International standards provide a consistent set of benchmarks for a product, process, service or material.
They cover a huge range of activities and establish rules, conditions or guidelines for a repeatable technical task, defining what great looks like for businesses and consumers alike – to ensure reliability, build trust, and simplify choices.
Technical standards are developed by one or more standards organisations – such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), European Committee for Standardization (CEN) or the British Standards Institution (BSI) – with a range of standards applying to the environment and sustainability sector.
ISEP members, and especially our Fellows, play an influential role in the development of global environment and sustainability standards, frameworks and guidance.
Through leadership, technical expertise and professional judgement, they help shape the systems that organisations rely on to manage impacts, risks and opportunities.
Their contribution extends ISEP’s influence far beyond individual organisations, helping drive a more consistent, credible and effective transition to sustainability worldwide.
Standards are the distilled wisdom of people with expertise in their subject matter – who know the needs of the organizations they represent – people such as manufacturers, sellers, buyers, customers, consultancies, trade associations, users or regulators.
Prominent ISEP members – particularly Fellows –help steer the development of global standards frameworks. This amplifies our impact and influence in the global transition to sustainability.
Nigel Leehane is a sustainability consultant specialising in environmental management and climate change mitigation. In addition to his consultancy work, he has contributed to various ISEP publications and is heavily involved in international standards development. He currently chairs the BSI technical sub-committee for environmental auditing and is the chair elect of the ISO subcommittee responsible for ISO 14001 and related standards.
Nigel is currently the convenor of the working group developing ISO 14060, the forthcoming ISO standard for net zero aligned organizations. The project commenced in 2024 and has met 15 times in that period, with a working group composed of several hundred experts from developed and developing countries. ISO 14060 is at "draft international standard" stage, and will be made available in mid-June for public consultation and commenting. The standard, which includes robust and verifiable requirements for setting and working towards organisational net zero targets and pathways, is due to be finalised and published in the first half of 2027.
Martin Baxter FISEP CEnv FRSA is Deputy CEO at the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals (ISEP). He works in the UK and internationally to accelerate the transition to a sustainable future and support people in the development of sustainability skills and green careers.
Martin has national and international experience in developing and negotiating international and European environmental management standards and developing capacity for effective and widespread implementation and chairs the ISO environmental management systems committee across 107 countries. He is a Board member of ISEP, and a non-exec director of the Society for the Environment (SocEnv) and the Broadway Initiative.
Environmental sustainability offer a clear and practical way to achieve operational excellence, comply with legal requirements, and meet stakeholder expectations. By embracing some these standards below, organizations can position themselves as leaders, save money and resources, and gain trust and recognition.
ISO 14001 is the internationally recognized standard for environmental management systems (EMS). It provides a framework for organizations to design and implement an EMS, and continually improve their environmental performance. By adhering to this standard, organizations can ensure they are taking proactive measures to minimize their environmental footprint, comply with relevant legal requirements, and achieve their environmental objectives. The framework encompasses various aspects, from resource usage and waste management to monitoring environmental performance and involving stakeholders in environmental commitments.
The 2026 edition reinforces what matters most: environmental protection and business outcomes. The updated standard builds on the trusted ISO 14001 framework, with clearer structure, easier navigation, and stronger alignment with today’s environmental priorities.
ISO 50001 provides a framework for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and improving an Energy Management System (EnMS). Its goal is to help organizations improve their energy performance, including energy efficiency, use, and consumption, through a systematic approach.
The standard is applicable to organizations of all types and sizes, regardless of their geographical, cultural, or social conditions. It is designed to be compatible with other ISO management system standards and follows the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) model for continual improvement.
ISO 50001 is important because it provides a structured approach to managing energy; helps organizations reduce energy costs and improve competitiveness; supports compliance with legal and regulatory requirements; contributes to climate change mitigation by reducing greenhouse gas emissions; and encourages a culture of continual improvement in energy performance.
ISO 14064 specifies principles and requirements at the organization level for the quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals. It includes requirements for the design, development, management, reporting and verification of an organization's GHG inventory.
ISO 14090 specifies principles, requirements and guidelines for adaptation to climate change. This includes the integration of adaptation within or across organizations, understanding impacts and uncertainties and how these can be used to inform decisions.
This standard is applicable to any organization, regardless of size, type and nature, e.g. local, regional, international, business units, conglomerates, industrial sectors, natural resource management units.
ISO 14090 can support the development of sector-, aspect- or element-specific climate change adaptation standards.
ISO 14054 provides a framework for organizations to measure, value, and account for their interactions with nature.
Every organization relies on natural capital — from clean water and fertile soil to biodiversity and climate stability. Yet, these dependencies are often invisible in financial reporting.
ISO 14054 provides a transparent and repeatable method to quantify and communicate these relationships, revealing both risks and opportunities linked to nature. It sets out the principles, requirements, and guidance for preparing natural capital accounts — structured reports that combine financial, environmental, and socio-economic information to show how an organization depends on and impacts natural systems.
Biodiversity is essential – for life on Earth, for healthy ecosystems, and for resilient economies. Yet global biodiversity is declining at unprecedented rates. ISO 17298 provides a practical framework to help organizations of all types and sizes understand how they depend on and impact nature – and take concrete action to address it.
This is the first International Standard that guides organizations in embedding biodiversity into their core strategies, operations and decision-making processes.
Whether you’re a business, local authority, NGO or public institution, this standard supports you to understand your biodiversity impacts, dependencies and risks; identify opportunities for green growth and nature-positive finance; align with global frameworks like the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework; and develop and implement a credible biodiversity action plan.
