Some 16 international standards organisations, UN agencies and private sector groups have joined forces at COP31 to position international standards ‘at the heart of climate implementation’.
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE) are leading the Standards Pavilion at COP31, the third year in a row that international standards have been in the spotlight at the UN’s annual climate change conference.
According to the ISO, standards can play a key role in supporting the implementation of climate policies across different sectors and countries, by providing ‘essential infrastructure to help turn high-level ambition into accountable, measurable and verified climate action’.
‘Accelerating implementation’
“COP31 is about accelerating implementation, and that requires practical tools that work across technologies, sectors and borders,” commented Philippe Metzger, secretary-general and CEO, IEC.
“We want to show policymakers and business leaders that many of the tools needed to deliver climate action already exist, and that using them can help turn commitments into measurable progress. International standards provide the technical foundations that help solutions scale safely and effectively, particularly as the clean energy transition accelerates.”
Participating groups are calling for greater integration of international standards into climate policy, finance and reporting frameworks, which will help to ‘strengthen implementation, improve interoperability and accelerate measurable progress’, the ISO added.
‘Consistently and credibly’
“The challenge now is not only setting climate ambition, but delivering it consistently and credibly around the world,” added Sergio Mujica, secretary-general, ISO. “International standards provide globally agreed frameworks that help governments and businesses translate commitments into action, measure progress and build trust in the results.
“At COP31, our focus is on implementation – showing how standards can help turn global goals into practical action across countries, sectors and supply chains.”
Other partners participating in the Standards Pavilion include the Turkish Standards Institution (Türk Standardları Enstitüsü) (TSE), the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML), the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC), Verra, and United Nations groups including the OECD, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNECE, UNEP, UNFSS, UNIDO, and the SSE Initiative. Read more here.
