you could consider offering multiple options so that standard users can recognize their concerns and decide which one to adopt. “ISO Guide 82 urges standards developers to respect, consider and respond to the needs of relevant stakeholders and, where possible and practical, encourages participation in the sharing of ideas and information based on broad and balanced expertise and expression-based opinions.

Making sustainability a reality

As sustainable development and progress towards sustainability is highly dependent on a number of factors, ISO Guide 82 describes a methodology that standards developers can use to develop their own approaches to addressing thematic sustainability. For reference, ISO/TC 17/SC 16, ISO's technical subcommittee responsible for the standardization of quality, dimensions and tolerances and other related properties suitable for steel for reinforcement of concrete and prestressed steels is in progress.

Jan Karlsen, chairman of this subcommittee, stated that ISO Guide 82 is an important document in future work. In 2019, several action plans were determined that would bring the sustainability of work under the SDGs, and assessments were conducted to determine which plans are critical to achieving specific goals. “ISO Guide 82 was one of the key documents used as a tool for its assessment, and committee members found it a practical and useful tool for developing and sustainable standards.

The subcommittee's recent agreement concluded with the establishment of a broad group of sustainability experts to protect sustainability to be considered in the standard decision process. “As recommended in ISO Guide 82, we are committed to recognizing the important role that sustainability professionals play in this regard and to guide them in the right direction,” adds Karlsen.

The impact of sustainability standards has increased in recent years. By facilitating dialogue between multiple stakeholders across a sector, the entire system can be impacted in countless ways. This not only allows us to improve strategies and partnerships to address key sustainability issues, but it also builds mutual trust and empowers those who are often excluded from decisions that influence or affect attitudes. The standards considered the basis of sustainability are designed to address the most pressing social and environmental problems of our time. At the same time, standards are constantly evolving in a constant struggle for legitimacy and real impact on the earth. What these developments represent is recognizing the complexity of sustainability issues facing the beginning of standards, and standardization plays an important role in transforming the world into a sustainable world.

Including sustainability issues in the creation of the standard itself means that its core is being addressed. With sustainability at the forefront of the 2030 Global Agenda, standards authors around the world are encouraged to take this into account at all stages of the standards development process. This will help protect against the impact of the most important sustainability issues worldwide. Accordingly, ISO Guide 82 hopes that standards can add value to society by enabling them to build a better future for all of us.