CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head><link rel="canonical" href="https://www.iso.org/climate-change" /><link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://www.iso.org/climate-change" /> <link rel="alternate" hreflang="ru" href="https://www.iso.org/ru/climate-change" /> <link rel="alternate" hreflang="fr" href="https://www.iso.org/fr/changement-climatique" /> <link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://www.iso.org/es/cambio-climatico" /> <script> dataLayer = [{ 'pageType': 'fwk:news', 'pageLanguage': 'en', 'pageMode': 'live', 'pageServer': 'prod' }]; </script> <style> /* Early rules to mitigate CLS */ .nav-utility { padding: 5px; z-index: 1024; position: relative; } .text-sm { font-size: .875em; } .nav-utility li.nav-item a.nav-link { padding: 0; text-decoration: none; } .dropdown-toggle::after { font-size: .75em; vertical-align: baseline; } form.isosearch input { border: 1px solid #c9c4c2; background-color: #fff; } form.isosearch .btn { border: 1px solid #c9c4c2; border-left: 0; color: #e3000f; background-color: #fff; } .nav-iso .navbar-toggler { margin-left: 0.5rem; order: 4; } .navbar-toggler-icon-animated { width: 20px; height: 15px; position: relative; margin: 0; transform: rotate(0); display: inline-block; } .navbar-form { margin-left: 0.5rem; } .btn-light .navbar-toggler-icon-animated span { background-color: #e3000f; } .navbar-toggler-icon-animated span { display: block; position: absolute; height: 3px; width: 100%; } .navbar-toggler-icon-animated span:nth-child(1) { top: 2px; } .navbar-toggler-icon-animated span:nth-child(2) { top: 8px; } .navbar-toggler-icon-animated span:nth-child(3) { top: 8px; } .navbar-toggler-icon-animated span:nth-child(4) { top: 14px; } .visually-hidden-xs { position: absolute !important; width: 1px !important; height: 1px !important; padding: 0 !important; margin: -1px !important; overflow: hidden !important; clip: rect(0, 0, 0, 0) !important; white-space: nowrap !important; border: 0 !important; } @media screen and (max-width:500px) { .isologo-print { order: 1; } .nav-iso .navbar-form { order: 2; flex: 1; } .navbar.nav-iso .navbar-toggler { order: 3; } #mainMenu { order: 4; } } </style>  <script src="https://cdn.cookielaw.org/scripttemplates/otSDKStub.js" data-document-language="true" type="text/javascript" charset="UTF-8" data-domain-script="0217ba9a-8935-44d6-872d-1f223304e117" ></script> <script type="text/javascript"> function OptanonWrapper() { } </script>  <meta name="google-site-verification" content="mQuqWPbWruZdQgZR8QwbxOWnjjxkcFiyJLHWY-cOOHk" />  <script type="text/plain" class="optanon-category-C0001"> var _mtm = window._mtm = window._mtm || []; _mtm.push({'mtm.startTime': (new Date().getTime()), 'event': 'mtm.Start'}); var d=document, g=d.createElement('script'), s=d.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; g.async=true; g.src='https://cdn.matomo.cloud/iso.matomo.cloud/container_dINwYKex.js'; s.parentNode.insertBefore(g,s); </script>  <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge"> <title>ISO - Climate change: What it is, how it works and why it’s important</title> <link rel="preload" as="font" type="font/woff2" href="/modules/isoorg-template/fonts/inter/Inter.var.woff2?v=3.19" crossorigin/> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/modules/isoorg-template/css/wood.bootstrap.min.css?202502171432" media="screen,print,handheld" type="text/css"/> <link rel="preload" href="/modules/isoorg-template/css/wood.iso.min.css?202502171432" as="style" onload="this.onload=null;this.rel='stylesheet'"> <noscript><link rel="stylesheet" href="/modules/isoorg-template/css/wood.iso.min.css?202502171432"></noscript>  <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" href="/modules/isoorg-template/img/iso/favicon/red/apple-touch-icon-152x152-precomposed.png"> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/modules/isoorg-template/img/iso/favicon/red/favicon.ico"> <meta name="msapplication-TileColor" content="#eee"> <meta name="msapplication-TileImage" content="/modules/isoorg-template/img/iso/favicon/red/mstile-144x144.png">  <meta name="theme-color" content="#333"> <script type="module"> let basketWidgetLoaderScript = document.createElement('script'); basketWidgetLoaderScript.src = '/webstore/basket-widget/assets/js/basket-widget-loader.js'; document.head.appendChild(basketWidgetLoaderScript); basketWidgetLoaderScript.onload = () => { const cartElem = document.getElementById('shoppingCart'); if (cartElem) { cartElem.onclick = function(event) { return loadWebComponentsLoaderAndWidget(this, event); }; } } </script> <script type="application/json" id="jahia-data-ctx">{"contextPath":"","lang":"en","uilang":"en","siteUuid":"439146f8-677e-4dde-b6c6-b692b7534f52","wcag":false,"ckeCfg":""}</script> <script type="application/json" id="jahia-data-ck">{"path":"/modules/ckeditor/javascript/","lng":"en_US"}</script> <script src="/javascript/initJahiaContext.js"></script> <script