1. Rio+20 Forging action from agreement Second edition How ISO standards translate good intentions about sustainability into concrete results International Organization for Standardization

2. Rio+20 ISO business, government and society on the same team S i n c e t h e E a r t h S u m m i t i n 19 9 2 , v o l u n t a r y ISO International Standards, developed through the strength of consensus among stakeholders from busi- ness, government and society, have provided tools for translating the global desire for a sustainable world into practical actions that achieve positive results. ISOs current portfolio of more than 19100 standards provides solutions in all three dimensions of sustainable development environmental, economic and societal. What makes ISO the International Organization for Standardization so effective is that it provides a non- political, non-partisan platform where standards are developed through open, transparent processes by rep- resentatives of the people who need them, implement them, are affected by them and who can review and continually improve the results of their implementation. Agreements reached at events like the Earth Summit and the forthcoming Rio+20 at the intergovernmental level, between public and private sectors, and with civil2|Rio+20

3. Talk is good. Talk followed by action is better. ISO and UNs Millennium Action followed by positive results is best. Development Goals (MDGs) ISO enables positive results. ISO has developed a large set of standards in the environmental field which are quite complementary with the UN/ECE norms and conventions in this area and thereby also contribute to the achievement of the MDG7 on environmental sustainability. And theresociety, still need to be translated into practical actions are many other examples on how ISO standards helpthat can be implemented worldwide. organizations meet the MDGs. ISO is where expert representatives from these stake- For instance, ISO 26000 helps organizations achieveholder categories work together to develop globally the benefits of operating in a socially responsible man-relevant standards that provide concrete responses for ner and is directly linked to MDG3, Gender equality.tackling the challenges facing the international community. Thus, the core subjects and issues of social responsibil- ISO is where people from around the world who want to ity defined by ISO 26000 include human rights, labourmake a positive difference put on the same team colours practices, the environment, fair operating practices,and strive to forge tools for transforming global agree- consumer issues and community involvement whichment and willpower into global action. encompass, among other things, the principles of equal opportunities and non-discrimination.ISO standards in action ISO 9000 has an important impact on education and many educational institutions have been called Before a concise description of ISO and how it works, upon to use these standards. It contributes to MDG2,here are some examples of achievements by the inter- Universal primary education. national community, represented at Rio+20, working The role of International Standards in economicwithin the ISO system. The examples illustrate how ISO development has been emphasized on many occasions,standards serve as tools in the three dimensions of sus- more particularly with the reference to the standardstainable development. Further examples, including the in the Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement of theexperience of users of ISO standards, can be accessed on World Trade Organization (TBT WTO).the ISO Website www.iso.org particularly in the magazines Sergei A . Ordzhonikidze , Director-General (2002-ISO Focus+, ISO Focus and ISO Management Systems . 2011), United Nations Office at Geneva, Switzerland. Rio+20|3

4. Social Responsi 1 November 2010 saw the publication of ISO 26000 which gives organizations guidance on social responsibil- ity, with the objective of sustainability. The standard was eagerly awaited, as shown by the fact that a mere four months after its publication, a Google search resulted in nearly five million references to the standard. This indicated a global expectation for organizations in both public and private sectors to be responsible for their actions, to be transparent, and behave in an ethical manner. ISO 26000, developed with the engagement of experts from 99 countries, the majority from developing economies, and more than 40 international organiza- tions is helping to move from good intentions about social responsibility to good action. ISO 26000 represents an over-arching approach to sustainability since it enables organizations of all types to progress in all three dimensions of sustainable develop- ment environmental, economic and societal.4|Rio+20

5. ibility Sodimac is a leading company in the market Danper Trujillo, a joint venture involving Peruvian of home improvement goods and construction and Danish investors founded in 19 9 4, has grown to materials, market leader in Colombia and Peru. become a South American leader in agro-industrial At Sodimac, we understand that the creation production of preserved goods including asparagus, of economic value cannot be separated from an organizations obligations toward its human peppers and other vegetables. capital, society and the environment Danpers owners and management cite a commitment to economic, social and environmental Social responsibility is a strategic tool that opens balance as a key element of corporate success. This the door to responsible grow th, which is the is why the ISO 26000 standard is of such great reason we made an early decision to support the interest to the company. development of ISO 26000 incorporating its recommendations Carlos L ayz a Silva is Quality Assurance Manager and Quality Management Systems Manager P ablo Urbina is Corporate Social Responsibility at Danper Corporation. Coordinator at Sodimac. Rio+20|5

