Responsible use of resources, preserving the environment and improving the well-being of citizens are the end goal for experts of ISO technical committee ISO/TC 268, Sustainable cities and communities, whose flagship standard ISO 37101 helps communities define their sustainable development objectives and implement strategies to achieve them.

This core standard is joined by a series of standards on city indicators including ISO 37120 (indicators for city services and quality of life) and the two upcoming standards ISO 37122 (indicators for smart cities) and ISO 37123 (indicators for resilient cities).

ISO also has hundreds of standards on intelligent transport systems, water management, business continuity and community resilience, designed to make communities safe, sustainable and adaptive to face challenges. These include ISO 22313 (business continuity management systems) and a number of standards currently in development such as ISO 22326 (emergency management), ISO 22395 (guidelines for supporting vulnerable people in emergency situations) and ISO 24526 (water efficiency management systems).