id="staticAssetJavascript0" src="/modules/isoorg-template/javascript/wood.full.min.js?1736434394227" defer></script> <script id="staticAssetJavascript1" src="/modules/isoorg-template/javascript/custom.js?1736434394227" defer></script> <style> nav[role="navigation"]:has(.ticker--live) { background-color: var(--bs-brand)!important; } nav[role="navigation"]:has(.ticker--live) > .container { gap: 1rem; } nav[role="navigation"]:has(.ticker--live) #utilities > li:not(#lang-switcher) { display: none!important; } .card-footer:has(.ticker--live) { background-color: var(--bs-dark)!important; color: white; } .card-footer:has(.ticker--live) a { color: white; } .ticker:has(.ticker--live) { white-space: normal; } .ticker--live .ticker__icon { animation: live 1s infinite; } @keyframes live { 0% { color: transparent; } 50% { color: white; } 100% { color: transparent; } } .its-standard [data-status] {display: none; }</style> <script src="/modules/fwk-module/javascript/countable.min.js" defer></script> <script type="module"> $(document).ready(function () { // Counts the number of words in the #content and renders the minutes to read it in .reading-time // More info on https://sacha.me/Countable const area = document.getElementById('articleContainer'); Countable.count(area, function (counter) { var wpm = 200; var estimatedRaw = counter.words / wpm; var minutes = Math.round(estimatedRaw); if(minutes < 2) {minutes=2;} /* to avoid '1 minutes' */ $('.reading-time').html(minutes); }); }); </script>  <meta name="twitter:site" content="@isostandards" />  <meta property="og:site_name" content="ISO" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://www.iso.org/climate-change" /> <meta property="og:type" content="article" />  <meta name="thumbnail" content="https://www.iso.org/files/live/sites/isoorg/files/news/insights/climate-change/Climate%20change_Pillar%20page.png/thumbnails/1200x600" /> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" /> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://www.iso.org/files/live/sites/isoorg/files/news/insights/climate-change/Climate%20change_Pillar%20page.png/thumbnails/1200x600" /> <meta property="og:image" content="https://www.iso.org/files/live/sites/isoorg/files/news/insights/climate-change/Climate%20change_Pillar%20page.png/thumbnails/1200x600" /> <meta property="og:image:alt" content="" />  <meta name="twitter:title" content="Climate change: What it is, how it works and why it’s important" /> <meta property="og:title" content="Climate change: What it is, how it works and why it’s important" />  <meta name="twitter:description" content="News today is rife with reminders of how climate change is affecting people around the world, from wildfires and floods to the loss of biodiversity and even human lives. But what exactly is climate change?" /> <meta property="og:description" content="News today is rife with reminders of how climate change is affecting people around the world, from wildfires and floods to the loss of biodiversity and even human lives. But what exactly is climate change?" /> <meta name="description" content="News today is rife with reminders of how climate change is affecting people around the world, from wildfires and floods to the loss of biodiversity and even human lives. But what exactly is climate change?" />  <meta property="fb:admins" content="100001440003305" />  <meta name="pubdate" content="20240514" /> <script src="https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api.js?render=6Lfvyx8qAAAAAHOXkwbvVobjfLbVzBEnEVRuLtNA" defer></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/modules/CsrfServlet"></script> </head>  <body class="theme-red lang-en fwk-news is-prod is-live" id="page-edc8b597-a29e-4479-b571-4db7765655c8"> <a id="page-top" class="skip-navigation btn btn-info visually-hidden visually-hidden-focusable" href="#content">Skip to main content</a> <nav role="navigation" aria-label="Utility Navigation" class="nav-utility navbar-expand-lg text-sm navbar-dark bg-darkergray text-light"> <div class="container d-flex justify-content-between"> <div class="ticker text-truncate float-start"></div> <ul class="nav d-flex justify-content-end justify-content-sm-around justify-content-md-end" id="utilities"> <li class="nav-item d-none d-sm-block"> <a href="https://login.iso.org" class="nav-link d-flex align-items-center" title="ISO's applications portal"><i class="bi-grid-3x3-gap-fill"></i> Applications</a> </li> <li class="nav-item d-none d-sm-block"> <a href="https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/en/" class="nav-link d-flex align-items-center" title="Online Browsing Platform"><i class="bi-journal-text"></i> OBP</a> </li> <li class="nav-item dropdown" id="lang-switcher"> <a id="lang-dropdown" class="nav-link dropdown-toggle" data-bs-toggle="dropdown" href="#" aria-expanded="false">English</a> <ul class="dropdown-menu dropdown-menu-end" role="menu" aria-labelledby="lang-dropdown"> <li class="lang-es "><a class="dropdown-item " href="/es/cambio-climatico">español</a></li><li