6. Environment Environmental management One of the concrete results following on from the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, in Rio de Janeiro, in 1992, was the development by ISO of the ISO 14000 family of standards for environmental management which translates into action ISOs commit- ment to support the objective of sustainable development discussed at the first Earth Summit. In essence, the ISO 14000 family provides a framework for organizations large and small, in manufacturing and services, in public and private sectors, in industrialized, developing and transition economies, to: Minimize harmful effects on the environment caused by their activities Meet regulatory requirements Achieve continual improvement of their environmental performance Improve business performance through more efficient use of resources.6|Rio+20

7. A cross-border project between local authorities in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland helped several hundred local small and medium- sized enterprises to implement an environmental management system (EMS), with significant benefits in legal compliance, waste and energy savings, reduced environmental risk and increased competitiveness. In a survey, some 80 % reported Has the ISO 14000 family actually made a difference? that their EMS had made them more competitive,The increasing number of users is an important element with 35 % able to access new markets for their products or services.in the answer. At end of December 2010, 14 years after publication of the first edition of ISO 14001, which gives Wesley Bes t , Senior Project Officer for STEM sustainable environmentalthe requirements for environmental management systems management project.(EMS), the standard was being implemented by at least aquarter of a million users in 155 countries and economies.These include both public and private sector organiza- ISO has played a huge role in Sonys effort to nottions, large and small, in manufacturing and services, in only become more efficient and quality orienteddeveloped and developing economies. in our manufacturing processes through ISO 9001 (quality management systems), but also to reduce Case studies on how ISO 14001 has been implemented our environmental impact and save costs acrossaround the world, in the users own words, are available the company through ISO 14001 (environmentalfree of charge on the ISO Website in ISO Focus+, and management systems).ISO Management Systems magazines. All of Sonys sites with 100 employees In addition to ISO 14001, the ISO 14000 family includes or more are certified to ISO 14001, globally.27 other standards addressing specific challenges such aslife cycle analysis, environmental labelling and greenhouse Ken Wheatley, Senior Vice President and Chief Security Officer,gases (see next section). Sony Electronics Inc., USA. Rio+20|7

8. Climate change The ISO 14064:2006 and ISO 14065:2007 standards provide an internationally agreed framework for measur- ing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and verifying claims made about them so that a tonne of carbon is always a tonne of carbon. They support programmes to reduce GHG emissions and also emissions trading programmes. Beyond their welcome by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, they are now being imple- mented on a day-to-day basis by organizations as varied as a Norwegian shipping company and an Indian construc- tion company. Example: Spains Ferrovial, one of the worlds largest transportation infrastructure companies, calculated its worldwide carbon footprint, confirming that it generated nearly two million tonnes of CO 2 equivalent in 2009. To do so, Ferrovial created a methodology for calculating and validating its emissions, encompassing 94% of total revenues, which fulfils the requirements of ISO 14064.8|Rio+20

9. ISO and the environment The ISO 14000 family is the most visible part of ISOswork for the environment. In addition, however, ISO offersa wide-ranging portfolio of standardized sampling, testingand analytical methods to deal with specific environmentalchallenges. It has developed more than 650 InternationalStandards for the monitoring of aspects such as the qualityof air, water, soil and nuclear radiation. These standardsare tools for providing business and government withscientifically valid data on the environmental effects ofeconomic activity. They may also be used as the technicalbasis for environmental regulations. Other environment-related work includes standards for designing buildings, orretrofitting existing ones, for improved energy efficiency. Rio+20|9

10. EconomyISO standards provide solutions and achieve benefits for almost all sectors of activity, including agriculture, construc- tion, mechanical engineering, manufacturing, distribution, transport, health care, information and communication technologies, food, water, the environment, energy, quality management, conformity assessment and services. Efficiency, effectiveness, innovation These standards contribute to sustainable economic development by increasing efficiency, effectiveness and, therefore, conserving resources. They keep the wheels of industry turning by providing specifications, dimensions, requirements and testing and maintenance regimes for engineering, construction, production and distribution. They ensure compatibility and interoperability of the information and communications technologies that have become the backbone of almost every sector. They speed up the time to market and diffusion of prod- ucts and services derived from innovation, such as nano- technologies and vehicles powered by electrical batteries or hydrogen. They facilitate trade, providing a basis for agreement between business partners and the technical support for regulation.10|Rio+20

