WORLD ACCREDITATION DAY

Sustainability in Economic Growth and the Environment

International and National

Standards on
Sustainability

Shri U S P Yadav
Scientist-F & DDG (Southern Region)
Bureau of Indian Standards
Sustainability

Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability

of future generations to meet their own needs
-United Nations World Commission of Development and Environment

Sustainability brings three elements into harmony:

 Why Sustainability
“Infinite growth of material consumption in a finite
world is an impossibility.”
-E. F. Schumacher

Nowadays, as we realize how much more we are capable

of, we seek growth, we seek better outcomes and
situations, we seek development, we seek more and more
and more.

These desires may be of varying manner and forms but

one thing is for sure: THEY ARE INFINITE

But while wants are infinite, resources and means are not.
Resource flows and (non) recoverable resources
Sustainable Development
The development that meets the needs
of the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs.

The Sustainability Dashboard-

The five key elements ("5 Ps) that led

to the development of the
Sustainable Development Goals.
 Sustainable Development Goals
• On September 25, 2015, 193 Heads of State at the United Nations General Assembly set
up a collection of 17 goals known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or
simply Global Goals.

• The SDGs and their 169 targets form the core of Resolution 70/1 of the United Nations,
which is a breakthrough agreement called AGENDA 2030

• The goals are to be achieved by all member states by year 2030. They are a universal
call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure all people enjoy peace and
prosperity.

• The goals are broad, interdependent and cover social, economic and social issues and
making them work is everyone’s responsibility.
Sustainable Development Goals
 Sustainability Standards
“Voluntary guidelines used by producers, manufacturers, traders, retailers, and service providers to
demonstrate their commitment to good environmental, social, ethical, and food safety practices”

 Trend - late 1980s and 90s

• Ecolabels and standards for Organic food

 Development
Sustainability Standards are normally developed
• by a broad range of stakeholders and experts in a particular sector
• and include a set of practices or criteria (Ex- sustainably grown crop, ethically harvested resources, fair
wage, protection of marine biodiversity)

 Certification
accompanied by a verification process - often referred to as "certification” to evaluate compliance and
traceability.
 ISO and SDGs
ISO has published more than 22 000 International Standards and ISO contributes to all of the SDGs.
Here you can see the number of ISO standards that are directly applicable to each Goal
 Goal 2: Zero Hunger
 1600 ISO standards for the food production sector-
• designed to create confidence in food products
• improve agricultural methods and
• promote sustainable and ethical purchasing
• other areas including nutritional and safety testing, quality, packaging, and traceability

 IS/ISO 22000 Food Safety Management Systems — Requirements for any Organization in the
Food Chain

family of standards on food safety management helps organizations to identify and control food safety
hazards.

  ISO 26000 (social responsibility)

 Goal 2: Zero Hunger
 ISO 20400 (Sustainable Procurement)
Encourage socially responsible behaviour and ethical working conditions for agricultural
workers and promote ethical purchasing practices throughout the entire food production
chain
Goal 3: Good Health And Well-being
• Access to quality healthcare is an essential human right. BIS and ISO has numerous standards
supporting safe, quality medical practices and equipment that help healthcare providers
deliver a more reliable and effective service.
ISO 11137 series for the sterilization of healthcare products by radiation.
IS/ISO 13485 Medical Device Management System increases efficiency, cuts costs and
monitor supply chain performances.
IS 23485 Medical Devices – Quality Management System requirements and Essential
Principles of safety & performance for Medical   Devices
has been formulated by amalgamation of  of ISO 13485 : 2016, 16142-1 : 2016 & 16142-
2:2017.
IS/ISO 45001 - Occupational Health And Safety Management System
Goal 4: Quality Education
IS/ISO 21001
• Recognizing the importance of quality education for all, the first-ever
management system standard on education has been developed.
• It is aimed at improving the processes and quality of educational institutions
to address the needs and expectations of those who use their services.
Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
IS 17482:2020 Drinking Water Supply Management System
specifies the requirements for management system of drinking water supplier/utility and for
the assessment of piped drinking water supply services where the water supplier/utility.

