Contribution of ISO standards to sustainable development goals

Sustainable development is embedded in the European project, with the various European Union Treaties recognizing the importance of jointly addressing the economic, social and environmental dimensions, advocating a development model that meets present needs without compromising the needs of future generations.

In 2015, the United Nations defined the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with the purpose of creating a new global model to end poverty, promote prosperity and well-being for all, protect the environment and fight climate change.

17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 goals to be achieved by 2030 were defined by all 93 countries. These goals are supported by a set of more than 200 indicators that make it possible to monitor their progress and sustain the reports produced.

The Portuguese government considered the following SDGs to be a priority:

4 – Quality Education – to ensure access to inclusive, equitable and quality education, and to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

5 – Gender Equality – to achieve gender equality and empower all women.

9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure – to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.

10 – Reduction of Inequalities – to reduce inequalities within and between countries.

13 – Climate Action – to adopt urgent measures to combat climate change and its impacts.

14 – Protection of Marine Life – to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

ISO international standards are the privileged tools for achieving all the SDGs as they integrate the dimensions of sustainability – social, environmental and economic.

Based on this assumption, this descriptive and documentary article addresses each of the ISO standards and the main factors that contribute to their integration into the SDGs.

António Augusto Baptista Rodrigues has received a PhD from the Faculty of Sciences Economics and Business – Sevilla University – Spain. He is currently Associate Professor in ISG – Business & Economics School and Investigator at de Cesop of the University Católica Portuguesa. His research interests are in the areas of management, sustainable finance, entrepreneurship and territorial marketing

Agenda 2030 para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável. Retrieved from  https://www.pordata.pt/ODS (2021, August 14).

Guidance on core indicators for entity reporting on contribution towards implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Retrieved from

https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/diae2019d1_en.pdf (2021, August 15)

Relatório nacional sobre a implementação da Agenda 2030 para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável. Retrieved from https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/14966Portugal(Portuguese)2.pdf (2021, August 17)

SDG Compass. Retrieved from  https://sdgcompass.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/SDG_Compass_Portuguese.pdf (2021, August 12)

Standards. Retrieved from  https://www.iso.org/standards.html (2021, August 12)

Take Action for the Sustainable Development Goals. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/ (2021, August 14)

ISO, SDGs, Sustainability, United Nations