11. Economic benefits Macro levelExample: A German study found that the economic ben-efits of standardization represented about 1% of gross Example: Estimates by the Organisation for Economicdomestic product. Co - operation and Development (OECD) and the USExample: A study in the United Kingdom found that stand- Department of Commerce have both shown that standardsards made an annual contribution of GBP 2.5 billion to and related conformity assessment (checking that productsthe economy, and attributed 13% of growth in labour and services measure up to standards) have an impact onproductivity to standards. 80% of the worlds trade in commodities. It is therefore not surprising that the World Trade Organization (WTO)Example: A Canadian study found that growth in the num- requires its members to use international standards ofber of standards accounted for 17% of the labour pro- the type developed by ISO in order to avoid the technicalductivity growth rate and about 9% of the growth rate in barriers to trade that can be caused by differing nationaleconomic output (real GDP) over the 1981 to 2004 period. or regional standards. Rio+20|11

12. Micro level Example: PTT Chemical Public Company in Thailand saved USD 9.4 million in 2010 from increased plant reli- ability, reduced off-specification product, lower energy and ethylene consumption by applying standards. Example: NTUC Fairprice, Singapore, a supermarket chain, estimated at SGD 13.6 million the total benefits over 10 years from implementing standards in its procurement, warehousing /distribution and retail functions. Example: Nanotron Technologies, a German information and communications technology company, achieved 14% cost savings and 19% increase in sales revenue by using standards, equivalent to almost 33% of overall annual sales revenue.12|Rio+20

13. Taking part in standardization work on Without standards I would have had to close nanotechnologies allows our company to havedown Not taking part (in standardization) would access to standardization developments. have cost me my company and my livelihood Furthermore, this gives us the opportunity to join in and defend the current and future interests of What does it cost me if I do not get involved and Spanish industry. others define rules that are out of line with myneeds, interests and experiences, but which I have Participating in both national and international to comply with because they are laid down in a standardization committees is a key matter for our standard? Hence, it is best to join in right at the company. We are in a time of strong international start. grow th and this participation will allow us to adapt our products to future international regulations. Martin Denison, Managing Director, Scuba Schools GmbH, Austria. Julio Gmez, CEO, Avanzare, Spain. Rio+20|13

14. Management standards ISO 14001 (see page 6) is a management system stand- ard like the pioneer in this field, ISO 9001 for quality management. These are among ISOs best-known standards and are thoroughly integrated with the global economy. At the end of 2010, there were more than a million users of ISO 9001 alone in 178 countries. Beyond their immedi- ate objectives of helping organizations large and small to improve, respectively, environmental and quality man- agement performance, they are widely used to establish confidence between business partners, as a condition to participate in global supply chains, and to qualify to tender for procurement contracts. T he m an ag em en t s y s tem ap p ro ach pion eered by ISO 9 0 01 and fur ther developed by ISO 14 0 01 has since been followed by other standards for the needs of specific sectors, or to address specific issues. They include: information security (ISO/IEC 27001), food safety (ISO 22000), supply chain security (ISO 28000), energy management (ISO 50001) and road traffic safety man- agement (ISO 39001 under development). Although the ISO 31000 standard for risk management is not a management system standard, it shares with this14|Rio+20

15. category the attribute of being generic, providing benefitsfor any organization in the public or private sector. Thesebenefits may be economic, environmental or societal, making it an important tool for sustainability. What are the key advantages of implementing and being certified to ISO 22000 (food safety management)? The confidence of our clients and ISO 9001 (quality management) certification customers in our products and processes, as well proves to our customers that we are working to as that of the local regulatory agencies and trade approved standards and gives them confidence partners. Also as a marketing tool. when they are reviewing their preferred supplier Prudencio S. Garcia, President, Mekeni Food Corporation lists. (MFC) of Pampanga, Philippines. Peter Hartshorn, General Manager, AC Labels, United Kingdom. With the implementation of the ISO 50001 energy management system in the Dongguan region, andImplementing ISO/ IEC 27001 (information security production capacity at an even level from January management) has led to enhanced information to May of this year, we have already reduced power security awareness among employees, improved consumption by 10.51 million kWh as compared security operation efficiency, and has helped to the same period in 2010. This is equivalent increase understanding of the need for continual to a reduction of 10.2 thousand tons of carbon improvement. emissions and a saving of CNY 8 million. Adel Salem Alkaff, IT Division Manager, Daryl Liao, Executive Vice-President GASCO Abu Dhabi Gas Industries. of Delta Groups China region. Rio+20|15

