ISO Standards For Sustainable Development Goals | CGBC

The UN’s SDGs are a global call to action to protect the planet, eradicate poverty and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy the peace and economic prosperity.

The achievement of SDGs is essential for a better and more sustainable future for us all! 

ISO Standards for Sustainable Development

While the SDGs are addressed to countries and governments, all types of organisations, regardless of their size can play a significant role to support the achievement of SDGs by implementing ISO Standards for Sustainable Development.

ISO standards such as ISO 14001 (environmental), ISO 50001 (energy) ISO 45001 (health and safety), ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 26000 (Social Responsibility), ISO 37000:2021 (Corporate Governance) and ISO 27001 (Information Security) to improve operational practices and strengthen their bottom line.

Here is a brief overview of how ISO 14001 & ISO 50001 promote sustainability and the UN’s SDGs:

ISO 14001:2015
Environmental management systems

ISO 14001:2015 is an environmental management system standard that specifies the requirements of an environmental management system for organisations seeking to establish implement and maintain a framework to contribute to sustainable development by:

• protecting the environment, including preventing pollution
• demonstrating their commitment to satisfying compliance obligations, and
• delivering environmental performance improvement

An environmental management system helps organisations identify, manage, monitor, and control their environmental issues in a “holistic” manner, minimising their negative impacts and continually improving their environmental performance.

An environmental management system often called an EMS, is comprised of the policies, processes, plans, practices, and records that define the rules governing how your property interacts with the environment in terms of energy, waste, water, and carbon emissions.

The ISO 14001 Environmental Standard promotes environmental sustainability by helping businesses manage their environmental impact.  ISO 14001 supports the environmental perspective of the ESG.

(The environmental perspective includes anything that contributes to carbon emissions and climate change, such as energy management, water and wastewater management, air quality, materials sourcing and management, waste management, and supply chain management.)

Why should a business should an organisation take a strategic approach to improve their environmental performance

There are many reasons why an organisation should take a strategic approach to improve its environmental performance. Our clients have reported that ISO 14001 helps them to:

• Demonstrate compliance with current and future statutory and regulatory requirements
• Increase leadership involvement and engagement of employees
• Improve company reputation and the confidence of stakeholders through strategic communication
• Achieve strategic business aims by incorporating environmental issues into business management
• Provide a competitive and financial advantage through improved efficiencies and reduced costs
• Encourage better environmental performance of suppliers by integrating them into the organisation’s business systems

Other benefits have resulted in:

• Development of the business in a sustainable manner
• Improved resource efficiency
• Minimization of their environmental footprint
• Reduction in waste
• Provide assurance that environmental impact is being measured
• Increase new business opportunities
• Improve overall environmental impact
• Manage environmental obligations with consistency

ISO 14001 standard contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals

ISO Standards are trusted internationally recognised frameworks which can be used by businesses to deliver real change and accelerate our transition to a fairer, more sustainable world.

Caroline Geoghegan
Managing Director

ISO 50001:2018
Energy Management System Standard

ISO 50001:2018 standard specifies requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and improving an energy management system (EnMS). The intended outcome is to enable an organisation to follow a systematic approach in achieving continual improvement of energy performance and the EnMS.   The ISO 50001:2018 standard has been developed for organisations committed to addressing their impact, conserving resources, and improving the bottom line through efficient energy management.  Designed to support organisations in all sectors, this ISO standard provides a practical way to improve energy use, through the development of an energy management system (EnMS).

 ISO 50001:2018 Requires Organisations to:

• Continually improve energy performance, including energy efficiency, energy use, and consumption.
• Define their energy policy and document an energy planning process.
• Review energy use, consumption, and efficiency at defined intervals.
• Document the methodology and criteria used to develop the Energy Review, considering facilities, equipment, systems, or processes.
• Establish an energy baseline and identify EnPIs (Energy Performance Indicators) appropriate for monitoring and measuring its energy performance.
• Establish, implement, and maintain documented Energy Objectives and Targets.

An effective energy management system based on ISO 50001:2018 provides an organisation’s top management with a roadmap that allows them to:

• Minimise energy usage.
• Meet legislative and regulatory requirements more effectively and therefore be viewed more favourably by regulators.
• Provide an opportunity to systematically plan, control and monitor operational activities and processes that may impact energy usage.
• Incorporate energy efficiency in the planning of all new investment

 Other Benefits of an EnMS include:

• Best practice energy management embedded in your day-to-day operations
• Improves your performance and productivity
• Reduces your energy costs
• Ensures continual improvement
• Ensures senior management commitment and that all staff play a role
• Helps you to comply with your energy efficiency and emission reduction obligations
• Standardizes processes so that improvements are sustained over time

Long term results

• Reducing your overall energy use
• Cutting your costs year on year
• Meeting your carbon abatement obligations
• Influencing the energy requirements of the entire value chain
• Demonstrating publicly your corporate social responsibility

The ISO 50001 standard contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals

CGBC's Sustainability Division

CG Business Consulting's Sustainability Division is fully equipped and confident in helping you successfully achieve your sustainability goals.

Don't hesitate to reach out. Our team is eager to engage with you to discuss any questions you may have about these sustainability acronyms and their direct relevance to your business.

With your sustainability objectives in mind, CGBC can deliver a tailored solution that will empower you to gain a distinct competitive advantage.

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