class="lang-fr "><a class="dropdown-item " href="/fr/changement-climatique">français</a></li><li class="lang-ru "><a class="dropdown-item " href="/ru/climate-change">русский</a></li></ul> </li></ul> </div> </nav>  <header class="header-bootstrap sticky-top">  <nav class="navbar nav-iso navbar-expand-lg navbar-light shadow-md bg-white text-dark"> <div class="container"> <a class="logo logo-square isologo logo-sm" href="/home.html" title="International Organization for Standardization" alt="ISO logo"></a> <div class="isologo-print"><img loading="lazy" fetchpriority="low" src="/modules/isoorg-template/img/iso/iso-logo-print.gif" alt="ISO logo for print" width="50" height="50"/></div> <button class="btn btn-light navbar-toggler" type="button" data-bs-toggle="collapse" data-bs-target="#mainNav" aria-controls="mainNav" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Toggle navigation"> <div class="navbar-toggler-icon-animated"><span></span><span></span><span></span><span></span></div><span class="visually-hidden-xs"> Menu</span> </button>  <nav role="navigation" aria-label="Main Navigation" class="nav-megamenu collapse navbar-collapse flex-lg-grow-0 flex-xxl-grow-1" id="mainNav"><ul role='menubar' class='navbar-nav me-auto mb-lg-0 ps-2 pe-2 nav-level1' ><li role='menuitem' class='nav-item dropdown position-static noChildren firstInLevel' ><a class='nav-link dropdown-toggle megamenu-toggle ' title="Covering almost every product, process or service imaginable, ISO makes standards used everywhere." href='/standards.html'>Standards</a></li><li role='menuitem' class='nav-item dropdown position-static hasChildren' ><a class='nav-link dropdown-toggle megamenu-toggle ' data-bs-toggle="dropdown" aria-expanded="true" href=''>Sectors</a><div role='menubar' class='dropdown-menu megamenu w-100 mt-0 border-0 rounded-0 megamenu-shadow-md nav-level2' aria-labelledby="navbarDropdown" data-bs-popper="none"><div class="container"><div class="row mb-xs-4 my-md-4 megamenu-animate slideUp"><div role='menuitem' class='col-xs-6 col-lg-3 mt-0 noChildren firstInLevel' ><a class='nav-link section-head ps-0 ' title="(including medicine and laboratory equipment)" href='/sectors/health'>Health</a></div><div role='menuitem' class='col-xs-6 col-lg-3 mt-0 noChildren' ><a class='nav-link section-head ps-0 ' title="(including communication technology, graphics and photography)" href='/sectors/it-technologies'>IT & related technologies</a></div><div role='menuitem' class='col-xs-6 col-lg-3 mt-0 noChildren' ><a class='nav-link section-head ps-0 ' title="(Business management, financial and professional services)" href='/sectors/management-services'>Management & services</a></div><div role='menuitem' class='col-xs-6 col-lg-3 mt-0 noChildren' ><a class='nav-link section-head ps-0 ' href='/sectors/security-safety-risk'>Security, safety & risk</a></div><div role='menuitem' class='col-xs-6 col-lg-3 mt-0 noChildren' ><a class='nav-link section-head ps-0 ' title="(including vehicles, parts and infrastructure, freight, packaging and distribution)" href='/sectors/transport'>Transport</a></div><div role='menuitem' class='col-xs-6 col-lg-3 mt-0 noChildren' ><a class='nav-link section-head ps-0 ' title="(including power generation and transport, fuels)" href='/sectors/energy'>Energy</a></div><div role='menuitem' class='col-xs-6 col-lg-3 mt-0 noChildren' ><a class='nav-link section-head ps-0 ' href='/sectors/diversity-inclusion'>Diversity & inclusion</a></div><div role='menuitem' class='col-xs-6 col-lg-3 mt-0 noChildren' ><a class='nav-link section-head ps-0 ' title="Explore our Environmental sustainability sector." href='/sectors/environment'>Environmental sustainability</a></div><div role='menuitem' class='col-xs-6 col-lg-3 mt-0 noChildren' ><a class='nav-link section-head ps-0 ' href='/sectors/food-agriculture'>Food & agriculture</a></div><div role='menuitem' class='col-xs-6 col-lg-3 mt-0 noChildren' ><a class='nav-link section-head ps-0 ' title="(Ores and metals, non-metallic materials, chemicals)" href='/sectors/materials'>Materials</a></div><div role='menuitem' class='col-xs-6 col-lg-3 mt-0 noChildren' ><a class='nav-link section-head ps-0 ' href='/sectors/building-construction'>Building & construction</a></div><div role='menuitem' class='col-xs-6 col-lg-3 mt-0 noChildren' ><a class='nav-link section-head ps-0 ' title="(Mechanical engineering and special technologies such as robotics, optics, biotechnology, etc)" href='/sectors/engineering'>Engineering</a></div></div></div></div></li><li role='menuitem' class='nav-item dropdown position-static noChildren' ><a class='nav-link dropdown-toggle megamenu-toggle ' title="ISO brings together global experts to develop International Standards that help solve problems and drive innovation." href='/about'>About ISO</a></li><li role='menuitem' class='nav-item dropdown position-static hasChildren inPath ' ><a class='nav-link dropdown-toggle megamenu-toggle ' data-bs-toggle="dropdown" aria-expanded="true" href=''>Insights & news</a><div role='menubar' class='dropdown-menu megamenu w-100 mt-0 border-0 rounded-0 megamenu-shadow-md nav-level2' aria-labelledby="navbarDropdown" data-bs-popper="none"><div class="container"><div class="row mb-xs-4 my-md-4 megamenu-animate slideUp"><div role='menuitem' class='col-xs-6 col-lg-3 mt-0 hasChildren inPath firstInLevel' ><a class='nav-link section-head ps-0 disabled' href=''>Insights</a><div role='menubar' class='list-group list-group-flush mt-0 nav-level3' ><div role='menuitem' class='nav-item position-static ms-0 noChildren inPath active firstInLevel' ><a class='nav-link ps-0 ' href='/insights'>All insights</a></div><div role='menuitem' class='nav-item position-static ms-0 noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ps-0 ' href='/insights/filtered-list-healthcare'>Healthcare</a></div><div role='menuitem' class='nav-item position-static ms-0 noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ps-0 ' href='/insights/filtered-list-artificial-intelligence'>Artificial intelligence</a></div><div role='menuitem' class='nav-item position-static ms-0 noChildren lastInLevel' ><a class='nav-link ps-0 ' href='/insights/filtered-list-climate-change'>Climate change</a></div></div></div><div role='menuitem' class='col-xs-6 col-lg-3 mt-0 hasChildren' ><a class='nav-link section-head ps-0 disabled' href=''> </a><div role='menubar' class='list-group list-group-flush mt-0 nav-level3' ><div role='menuitem' class='nav-item position-static ms-0 noChildren firstInLevel' ><a class='nav-link ps-0 ' href='/insights/filtered-list-information-security'>Cybersecurity</a></div><div role='menuitem' class='nav-item position-static ms-0 noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ps-0 ' href='/insights/filtered-list-quality-management'>Quality management</a></div><div role='menuitem' class='nav-item position-static ms-0 noChildren lastInLevel' ><a class='nav-link ps-0 ' href='/insights/filtered-list-renewable-energy'>Renewable energy</a></div></div></div><div role='menuitem' class='col-xs-6 col-lg-3 mt-0 hasChildren lastInLevel' ><a class='nav-link section-head ps-0 disabled' href=''>News</a><div role='menubar' class='list-group list-group-flush mt-0 nav-level3' ><div role='menuitem' class='nav-item position-static ms-0 noChildren firstInLevel' ><a class='nav-link ps-0 ' href='/insights/thought-leadership'>Expert talk</a></div><div role='menuitem' class='nav-item position-static ms-0 noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ps-0 ' href='/insights/standards-world'>Standards world</a></div><div role='menuitem' class='nav-item position-static ms-0 noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ps-0 ' href='/home/insights-news/news/dossier-medias.html'>Media kit</a></div></div></div></div></div></div></li><li role='menuitem' class='nav-item dropdown position-static noChildren' ><a class='nav-link dropdown-toggle megamenu-toggle ' title="Find out how the ISO process bring together global experts to create standards that are chosen the world over." href='/developing-standards.html'>Taking part</a></li><li role='menuitem' class='nav-item dropdown position-static noChildren lastInLevel' ><a class='nav-link dropdown-toggle megamenu-toggle ' title="Are you looking to buy International Standards, guidelines, collections and checklists? They're all right here, in the ISO Store." href='/store.html'>Store</a></li></ul></nav><form class="navbar-form d-flex isosearch ms-sm-2" role="search" id="siteSearch"> <span class="hidden" data-searchpageurl="/search.html"></span> <div class="input-group"> <input type="search" class="form-control" placeholder="Search" aria-labelledby="input-search"> <button id="input-search" class="btn btn-primary" type="submit"><i class="bi-search text-muted"></i><span class="visually-hidden">Search</span></button> </div> </form> <a role="button" id="shoppingCart" class="btn btn-light shopping-cart-link bg-white border-0 text-muted d-none d-lg-block" href="/webstore/checkout?memberId=ISO&guilang=en" title="Shopping cart" aria-label="Shopping cart" style-="display:none;"> <i class="bi-cart"></i><span id="cartText" class="visually-hidden-xs ms-1" style="display: none;"> Cart</span> </a> </div> </nav> </header>  <main role="main" id="content" class="acer" aria-label="Content" tabindex="-1"> <article class="hentry" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Article" id="articleContainer"> <section> <div class="container"> <div class="row row-title row-top justify-content-center"> <div class="col-md-12 col-xl-8"> <h1 data-noindex="true">Climate change: What it is, how it works and why it’s important</h1> <figure class="width-100pct fig-srcset inColCustom" data-noindex="true"> <div class="img-container"> <img fetchpriority="high" src="/files/live/sites/isoorg/files/news/insights/climate-change/Climate%20change_Evergreen-_PILLAR.svg" class="img-fluid" alt="" /> </div> </figure> </div> </div> <div class="row justify-content-center"> <div class="col-md-9 col-lg-7 col-xl-6"> <div class="entry-abstract" itemprop="abstract"><p>The quest to “master nature” to serve human needs has led to unintended and alarming consequences. News today is rife with startling reminders of how climate change is affecting people around the world, from wildfires and floods to the loss of biodiversity and even human lives. <strong>But what exactly is climate change?