16. Society ISO standards help governments, civil society and the business world to translate societal aspirations, such as for social responsibility, health, and safe food and water, into concrete realizations. In so doing, they support the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Health ISO offers more than 1200 standards for facilitating and improving health care. These are developed within 19 ISO technical committees addressing specific aspects of health care that bring together health practitioners and experts from government, industry and other stakeholder categories. Some of the topics addressed include health informatics, laboratory equipment and testing, medical devices and their evaluation, dentistry, sterilization of health-care products, implants for surgery, biological evaluation, mechanical contraceptives, prosthetics and orthotics, quality manage- ment and protecting patient data. They provide benefits for researchers, manufacturers, regulators, health-care professionals, and, most important of all, for patients. The World Health Organization is a major stakeholder in this work, holding liaison status with 60 of ISOs health-related technical committees (TC) or subcommittees (SCs).16|Rio+20

17. Food There are some 1000 ISO food-related standards ben-efitting producers and manufacturers, regulators andtesting laboratories, packaging and transport companies,merchants and retailers, and the final consumer. In recentyears, there has been strong emphasis on standards toensure safe food supply chains. At the end of 2010, fiveyears after the publication of ISO 22000, for food safetymanagement systems, the standard was being implementedby users in 138 countries. At least 18630 certificates of conformity, attestingthat food safety management systems were being imple-mented according to the requirements of the standard,had been issued, an increase of more than 34% over theprevious year. The level of inter-governmental interest in ISOs foodstandards is shown by the fact that the Codex AlimentariusCommission of the UNs Food and Agriculture Organizationhas liaison status with 25 ISO TCs or SCs. Rio+20|17

18. Water The goals of safe water and improved sanitation are ingrained in the UN Millennium Development Goals. ISO is contributing through the development of standards for both drinking water and waste-water services and for water quality. Related areas addressed by ISO include irrigation systems and plastic piping through which water flows. In all, ISO has developed more than 550 water- related standards. A major partner in standards for water quality is the United Nations Environment Programme.18|Rio+20

19. Transversal benefits While the principle objective of an ISO technical com-mittee may be to develop standards for the economicdimension, many of these standards have transversalbenefits for the environmental dimension (through theefficient use of resources) and for the social dimension.Example: Mo r e t h a n 110 s t a n d a r d s d evelo p e d byISO/ TC 159, Ergonomics , promote the efficient use ofdevices, particularly in the field of information technol-ogy, while at the same time promoting health factors,including the use of computers and consumer goods by theelderly and disabled. The TCs standards cover hardwareand equipment, software and services, user capabilities,environment and communication.Example: M o r e t h a n 4 0 s t a n d a r d s d ev el o p e d b yISO/ TC 199, Safety of machinery, help to reduce thesocial costs of work-related injuries while supporting theeconomic dimensions through savings in medical costs. Rio+20|19

20. ISOinbrief ISO the standards ISOs voluntary standards ensure desirable character- istics such as quality, environmental friendliness, safety, reliability, efficiency, effectiveness, interchangeability and interoperability and at an economical cost. Standards can be applied to products, services, materials and pro- cesses, as well as to personnel. These strategic tools are based on consensus on definitions, measurements, met- rics for testing and other parameters. ISO International Standards distil international expertise and best practice and are regularly reviewed to ensure they are at the state of the art. ISO the organization ISO is a network of the national standards institutes of 163 countries in all regions of the world, a majority of which are developing or transitional economies. Although ISO is nongovernmental, many of its members are either part of the governmental structure in their countries, or have a mandate from their governments to engage in standardization. Still others are completely private sector bodies originating from industrial associations.20|Rio+20

21. As a result, ISO has a unique position as a bridgebetween public and private sectors enabling it to chan-nel input from a broad range of stakeholder groups intostandards, and to ensure that these benefit business,government and society at large.ISO the system ISO launches the development of new standards inresponse to sectors and stakeholders that express a clearlyestablished need for them. ISO standards are developed by technical committees,(subcommittees or project committees) comprising expertsfrom the industrial, technical and business sectors whichhave asked for the standards and which subsequentlyput them to use. These experts may be joined by repre-sentatives of government agencies, testing laboratories,consumer associations, nongovernmental organizations,academia and other stakeholders. Experts participate as national delegations, chosen bythe ISO national member body for the country concerned.National delegations are required to represent not justthe views of the organizations in which their participatingexperts work, but those of other stakeholders too. Rio+20|21

22. Most ISO members have some form of public review pro- cedures for making proposed work items and draft standards known and available for comment to interested parties. A wide cross-section of stakeholders including indus- try, regulators and consumer representatives participate in the process of developing ISO International Standards which distil international expertise and best practice. ISO standards are based on consensus, which is defined as the absence of sustained opposition. Sometimes per- ceived as technocratic, standardization as practised by ISO is, in fact, based on one of the oldest of human activities: people communicating with people until they agree, This is the right thing to do! ISOs public and private sector team-mates ISO collaborates with its partners in international stand- ardization, the International Electrotechnical Commission and the International Telecommunication Union. ISO has a close relationship with the World Trade Organization (WTO) which particularly appreciates the contribution of ISOs standards to reducing technical2 2|Rio+20