ISO 24518 
to help communities manage their drinking water and wastewater services in the event of a
crisis of water utilities.

ISO 24521 
gives practical guidance on the management and maintenance of basic on-site domestic
wastewater services
Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
• ISO 14046:2014
Environmental management — Water footprint — Principles,
requirements and guidelines.
specifies principles, requirements and guidelines related to water
footprint assessment of products, processes and organizations
based on life cycle assessment (LCA).
Goal 7: Affordable And Clean Energy
• ISO and BIS has more than 200 standards related to energy efficiency and renewables, with
many more under development. These ensure the interoperability of devices and systems,
which encourages the transition to renewable energy sources and opens up markets for
innovations that address the global energy challenge. 
IS/ISO 50001, Energy management systems – Requirements with guidance for use, helps
organizations of all kinds to use energy more efficiently, through the development and
implementation of an energy management system, while the ISO 52000 series of standards
for the energy performance of buildings is expected to help the construction industry attain
energy efficiency improvements.
In addition, the ISO portfolio boasts a number of standards in support of solar energy, such
as ISO 9806, which specifies test methods for assessing the durability, reliability, safety and
thermal performance of fluid-heating solar collectors, and the ISO 17225 series, which
determines the specifications and fuel quality classes of solid biofuels
Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Sustainable consumption and production, promoting the use of renewable
sources of energy amd encouraging responsible purchasing decisions
are some of the ways that ISO standards contribute to Working towards these
goals.

 ISO 20400, Sustainable procurement

Provides guidance to organizations for incorporating sustainability into their
procurement function

 ISO 14020, environmental labelling

Provide guiding principles for the development and use of environmental labels
and self-declarations as well as preparing for third-party certification
programmes and help validate environmental claims and encourage
consumers to make better choices
Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

 ISO 15392, Sustainability in building construction

Identifies and establishes general principles for sustainability in buildings and other
construction works throughout their whole life cycle, from inception to end of life

 ISO 20245, Sustainable Lifestyle choices

For Cross border trade of second-hand goods ,establishes minimum screening criteria
for goods traded between countries and helps to drive this alternative consumption
pattern by reducing waste and environmental impact
 Eco Mark Scheme (Goal 12)
•Eco mark scheme is the scheme for labelling environment friendly products. This scheme has been introduced by
the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MEF&CC), Government of India.

•The ECO Mark scheme is being administered by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

•Products certified as eligible for the ECO Mark shall also carry the ISI Mark (except for leather & textile) for
quality, safety and performance of the product and shall be licensed to carry the ECO Mark. 

•In case of leather & textile products, there are standards exclusively for Eco criteria based on which only Eco
mark licence can be issued without ISI mark licence.

The presence of ECO Logo along with ISI Mark on a product indicates that the product meets certain Environmental
criteria along with the Quality requirements as specified in the relevant Indian Standard.
 
Product Categories
1) Soaps and Detergents 13) Plastic Products
2) Paper 14) Textiles
3) Food Items 15) Leather
4) Lubricating Oils 16) Fire Extinguishers
5) Packaging Materials 17) Coir & Coir
6) Architectural Paints and Products
Powder Coatings
7) Batteries
8) Electrical/Electronic goods
9) Food Additives
10) Wood Substitutes
11) Cosmetics
12) Aerosol Propellants
Goal 13: Climate Action

 ISO 14000 family of standards for environmental management systems

details practical tools for organizations to manage the impact of their activities
on the environment

 IS/ISO 14001, Environmental management systems

• Provides requirements with guidance for use
• covers overall frameworks, audits, communications, labelling, life-cycle
analysis
• and methods to mitigate and adapt to climate change
Goal 13: Climate Action
 ISO 14064 series
Provides specifications for the quantification, monitoring and validation/ verification of
greenhouse gas emissions.

