Highlights from Day 3

Key moments from the ISO Annual Meeting 2024’s third day

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Advancing global sustainability through standards

Day 3’s sessions convened sustainability experts to tackle the critical challenges of our era: climate resilience, the circular economy, the sustainable energy transition. With a forward-thinking agenda, the discussions highlighted the essential role of International Standards in driving transformative solutions, fostering cross-sector collaboration, and scaling impact across borders to accelerate climate action.

Global energy transition

Experts discussed actionable strategies for accelerating the global energy transition toward a more sustainable future. They emphasized the importance of collaboration, including platforms like COP29 in Azerbaijan later this year, and the importance of ISO standards for the global climate agenda.

Highlights included

  • ISO standards, alongside government regulations and policies, can accelerate renewable energy adoption, improve energy efficiency and support technological advancements. 
  • Cultural context is everything. It’s important to communicate at the local level to change mindsets and encourage the uptake of best practices. 
  • It’s not just about making the best standards, we need to do more to communicate them to business, industry and policymakers. 

When you use public policy effectively with the private sector, you can achieve global results.

Marcelo Behar, Senior Advisor to COP30, World Business Council for Sustainable Development 

Calling the next generation!

A key takeaway from the session was the call to involve and leverage the youth in driving this transition. “It’s very important having [young people] as ambassadors to the youth community on a global basis,” said Silvio Dulinsky, ISO Deputy Secretary-General. The youth engagement programme – ISO Environmental Management (ISO/TC 207) Youth Leadership Group – will play a vital role in this effort. 

Circular economy

How do we transition to a circular economy? This was the focus of an insightful debate among key players. This societal transformation calls for innovation, collaboration and a shift in mindset. Central to the conversation was the ISO 59000 suite of standards, which lays the groundwork for embracing circular principles. But a more ambitious approach is needed to drive effective change.  

Here’s what the experts had to say: 

There are many opportunities for standards to assist with making the circular approach the norm […], from consumer information to the subsidies behind the scenes, to the business models we need to put in place.

Helena Leurent, Director-General, Consumers International 

We encourage ISO and the circular economy leaders to raise the bar by focusing on two key elements: emphasizing the regeneration of nature as critical to a thriving economy, and placing a greater focus […] on designing products with circularity in mind and eliminating waste from the start.

Guilherme Suertegaray, Senior Project Manager, Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Nerea Ruiz, Director of Policy, ECOS, highlights the benefits of the circular economy. 

Climate resilience

Our Spanish-language session on climate resilience spotlighted the profound impacts of climate on Latin America and the Caribbean – regions that are among the most affected. The discussions emphasized the role of global standards to safeguard agriculture, conserve water and strengthen communities against escalating climate threats. There is a pressing need for new standards to effectively manage climate risks and adapt to the ongoing challenges faced by communities worldwide. 

We are encouraged to see ISO advancing its efforts in this critical area, and supporting us in this important work.

Jason Spensley, Senior Climate Change Specialist, the Global Environment Facility

Key highlights

  • Engaging local communities in nature-based solutions – such as tree planting, water conservation and coastline protection – is crucial to foster resilience and environmental health. 
  • Sustainable management of natural resources offers significant economic advantages, promoting long-term viability and prosperity. 
  • The private sector plays a pivotal role in climate action. Standards offer a valuable framework for integrating sustainability into business practices and strategies. 
  • Certification schemes, microfinancing and green bonds are essential tools for driving climate action – supported by ISO standards.

Standards help organizations become more organized and assist small producers in meeting certification requirements.

Diana Maria Quimbay Valencia, Country Director, Rainforest Alliance

Malgré les efforts déployés, l’action mondiale en faveur du climat reste déséquilibrée sur le plan des mesures d’adaptation et d’atténuation. En nous appuyant sur des cadres solides et sur la finance climat, …

“Collaboration is everything,” says José Erlin Guerrero Martínez, Biodiversity and Climate Change Director, Fundación Grupo Argos.

ISO’s climate standards are essential tools for driving global climate action. They offer comprehensive frameworks for mitigation, adaptation and financing, enabling organizations and governments to adopt sustainable practices and strengthen resilience against climate impacts. 

Health and safety at work

Climate change is having a profound impact on workers’ health and safety. Extreme weather events can severely disrupt all aspects of society. From low crop yields and health risks to a decline in tourist numbers and economic instability, workers are often the first victims of the climate emergency. Ensuring worker safety is becoming a crucial part of organizational strategy, and International Standards are here to help.  

Here’s the essence of our experts’ discussion:  

  • Organizations are waking up to the impact of climate change on their workers’ health and safety, and ultimately their bottom line. Once they understand the monetary value that their employees bring, they are more likely to take their welfare and protection into consideration. 
  • Organizations should take a proactive approach, identifying potential threats through a thorough, risk-based assessment. This is where standards, such as ISO 45001, come in.  
  • Work is underway on ISO/PAS 45007, a guidance document designed to help organizations manage occupational health and safety risks arising from climate change and climate action. 

That guidance document [ISO/PAS 45007], when it’s published, will be full of information on why it makes sense for businesses to be able to manage risks, and will give guidance on how to actually do that.

Kathy Seabrook, CEO & Founder, Global Solutions Inc. 

SMART solutions

The morning included a hands-on session exploring strategies and use cases for the next generation of standards. ISO and IEC’s SMART programme is transforming the way we use standards, making them truly integrated and more intuitive, to address the needs of citizens, societies and economies. 

Explore more highlights from the event:

Photo gallery
Dive into the event atmosphere and browse through the pictures from day 3.
https://eos.isolutions.iso.org/fr/sites/isoorg/contents/event/2024/AM2024/recap/
ISO Annual Meeting 2024 Live
Catch up on all the sessions — access the videos on demand now.
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