23. barriers to trade (TBT). ISO standards are developed inconformity with the WTO TBT principles of transparency,openness, impartiality and consensus, effectiveness andrelevance, and coherence, addressing the concerns ofdeveloping countries. ISO collaborates with the United Nations (UN) systemand its specialized agencies and commissions, particularlythose involved in the harmonization of regulations and pub-lic policies, such as: CODEX Alimentarius Commission, theUN Economic Commission for Europe, the World HealthOrganization, and the International Maritime Organization. In addition, ISO cooperates with UN organizations thatprovide assistance and support to developing countries,such as the United Nations Conference on Trade andDevelopment, the United Nations Industrial DevelopmentOrganization, and the International Trade Centre. ISOs technical committees have formal liaison relationswith over 700 international and regional organizations. ISO has reinforced its links, too, with international organi-zations representing different groups of stakeholders, includ-ing: the World Economic Forum, Consumers International,the World Business Council for Sustainable Development,and the International Federation of Standards Users. Rio+20|23

24. Whats new, whats coming next Since the original Earth Summit, many more peo - ple are now in agreement that achieving sustainability requires global, holistic and practical solutions. This is why ISO International Standards are proving increasingly attractive. In addition, in response to demand from the international community, the scope of ISOs standards is continually increasing. New standards published in recent years or under devel- opment address challenges as varied as social respon- sibility, information and societ al security, response to climate change, energy efficiency and renewable resources, sustainable building design and operation, fair and transparent contract procurement, water services, nanotechnologies, intelligent transport systems, food safety management and health informatics. In the next few years, ISO will be able to offer standards including topics such as the carbon footprint of prod- ucts, asset management, energy savings, human resource management, natural gas fuelling stations for vehicles, outsourcing, the safety of amusement park attractions, and biogas.24|Rio+20

25. From good intentions to concrete results Taking stock 20 years after the Earth Summit, ISOcan point to having developed many practical tools tohelp the international community tackle the challengesof sustainability. At the same time, the organization isnot resting on its laurels, as the list of new projects(see page 24), which is constantly being updated andadded to, demonstrates. But the purpose of this brochure is not to brag aboutISO. The organization has no claim to superiority overother organizations that are concerned about sustain-ability. The purpose is to suggest modestly what makesISO different. ISO is where people from business, government and civilsociety work together on the same team and get down todeveloping practical, global solutions to the global chal-lenge of sustainability facing our planet. Rio+20|25

26. How to keep up to speed ISOs portfolio of standards is in constant evolution with around 1000 new or revised standards published each year. To keep up to date with developments, visit the ISO Website www.iso.org regularly and consider subscribing to RSS feeds on the areas you are interested in. When significant new standards are published, ISO usually dedicates a press release to them and may, in addition, publish brochures and/or Website sections giv- ing more information.26|Rio+20

27. Resources ISOs Website w w w.iso.org (in English and French, with top levels in Russian and individual publications in other languages) ISO Focus+ maga zine Volume 3, No. 3, March 2012, ISSN 2226-1095 w w w.iso.org / iso/ iso-focus-plus (10 editions annually in English and French) Servicing es sector the servic a ISO videos ISSN 2226-1095 w w w.youtube.com / Planet ISO 2, February 2012, Volume 3, No. Future gear Volume 3, No. 4, April 2012, ISSN 2226-1095 Follow us on Twit ter! TNS on quality and manageme nt w w w.twitter.com / isostandards ISO 5000 1 on re 15:19:00 2012-03-21 Join us on Facebook N.indd C1 ISO Focus_12-03_E w w w.facebook.com / isostandards me What they want Audi, Bentley,ISO Focus_12-02_E N.indd C1 from ISO : Chrysler, Fiat, Kia, and more 2012-02-15 14:47:44 IMO Secretary- General : Working with ISO Fully Netw orked Car 2012 drive s Maritirs atte Cont act the ISO member in your countr y: w w w.iso.org / isomembers priorities Rio+20|27

28. International Organization for StandardizationISO Central Secret ariat1, ch. de la Voie-CreuseCase postale 56CH-1211 Genve 20SwitzerlandTel.+41 22 749 01 11 ISO 2012- 04/2000Fax +41 22 733 34 30 All rights reservedE-mail central@iso.org Second editionWeb www.iso.org ISBN 978 -92- 67-10567-3