</strong></p> <p>Climate change refers to the long-term transformation of Earth’s weather conditions. The phenomenon is caused by a number of natural and human-induced factors. Imagine the Earth as a giant greenhouse. Normally, the sun’s heat comes in and keeps things warm enough for us to live comfortably. But when we burn fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas for energy, we release extra gases into the air. These gases trap more heat, making our “greenhouse” warmer than it should be. This leads to glaciers melting, sea levels rising, and weather events like hurricanes and droughts becoming more extreme and frequent.</p> <p>The growth and prosperity of businesses and organizations around the world should not come at the cost of the environment. While the challenge might seem overwhelming, there is a <strong>path to a sustainable future</strong>. Here, we explain some key terms related to climate change, such as greenhouse gases and net zero, and also uncover some of the tools organizations can adopt to address climate change and promote development in an integrated and balanced way.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="row row-middle justify-content-center"> <div class="col-md-9 col-lg-7 col-xl-6"> <h2 class="h3">Table of contents</h2> <div id="toc">Enable Javascript to view table</div> <script type="module" defer> if (document.querySelector("#toc") != null) { // Create a list and update its class var toc = document.createElement("ul"); toc.classList.add("toc-list"); // Loop on headings let idx = 0; document.querySelectorAll('h2:not([class])').forEach(heading => { let title = heading.textContent; idx = idx + 1; heading.id = "toc" + idx; let href = "#toc" + idx; let tocElement = document.createElement("li"); tocElement.classList.add("toc-item"); let tocElementAnchor = document.createElement("a"); tocElementAnchor.setAttribute('href', href); tocElementAnchor.setAttribute('title', title); tocElementAnchor.classList.add("page-scroll"); tocElementAnchor.textContent = title; // Append the element to .container tocElement.appendChild(tocElementAnchor); toc.appendChild(tocElement); }); document.getElementById("toc").textContent = ''; document.querySelector("#toc"). appendChild(toc); } </script> </div> </div> <div class="row justify-content-center"> <style> @media only screen and (min-width: 992px) { #newsBody figure.width-100pct.landscape, #newsBody .emphasis { margin-inline: -10%; width: 120%; max-width: calc(66ch + 20%); } } #newsBody .emphasis { margin-block: 3.75rem; } #newsBody .emphasis > * { text-align: center; margin-inline: auto; max-width: 55ch; } </style> <div class="col-md-9 col-lg-7 col-xl-6" id="newsBody"> <h2>What is the greenhouse effect?</h2> <p>Climate change is largely caused by a process called the greenhouse effect. When the sun’s energy reaches the Earth, some of it is reflected back to space, while the rest is absorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse gases. These gases include water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and other gases naturally present in the atmosphere.</p> <p>Think of it as a blanket. Just as a blanket keeps you warm by trapping body heat, greenhouse gases <strong>keep the Earth warm by trapping heat from the sun</strong>. This heat helps to maintain the Earth’s average temperature, making it hospitable for life as we know it.</p> <p>In recent years, however, human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, have increased concentrations of these greenhouse gases. The result? An increase in global temperatures that is fundamentally altering the planet’s climate system.</p> <p>Interested in learning more? Read about the <a href="/climate-change/greenhouse-effect" title="the-greenhouse-effect">basics of the greenhouse effect</a>.</p><h2>What is net zero?</h2> <p>As global temperatures continue to rise, the Earth’s natural equilibrium is disrupted. Unless we manage the vast amount of greenhouse gas emissions, we will not be able to avert the impending climate crisis. Achieving “net zero” refers to maintaining an overall balance between the greenhouse gases emitted and those removed from the atmosphere. This means that <strong>any emissions must be fully compensated</strong>, or offset, by the removal of an equivalent amount of CO<sub>2</sub> over a given period of time.</p> <p>Net zero is our most potent weapon to combat the climate crisis. Embracing the shift towards net-zero emissions provides environmental benefits as well as economic, social and health advantages. That’s why many countries, companies and organizations are currently working towards <strong>ambitious net-zero targets</strong> as part of concerted international efforts to combat the catastrophic effects of climate change.