ISO 14040 describes the principles and framework for life cycle assessment (LCA) including: definition of the goal and scope of the LCA, the life cycle inventory analysis phase, the life cycle impact assessment phase, the life cycle interpretation phase, reporting and critical review of the LCA, limitations of the LCA, the relationship between the LCA phases, and conditions for use of value choices and optional elements.
ISO 14040 outlines the high-level principles and overarching framework for conducting life cycle assessments, acting as the foundation. ISO 14044 builds directly upon this. It serves as the practical rulebook, detailing the specific requirements, methodologies, and guidelines needed to actually execute the assessment.
ISO 14067 specifies principles, requirements and guidelines for the quantification and reporting of the carbon footprint of a product (CFP), in a manner consistent with International Standards on life cycle assessment (LCA) (ISO 14040 and ISO 14044).
The standard addresses only a single impact category: climate change. Carbon offsetting and communication of CFP or partial CFP information are outside the scope of this document.
ISO 14067 does not assess any social or economic aspects or impacts, or any other environmental aspects and related impacts potentially arising from the life cycle of a product.
ISO 46001 specifies requirements and contains guidance for its use in establishing, implementing and maintaining a water efficiency management system. It is applicable to organizations of all types and sizes that use water. It is focused on end-use consumers.
The standard is applicable to any organization that wishes to achieve the efficient use of water through the 'reduce, replace or reuse' approach; establish, implement and maintain water efficiency; or continually improve water efficiency.
ISO 46001 specifies requirements and contains guidance for its use regarding organizational water use. It includes monitoring, measurement, documentation, reporting, design and procurement practices for equipment, systems, processes and personnel training that contribute to water efficiency management.
ISO 14092 climate change adaptation planning for local governments and communities is an International Standard that provides practical guidance for planning climate change adaptation at the local scale, where climate impacts are directly experienced.
The standard offers a structured, step-by-step framework to help organizations define governance and responsibilities; engage stakeholders effectively; assess and prioritize climate risks; design and implement adaptation measures; and monitor progress and improve plans over time
ISO 14092:2026 elevates the guidance from a Technical Specification to a full International Standard and including updated guidance and an additional annex supporting implementation of adaptation measures.
The standard supports the full adaptation planning cycle, from climate risk understanding to implementation and continual improvement.
ISO 14019 specifies general principles and requirements for the validation/verification of declared sustainability information, including reporting on environmental, social, governance and other sustainability matters.
This standard is applicable to quantitative and qualitative information. ISO 14019 is also applicable as the basis for validation/verification activities that support other conformity assessment schemes.
ISO 32212 supports strategic transition planning by financial institutions, designed to protect and enhance value by supporting institutions’ response and contribution to a global net zero and climate-resilient economy.
The requirements and recommendations are designed to enable financial institutions to develop and maintain transition planning objectives and targets that advance the temperature and resilience goals of the Paris Agreement, and establish robust policies and processes to integrate these into their financial activities.
ISO 32212 is applicable to any financial institution, regardless of size, type and geographic location, with a particular focus on banking, insurance and investment institutions and activities including lending, insurance, asset owner investing, asset manager investing and capital market activities.
It can also be applicable to relevant financial activities within real economy institutions and emerging financial institution types, many of which leverage digital technologies and can be subject to different or bespoke regulatory frameworks.
BS 8001 is a framework for implementing the principles of the circular economy in organizations. In contrast to the ‘take, make, dispose’ model of the linear economy – the circular economy concept looks for materials to be repeatedly recovered and reused for as long as possible.
The circular economy standard can be used by any organization, regardless of sector, size, location, or type.
BS 8001 provides guidance and recommendations that will help an organization turn the circular economy concept and theory into practical action. It will help provide environmental benefits through improved resource use in addition to delivering financial and social benefits, through economic, employment, and innovation opportunities.
ISO 14060 Net Zero Standard will provide a universal baseline for what "good looks like" when it comes to taking net zero action as an organization. It tackles the fragmented net zero governance landscape by converging global best practice in one place.
The net zero standard will set out the requirements for how any type of organization can demonstrate that their net zero strategy, including their targets and delivery to these targets, are compatible with reaching net zero, and that they are making credible and verifiable progress towards contributing to global net zero in line with the Paris Agreement.
The standard is based on the foundational ISO Net Zero Guidelines, which provide a common reference for understanding and planning for net zero for organizations across all sectors, sizes, and jurisdictions.
The public consultation for the ISO net zero standard (ISO 14060) will open in Summer 2026.
ISO, the International Organization for Standardization, brings global experts together to agree on the best way of doing things – for anything from making a product to managing a process.
As one of the oldest non-governmental international organizations, ISO has enabled trade and cooperation between people and companies all over the world since 1946. The International Standards published by ISO serve to make lives easier, safer and better.
ISO has launched over 26,000 standards and other deliverables covering almost all aspects of technology, management and manufacturing.
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a corporate climate action organization that enables companies and financial institutions worldwide to play their part in combating the climate crisis.
One of the world’s fastest-growing voluntary corporate climate initiatives, trusted by over 11,000 companies and financial institutions worldwide, SBTi is registered as a charity in England and Wales.
Standards that SBTi has launched include: Corporate Net-Zero Standard, Financial Institutions Net-Zero Standard, Buildings Sector Standard, Automotive Standard and the Forest, Land and Agriculture (FLAG) Guidance.
International Standards on environmental sustainability offer a clear and practical way to achieve operational excellence, comply with legal requirements, and meet stakeholder expectations. By embracing these ISO standards, organizations can position themselves as leaders, save money and resources, and gain trust and recognition.
International standards ensure that the products and services you use daily are safe, reliable, and of high quality. They also guide businesses in adopting sustainable and ethical practices, helping to create a future where your purchases not only perform excellently but also safeguard our planet. In essence, standards seamlessly blend quality with conscience, enhancing your everyday experiences and choices.
