Basics
What exactly has been proposed?
The proposal is to create an "International Standard [which] specifies requirements for a Sustainable Development Goals Management System."
What do all those big words mean?
An "International Standard ... for a ... Management System" is any standard like ISO 9001, ISO 14001, or ISO 45001.
More basically, a management system is the collection of policies, processes, and procedures, plus the corresponding assignment of roles and responsibilities that makes your organization run. I give a brief description of what management systems are in this post here.
A management system standard is a generic standard that tells you how to set up your management system. It doesn't tell you exactly what words to write or exactly whom to assign to do what; but it says that you have to make sure to cover these topics and those activities, somehow or other. Then it leaves the details to you, because the operational processes for an aircraft manufacturer will be different from the ones for a laundromat.
The phrase "Sustainable Development Goals" refers to a set of 17 goals adopted by the United Nations back in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which the UN website describes as "a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future." These goals represent "an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership," and the list of all 17 is as follows:
- No poverty
- Zero hunger
- Good health and well-being
- Quality education
- Gender equality
- Clean water and sanitation
- Affordable and clean energy
- Decent work and economic growth
- Industry, innovation, and infrastructure
- Reduced inequalities
- Sustainable cities and communities
- Responsible consumption and production
- Climate action
- Life below water
- Life on land
- Peace, justice, and strong institutions
- Partnership for the goals
Therefore a management system standard to support the UN's sustainable development goals is a generic standard to tell you how to organize your business (or other group) in order to help you make progress towards one or more of the goals on this list.
Who proposed it?
The Danish Standards Foundation, one of the member bodies of the ISO.
Who wants it?
Companies are asking for guidance. Their stakeholders are asking them to work more sustainably, and then to prove it.
What good will it do? (Or, what needs will it satisfy?)
Some companies are being asked to prove that they work sustainably. Other companies have recognized that if they can offer proof of sustainable operations proactively, that will give them a competitive advantage. But how do you prove something like that? By comparing to a standard.
Then there are companies that don't (yet) feel forced to prove anything to someone else, but they care about the SDG's and want to help them forward. But they don't know where to start, and are asking for some kind of systematic guidance.
Since there is no established standard right now, multiple private sources are issuing their own. But of course this means there is no consistency in requirements or reporting, so nobody can tell what this or that certification really means without reading all the fine print on each one. ISO is recognized as an international authority. So if ISO issues a standard, that common framework will clear up a lot of confusion.
What will this involve?
Will organizations be able to certify to it?
Yes.
Will organizations be required to certify to it?
No. It will be a voluntary standard, like ISO 9001.
Let me say that a little more precisely. Some organizations find themselves required to certify to ISO 9001 because their customers insist. But there is no legal requirement anywhere to certify to ISO 9001. In the same way, if your customers ask you to certify to this new standard that's between you and them. But there is no intention that your government will require it.
How will this standard be structured?
Just like all the other modern ISO management system standards.
If we already have an established management system, will we have to scrap it and create a new one to comply with this standard?
Of course not. You should never do that anyway. Set up your management system in whatever way works for you. Just make sure it covers the things that the standard asks it to cover.
Since this one will be structured exactly like ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and the rest of them, it should be very easy for you to plug a few extra requirements into your existing management system and scarcely notice the difference.
What will this standard actually require an organization to do?
We haven't written it yet, so it's hard to be sure of the details. 😀 But our proposal is that you don't have to address all 17 SDG's to get certified. Pick the ones that are relevant to your business.
On the other hand this means you have to have a defined process for selecting which SDG's are relevant, not just that you pulled numbers out of a hat. You should have a systematic way to define a sustainable strategy for your business, and then be able to deliver to that strategy.
How will progress be measured?
Already today, each SDG has several "targets and indicators" defined to measure the status of the goal. (Go to the SDG website, and click on each goal in turn for more information, including the complete list of targets and indicators defined for that goal.) These targets and indicators will have to be built into the KPIs for this standard, to keep the measurements consistent and objective, and to avoid the risk of "SDG-washing."
How does this relate to any other standards or committees?
We already have ISO 37101, which is a management system standard for sustainable communities. How does this relate to that?
There will be overlap, to be sure. But sustainable communities are only one of the 17 SDG's. Certainly the committee writing this standard will appreciate all the help we can get from other existing sources.
Will this standard end up replacing ISO 9001?
It shouldn't. They are about different things.
ISO 9001 is still about the quality of goods and services. Yes, it has some very valuable requirements that help your organization run in a successful way: identifying key stakeholders, defining a strategy, settling KPIs, and so on. And ISO 9004 is a great standard for assessing your organizational maturity. But neither of those is really focused on the content of the SDG's, the way this standard would be.
Or did you mean "Will this standard end up becoming the most popular management system standard, the ISO flagship standard, the way ISO 9001 is today?" Well of course we don't know. We do know that the UN SDG's are coming ever more clearly into focus in markets clear across the global economy. We know that people understand how important they are. But I don't think the committee that writes ISO 9001 has anything to worry about.
Is there already an existing ISO committee who will be responsible for this?
No. If the proposal is accepted, a new committee will have to be created.
Is there already an existing national standard that covers the same subject, so the committee can just copy it and be done?
No.
What is the timeline?
How does the process look from here? What is the timeline?
From now until December 8, 2022, the national standards bodies that comprise ISO will collect input and vote on the proposal. (ANSI's deadline for comments is October 28!)
December 8, 2022, ISO counts the votes. If a majority vote "No," that's the end of it. If a majority vote "Yes," then ISO will establish a committee.
Early 2023, the committee holds meetings on scope, title, and content.
September 1, 2023, the committee circulates the first working draft to experts for comments.
November 1, 2024, the committee submits a Draft International Standard.
November 15, 2025, ISO publishes the completed International Standard.
Wait, ... you don't expect to publish until 2025, and the UN's SDG's are supposed to be due in 2030? That's just five years. How do you expect that timeline to do any good at all?
None of the proposers believes that the SDG's will expire in 2030. They might be updated or reissued or renamed. But if anything, they are likely to become even more important after 2030. So there should be plenty of time for this standard to offer support.
Final questions
How do I join the committee?
Talk to your national standards body and tell them you are interested in helping. Work with them to meet whatever requirements they have in order to make that happen. Or if you already belong to some other entity that will need to establish a liaison with tis committee, approach that entity and this committee directly.
Where can I get more information?
The Danish Standards Foundation has set up a website for the proposal here. That website contains a lot of information, including a flyer, plus recordings and presentations from the information webinars. It also contains links to other information sources.
There will be another informational webinar on November 2, 2022, from 8:00-9:00am UTC. That's the middle of the night here in the United States, but in other parts of the world it is a friendlier hour. You can join it by clicking this link.
ANSI's announcement about the proposal is located here.
A complete copy of the proposal can be found here.
I hope this helps.
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