</p> <p>Is net zero the same as carbon neutral? How do we reach the world’s net-zero targets? Find all the answers and more in our article “<a href="/climate-change/embracing-net-zero" title="embracing-net-zero">Embracing net zero: A crucial step towards a sustainable future</a>”.</p><h2>Climate change solutions for a healthy future</h2> <p>Climate change is already causing disruptions across all facets of life, including critical infrastructure like transport, communication networks, energy and water resources. Scientists anticipate that these changes will lead to more frequent disease outbreaks, increased mortality, and the displacement of populations, particularly affecting the world’s most vulnerable communities.</p> <p>We urgently need innovative strategies to counteract the worst effects of climate change. Embracing <strong>nature-based solutions </strong>offers a holistic approach to combatting climate change while nurturing the planet’s natural resources for generations to come. Bringing nature into cities by planting trees, reintroducing species into the environment, and restoring coastal ecosystems to mitigate erosion are just a few examples. By <strong>leveraging the power of ecosystems</strong> such as forests, wetlands and grasslands, these natural climate solutions not only help sequester carbon dioxide but also enhance biodiversity, protect habitats and bolster resilience against extreme weather events.</p> <p>Curious to know more? Discover how <a href="/climate-change/climate-solutions" title="embracing-nature-climate-change">nature-based climate change solutions</a> can pave the way for a healthy future.</p><h2>What is climate finance?</h2> <p>Humanity is taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. But our commitment to act is not enough – it must be backed by funding. <strong>Reversing climate change requires substantial economic resources. </strong>These are especially important to help less financially equipped countries meet their climate targets, pay for mitigation and adaptation, and mobilize more climate finance. Many developing countries, who often face the brunt of climate change, don’t have enough financial backing to work on sustainable strategies.</p> <p>In 2015, at the 21<sup>st</sup> United Nations climate change conference (COP21), nearly all of the world’s countries committed to Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – a climate action plan to cut emissions and adapt to climate impacts. It was decided that developed countries would provide financial resources to help developing countries adapt to climate change and phase out their emissions. This financial support is crucial for making the necessary changes to energy systems, infrastructure and industries these countries urgently need to decarbonize their economies and protect themselves from climate hazards.</p> <p>So what is climate finance? <strong>Climate finance is funding at the local, national and transnational level</strong> that supports activities needed to combat climate change. These funds sponsor a wide range of initiatives, including both mitigation efforts (actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions) and adaptation strategies (measures to cope with the impacts of climate change). The goal is to secure funds from various sources, including public funds, private investments, international aid, and innovative financial instruments, to enable countries to transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient future.</p> <p>This topic generates much debate: How much funding is needed? Where should it be spent? You can find all the answers in our article: “<a href="/climate-change/climate-finance" title="climate-finance">Climate finance: The key to a sustainable future</a>”.</p><div class="emphasis emphasis-gray clearfix"> <div class="" id="subscribe"> <h4>Sign up for email updates</h4> <p>Register for resources and updates on sustainability and environment related standards!</p><form method="POST" action="https://iso272.activehosted.com/proc.php" id="_form_6_" class="_form _form_6 _inline-form _dark" novalidate> <input type="hidden" name="u" value="6" /> <input type="hidden" name="f" value="6" /> <input type="hidden" name="s" /> <input type="hidden" name="c" value="0" /> <input type="hidden" name="m" value="0" /> <input type="hidden" name="act" value="sub" /> <input type="hidden" name="v" value="2" /> <input type="hidden" name="or" value="9417b9cd52ff6c742e176a370ed5442a" /> <style> ._error { width: 100%; padding: 0.5em 1.25em; text-align: left; } .grecaptcha-badge { visibility: hidden; } </style> <div class="_form-content"> <div class="input-group input-group-round mb-3"> <input type="text" id="email" class="form-control" name="email" placeholder="Email" aria-label="Email" aria-describedby="_form_6_submit" required/> <input type="hidden" id="recaptchaResponse" name="recaptcha_response"> <button id="_form_6_submit" class="_submit btn btn-primary" type="submit" class="g-recaptcha" data-sitekey="6Lfvyx8qAAAAAHOXkwbvVobjfLbVzBEnEVRuLtNA" data-callback='onSubmit' data-action='submit'> Subscribe</button> </div> </div> <div class="_form-thank-you mb-3" style="display:none;"> <p><strong>Almost done! </strong><br /> You are only one step away from joining the ISO subscriber list. Please confirm your subscription by clicking on the email we've just sent to you. You will not be registered until you confirm your subscription. If you can't find the email, kindly check your spam folder and/or the promotions tab (if you use Gmail).