The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has introduced new guidance to better support companies tackling the growing complexities of environmental, social and governance (ESG) responsibilities at the COP29 climate conference this week.
Over the past decade, ESG regulations have surged by 155% globally, including landmark directives like the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the UK’s Modern Slavery Act, and the International Sustainability Standards Board’s IFRS S1 and S2 disclosure requirements. The free guide, entitled ISO ESG Implementation Principles, aims to streamline global ESG practices, ensuring that organisations can clearly communicate their sustainability efforts and meet rising regulatory demands.
It also provides organisations with actionable insights to meet these evolving standards, promoting consistent and reliable reporting across various sectors.
TRANSPARENT & SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES
The guide offers a structured approach that supports transparent sustainability practices. Designed for all types of organisations – from small businesses to multinational corporations, NGOs, and academia – the guidance covers crucial ESG areas such as:
- Environmental Impact: Helps address carbon footprint, waste management and other environmental responsibilities.
- Social Considerations: Encourages diversity, equitable labour practices and human rights adherence.
- Governance Standards: Emphasises transparency, regulatory compliance and ethical decision-making.
SUSTAINABLE GROWTH
This structured framework enables organisations to integrate ESG principles into their operations, encouraging a balanced approach to sustainable growth and helping accelerate global progress towards a more sustainable future.
The development of these principles reflects a significant global collaboration, with input from over 1,900 industry experts across 128 countries. Key national standards bodies like the British Standards Institution (BSI), the Standards Council of Canada (SCC), and the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT) played a pivotal role in creating a universally applicable ESG framework. This guidance helps organisations measure ESG performance, establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and assess their maturity in implementing sustainability practices.
KEY BENEFITS
The ISO ESG Implementation Principles guide is designed to:
- Support management of ESG performance.
- Bolster measurement and reporting under existing disclosure frameworks to enable consistency, comparability, and reliability of ESG reporting and practices globally.
- Facilitate interoperability by aligning with existing reporting standards, creating a harmonised approach to ESG compliance across borders.
- Promote global consistency, enabling clear communication of sustainability efforts worldwide.
ACCELERATING SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS PRACTICES
“ISO’s ESG implementation principles will foster a lasting culture of ESG that will bring real value to organisations, governments, investors, and consumers. These guidelines will help accelerate the adoption of sustainable business practices, which benefits diverse communities and the environment,” noted Sergio Mujica, Secretary-General at ISO. “Importantly, these guidelines can be used by all organisations in all sectors and could particularly benefit SMEs and organisations in developing countries. We are proud of this initiative, and to be launching it during COP29.”
The guidance further aligns with broader sustainability objectives, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals and ISO’s commitment to climate action, enabling organisations to position themselves as sustainability leaders.
For more information, click here.
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