Highlights from Day 3

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Resilience through alliances: Building climate adaptation

Despite efforts, global climate action suffers from an imbalance between adaptation and mitigation. Through robust frameworks and climate finance, we can cope with climate change more effectively.

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.