</p></div> </form> <script type="text/javascript"> if (document.getElementsByClassName("is-prod is-live")[0]) { console.debug = function () {} }; // redefine console.debug on PROD+LIVE window._check_reCaptcha_6 = function() { grecaptcha.ready(function() { grecaptcha.execute('6Lfvyx8qAAAAAHOXkwbvVobjfLbVzBEnEVRuLtNA', {action: 'submit'}).then(function (token) { document.getElementById('recaptchaResponse').value = token; // console.debug('token = ' + token); let urlRestApi = "https://recaptchaenterprise.googleapis.com/v1/projects/iso-website-1722850679238/assessments?key=AIzaSyBzn_mnNayynzq0NemiOop0b9eLKaoiViE"; let jsonRequest = { event: { token: token, expectedAction: "submit", siteKey: "6Lfvyx8qAAAAAHOXkwbvVobjfLbVzBEnEVRuLtNA" } } // Verify the token and get the score fetch(urlRestApi, { method: 'POST', headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' }, body: JSON.stringify(jsonRequest) }).then(response => response.json()).then(data => { console.debug("data = " + JSON.stringify(data)); if (data.tokenProperties.valid && data.riskAnalysis.score >= 0.5) { // If the score is good, submit the form // console.debug("reCaptcha validation: " + data.tokenProperties.valid); console.debug("reCaptcha score: " + data.riskAnalysis.score); var _form_serialize_6 = function(form){if(!form||form.nodeName!=="FORM"){return }var i,j,q=[];for(i=0;i<form.elements.length;i++){if(form.elements[i].name===""){continue}switch(form.elements[i].nodeName){case"INPUT":switch(form.elements[i].type){case"tel":q.push(form.elements[i].name+"="+encodeURIComponent(form.elements[i].previousSibling.querySelector('div.iti__selected-dial-code').innerText)+encodeURIComponent(" ")+encodeURIComponent(form.elements[i].value));break;case"text":case"number":case"date":case"time":case"hidden":case"password":case"button":case"reset":case"submit":q.push(form.elements[i].name+"="+encodeURIComponent(form.elements[i].value));break;case"checkbox":case"radio":if(form.elements[i].checked){q.push(form.elements[i].name+"="+encodeURIComponent(form.elements[i].value))}break;case"file":break}break;case"TEXTAREA":q.push(form.elements[i].name+"="+encodeURIComponent(form.elements[i].value));break;case"SELECT":switch(form.elements[i].type){case"select-one":q.push(form.elements[i].name+"="+encodeURIComponent(form.elements[i].value));break;case"select-multiple":for(j=0;j<form.elements[i].options.length;j++){if(form.elements[i].options[j].selected){q.push(form.elements[i].name+"="+encodeURIComponent(form.elements[i].options[j].value))}}break}break;case"BUTTON":switch(form.elements[i].type){case"reset":case"submit":case"button":q.push(form.elements[i].name+"="+encodeURIComponent(form.elements[i].value));break}break}}return q.join("&")}; let serialized_6 = _form_serialize_6(document.getElementById('_form_6_')).replace(/%0A/g, '\\n'); _load_script('https://iso272.activehosted.com/proc.php?' + serialized_6 + '&jsonp=true'); console.debug("serialized_ID = " + 6); } else { // Handle the case where the score is too low console.debug('reCAPTCHA verification failed. Please try again.'); console.debug('reCaptcha invalid reason: ' + data.tokenProperties.invalidReason); } }).catch(error => { console.debug('An error occurred. Please try again.'); console.error('Error: ', error); }); }); }); } window._show_thank_you = function(id, message, trackcmp_url, email) { var form = document.getElementById('_form_' + id + '_'), thank_you = form.querySelector('._form-thank-you'); form.querySelector('._form-content').style.display = 'none'; // thank_you.innerHTML = message; thank_you.style.display = 'block'; const vgoAlias = typeof visitorGlobalObjectAlias === 'undefined' ? 'vgo' : visitorGlobalObjectAlias; var visitorObject = window[vgoAlias]; if (email && typeof visitorObject !== 'undefined') { visitorObject('setEmail', email); visitorObject('update'); } else if (typeof(trackcmp_url) != 'undefined' && trackcmp_url) { // Site tracking URL to use after inline form submission. _load_script(trackcmp_url); } if (typeof window._form_callback !