In 2021, we put ISO standards on the frontline of the climate battle.
Whilst the COVID-19 pandemic continued to disrupt lives and businesses around the world, we built on the lessons we learned in 2020 and turned our attention to pressing global problems of climate and sustainability. We’re delivering on our strategy and helping others to step up and take climate action through the London Declaration.
2021 reminded us that we can’t afford to lose time when it comes to people and planet: that’s why we need ISO standards.
With the launch of the ISO Strategy 2030, we are on course to fulfilling our vision for a more sustainable future. Together, we are bringing the power of standards to address global challenges for the years to come. Our new strategic insights enable us to make sense of the complex forces at play in this transformational landscape.
Developing countries can be empowered to fully realize the benefits of using ISO standards through our most recent Action Plan for developing countries 2021-2025. Much-needed resources to help them participate more fully in international standardization are made possible by the generous contribution of Sida, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.
The past two years was a seismic period for all organizations across the world, representing one of our greatest challenges in our lifetime. In addressing the challenges posed by the new order and the impact of COVID-19, it is my sincere hope that the new ISO strategy will make our organization more resilient and scale new heights. We do not have the luxury of missing opportunities of making lives easier, safer and better.
The climate agenda
ISO has pledged to combat climate change by 2050 using the power of International Standards. We vowed to consider climate science in the development of all standards going forward; to involve civil society – including the most climate-vulnerable – in their development; and to set out a plan with concrete actions and mechanisms to help track our progress. The London Declaration, signed in September 2021, defines ISO’s commitment in supporting the climate agenda.
Ahead of COP27, standards continue to connect and align economies and help turn net-zero commitments into action. Building on the successes of COP26, ISO is supporting the global efforts to fight climate change.
We’ve come through testing times and have stayed on track to deliver a transformative strategy at the same time as taking urgent climate action through the London Declaration.
Towards 2030
Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the blueprint to achieve a more sustainable future for all. Standards have already proven to be successful tools to realize all 17 SDGs.
People often think that ISO standards are only related to very technical topics, such as electricity and the like, but they are so much broader than that. In fact, there are International Standards for every SDG. So, in this respect, standards can play a very important role.
Transforming global health
In response to the COVID-19 crisis, ISO supported the global effort by creating a portal of the most useful standards for governments, regulators and other professional bodies. ISO took broad, fast action to help countries strengthen their resilience through safe workplace guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We value and encourage gender diversity across the ISO system. It’s an important and integral part of our strategy, not least because it helps support SDG 5. ISO data gathering provides a snapshot of women’s participation in standardization in order to advance gender parity across the organization.
The sharing economy is one of the world’s fastest-growing sectors with the potential to be a key contributor to economic growth.
In the race to grow, we cannot forget that building a thriving, sustainable sharing economy platform depends on standards.
In facing the future with confidence, sufficiently prepared and adequately self-reliant, we must urgently develop new and emerging technologies that will diversify and optimize our energy supply chains. What we need to do now is to re-establish our momentum. That’s going to mean redoubling our efforts and acting with proportionate urgency.
Meeting market needs
In a changing world, standards need to keep up if they are to continue to meet the needs of society and support a more sustainable future. We created a number of important new expert groups in the fields of gender (ISO/PC 337), consumers (ISO/PC 335) and laboratories (ISO/TC 336).
Our key achievements in figures at a single glance.
Collaborating for good
We believe in the power of collaboration to drive positive change. ISO maintains partnerships with hundreds of international organizations to share knowledge and build effective synergies to create a fairer, more sustainable world.
A key priority of collaboration is achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We are working hand in hand with the United Nations Office in Geneva (UNOG) to make this a reality. While our instruments to tackle these challenges may be different, our work is very complementary. According to Ms Valovaya, these can only be addressed with the support of International Standards. Our collaboration on multisectoral issues provides more ways to grow, transform and innovate together.
Our standards are referred to by the World Economic Forum in such initiatives as the toolkit for regulators and the Space Sustainable Rating. World leaders at the G7 and G20 recognize our standards as useful tools to tackle world challenges.
Driving digital solutions
One of the priorities of our 2030 Strategy is to innovate to meet users’ needs. New technologies will drive this evolution towards innovative standardization products and solutions, but we must be aligned with user expectations. This is why at ISO, we are transforming how we create, format and deliver content, and we’re doing this through IEC/ISO SMART. We’re adapting our organization and our processes to a fast-paced world in order to remain the world’s most recognized standards organization.
Eddy NjorogePresident, ISO
Sergio MujicaSecretary-General, ISO
Tatiana ValovayaDirector General of UNOG
Ulrika FranckePresident-elect, ISO
