ISO Brochure Highlights Standards, Sustainable Development
November 17, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS
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The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published a new brochure providing an overview of how the ISO technical program, which has produced more than 17,400 international standards, contributes to a sustainable world.
The brochure, titled How ISO's technical program and standards contribute to a sustainable world, explains how international standards of the type developed by ISO, based on consensus between stakeholders and between countries, contribute to the three dimensions of sustainable development - economic, environmental and social.
According to ISO, they:
- Support the facilitation of global trade, the dissemination of new technologies, good business practices and the relations between economic actors.
- Support good environmental practice and information, energy efficiency and the dissemination of new, eco-friendly and energy performance technologies.
- Contribute to consumer protection, safety at work, health care, security and other social interests that may require technical or management standards for the related products and services.
"While the content of the majority of ISO standards is technical, their implementation goes beyond solving technical problems to delivering positive results in economic, environmental and societal spheres," said Alan Bryden, ISO secretary-general.
The brochure is based on a survey launched in 2007 by the ISO Technical Management Board (TMB) of the technical committees that development ISO standards. They were asked how they felt their standards contributed to sustainable development.
The brochure:
- Gives a selection of examples provided by committees developing standards for energy, food, water, the environment, health, fire safety, building, transport, nanotechnologies, social responsibility and people with disabilities.
- Describes how ISO's standardization work benefits from strategic management and policy inputs that also contribute to sustainability. These inputs come from the TMB and ISO policy development committees for consumer affairs, developing countries and conformity assessment.
For ordering information, go to the ISO web site.
Source: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).