 ISO 14067
Specifies the principles, requirements and guidelines for quantifying and reporting the
carbon footprint of products.

 ISO 14080
Gives organizations a framework to develop consistent, comparable and improved
methodologies in the fight against climate change

 ISO Guide 84
• Guidelines for addressing climate change in standards
• Aimed at those involved in standards development
Goal 15: Life On Land
• Protecting and promoting life on land through better use of resources is the
objective of hundreds of ISO and BIS standards.
ISO 14055, Environmental management –Guidelines for establishing good
practices for combatting land degradation and desertification, is a welcome
addition to the ISO 14000 family of standards for environmental
management.
Another area of focus for ISO is sustainable forestry. ISO 38200, Chain of
custody of wood and woodbased products, promotes traceability in the wood
supply chain by encouraging greater use of wood from sustainable sources,
and is an essential tool for helping to combat illegal deforestation. 
 Sustainability (ESG) Reporting
There is an increasing demand from stakeholders for companies and organizations to minimize and take
responsibility for the impact of their activities by adopting environmental, social and governance goals.
Sustainability reporting is the disclosure of the effectiveness of the ESG strategies pursued by a company or
organization.

Sustainability reporting is the practice of measuring, disclosing, and being accountable to internal and external
stakeholders for organizational performance towards the goal of sustainable development.

• It is a broad term considered synonymous with others used to describe reporting on economic, environmental,
and social impacts(e.g., triple bottom line, corporate responsibility reporting, etc.).

• A sustainability report should provide a balanced and reason representation of the sustainability performance of
a reporting organization - including both positive and negative contributors.

• Sustainability reports usually based on the GRI Reporting Framework disclose outcomes and results that
occurred within the reporting period in the context of the organization's commitments, strategy, and management
approach.
 Assurance Engagement
A Sustainability Report verified by an independent recognized third party may be a requirement of potential
investors or other stakeholders in the supply chain.

Current business practice usually sees a sustainability Report included as part of an organization’s financial
reporting.

Sustainability assurance of ESG reporting is also important because independent assurance can help build trust with
stakeholders and investors.
Having 3rd party verification of a company's reports can be seen as a positive sign of the credibility and
transparency of their reporting.
Indian Standards for ESG Reporting and Assurance
IS 26001 - Corporate Social Responsibility — Requirements
• BIS has envisaged the CSR requirement standard as one of the foremost standards being developed by India to
be positioned at the global level.
• The innovativeness of the standards lies in the unique set of principles and parameters that will assess and
measure the performance of companies.
• The formulation process of the standard ensures that contemporary discourses on CSR and SDGs are well
reflected and aligned to confirm its global relevance .

 IS 26002
• Assurance Engagement Standard Part 1 -Conducting Assurance Engagements for All
Matters other than Statutory Financial Information ─ Requirements

• Assurance Engagement Standard Part 2 - Conducting Assurance Engagements for All

Matters other Than Statutory Financial Information ─ Guidance

• Assurance Engagement Standard Part 3 -Competence Of Individual, Firms And Reporting Entities For
Conducting Assurance Engagements - Requirements
Indian Standards for ESG Reporting and Assurance
IS/ISO 14064
• Greenhouse gases: Part 1 specification with guidance at the Organization Level for
quantification and reporting of green house gas emissions and removals.
• Greenhouse gases part 2 specification with guidance at the Project Level for quantification
monitoring and reporting of greenhouse gas emission reductions or removal enhancements
• Greenhouse gases: Part 3 specification with guidance for the Validation and Verification of
greenhouse gas assertions.

IS/ISO 14065 : 2013

Greenhouse gases - Requirements for greenhouse gas validation and verification bodies for use
in accreditation or other forms of recognition

IS/ISO 14066 : 2011

Greenhouse gases - Competence requirements for greenhouse gas validation teams and
verification teams