IEMA is today holding a side event on global standards at the COP 24 climate summit in Katowice, Poland, in partnership with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Accreditation Forum (IAF).
Leading sustainability experts will discuss how international standards help to mainstream climate change actions in transitioning to a low-carbon, climate-resilient future.
The latest ISO standards and guidance related to climate change adaptation and greenhouse gas emissions will be presented and discussed at the event, including ISO 14064-1 for quantifying greenhouse gas emissions, and ISO 14067 for quantifying the carbon footprint of products.
In addition, new standards in development for adaptation to climate change (ISO 14090) will be introduced, along with standards for impacts, vulnerability and risk assessment (ISO 14091), and green bonds for environmental performance of projects and assets (ISO 14030).
Speaking in Katowice, IEMA’s chief policy advisor, Martin Baxter, said: “Internationally relevant and recognised frameworks have the power to support, guide and monitor climate performance, especially when combined with sustainability skills across businesses and society.
“That is why we are using our presence at COP 24 to encourage political and business leaders to understand the power of standards as strategic and practical tools to tackle climate change at organisational level.”
Following the successful application to the UN’s Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to become a registered NGO, IEMA will today also discuss further opportunities that standards can bring to the table, such as supporting measurement and monitoring techniques, promoting behavioral change, facilitating technology and non-technology innovation, and promoting behavioural change.
Nick Blyth, IEMA’s policy lead and vice chair of the ISO Climate Change Task Force, said international standards are fundamental in helping organisations advance climate change actions, whether they be management system standards that shape organisational 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 continued.
“They are relevant tools to help organisations not only measure their impact on climate change, but with positive use can support strategic actions to transition towards the zero-carbon future, and prepare for the inevitable challenges that result from our changing climate.”
IEMA will also profile new guidance on climate change actions through environmental management systems and the IEMA skills map, while an ISO mapping exercise carried out in 2018, which linked hundreds of ISO International Standards to the objectives of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, will be profiled.
The IEMA/ISO/IAF event takes place on 14 December between 11:30 and 13:00 CET, and will be streamed and available to view here.
The event can also be viewed, along with all other side events, on demand here.
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