== 'undefined') window._form_callback(id); }; window._show_error = function(id, message, html) { var form = document.getElementById('_form_' + id + '_'), err = document.createElement('div'), button = form.querySelector('button'), old_error = form.querySelector('._form_error'); if (old_error) old_error.parentNode.removeChild(old_error); err.innerHTML = message; err.className = '_error-inner _form_error _no_arrow'; var wrapper = document.createElement('div'); wrapper.className = '_form-inner'; wrapper.appendChild(err); button.parentNode.insertBefore(wrapper, button); document.querySelector('[id^="_form"][id$="_submit"]').disabled = false; if (html) { var div = document.createElement('div'); div.className = '_error-html'; div.innerHTML = html; err.appendChild(div); } }; window._load_script = function(url, callback) { var head = document.querySelector('head'), script = document.createElement('script'), r = false; script.type = 'text/javascript'; script.charset = 'utf-8'; script.src = url; if (callback) { script.onload = script.onreadystatechange = function() { if (!r && (!this.readyState || this.readyState == 'complete')) { r = true; callback(); } }; } head.appendChild(script); }; (function() { if (window.location.search.search("excludeform") !== -1) return false; var getCookie = function(name) { var match = document.cookie.match(new RegExp('(^|; )' + name + '=([^;]+)')); return match ? match[2] : null; } var setCookie = function(name, value) { var now = new Date(); var time = now.getTime(); var expireTime = time + 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24 * 365; now.setTime(expireTime); document.cookie = name + '=' + value + '; expires=' + now + ';path=/; Secure; SameSite=Lax;';// cannot be HttpOnly } var addEvent = function(element, event, func) { if (element.addEventListener) { element.addEventListener(event, func); } else { var oldFunc = element['on' + event]; element['on' + event] = function() { oldFunc.apply(this, arguments); func.apply(this, arguments); }; } } var _removed = false; var form_to_submit = document.getElementById('_form_6_'); var allInputs = form_to_submit.querySelectorAll('input, select, textarea'), tooltips = [], submitted = false; var getUrlParam = function(name) { var params = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search); return params.get(name) || false; }; for (var i = 0; i < allInputs.length; i++) { var regexStr = "field\\[(\\d+)\\]"; var results = new RegExp(regexStr).exec(allInputs[i].name); if (results != undefined) { allInputs[i].dataset.name = window.cfields[results[1]]; } else { allInputs[i].dataset.name = allInputs[i].name; } var fieldVal = getUrlParam(allInputs[i].dataset.name); if (fieldVal) { if (allInputs[i].dataset.autofill === "false") { continue; } if (allInputs[i].type == "radio" || allInputs[i].type == "checkbox") { if (allInputs[i].value == fieldVal) { allInputs[i].checked = true; } } else { allInputs[i].value = fieldVal; } } } var remove_tooltips = function() { for (var i = 0; i < tooltips.length; i++) { tooltips[i].tip.parentNode.removeChild(tooltips[i].tip); } tooltips = []; }; var remove_tooltip = function(elem) { for (var i = 0; i < tooltips.length; i++) { if (tooltips[i].elem === elem) { tooltips[i].tip.parentNode.removeChild(tooltips[i].tip); tooltips.splice(i, 1); return; } } }; var create_tooltip = function(elem, text) { var tooltip = document.createElement('div'), arrow = document.createElement('div'), inner = document.createElement('div'), new_tooltip = {}; if (elem.type != 'radio' && elem.type != 'checkbox') { tooltip.className = '_error text-sm text-muted text-start'; arrow.className = '_error-arrow'; inner.className = '_error-inner'; inner.innerHTML = text; tooltip.appendChild(arrow); tooltip.appendChild(inner); elem.parentNode.appendChild(tooltip); } else { tooltip.className = '_error-inner _no_arrow'; tooltip.innerHTML = text; elem.parentNode.insertBefore(tooltip, elem); new_tooltip.no_arrow = true; } new_tooltip.tip = tooltip; new_tooltip.elem = elem; tooltips.push(new_tooltip); return new_tooltip; }; var resize_tooltip = function(tooltip) { var rect = tooltip.elem.getBoundingClientRect(); var doc = document.documentElement, scrollPosition = rect.top - ((window.pageYOffset || doc.scrollTop) - (doc.clientTop || 0)); if (scrollPosition < 40) { tooltip.tip.className = tooltip.tip.className.replace(/ ?(_above|_below) ?/g, '') + ' _below'; } else { tooltip.tip.className = tooltip.tip.className.replace(/ ?(_above|_below) ?/g, '') + ' _above'; } }; var resize_tooltips = function() { if (_removed) return; for (var i = 0; i < tooltips.length; i++) { if (!tooltips[i].no_arrow) resize_tooltip(tooltips[i]); } }; var validate_field = function(elem, remove) { var tooltip = null, value = elem.value, no_error = true; remove ? remove_tooltip(elem) : false; if (elem.type != 'checkbox') elem.className = elem.className.replace(/ ?_has_error ?/g, ''); if (elem.getAttribute('required') !== null) { if (elem.type == 'radio' || (elem.type == 'checkbox' && /any/.test(elem.className))) { var elems = form_to_submit.elements[elem.name]; if (!(elems instanceof NodeList || elems instanceof HTMLCollection) || elems.length <= 1) { no_error = elem.checked; } else { no_error = false; for (var i = 0; i < elems.length; i++) { if (elems[i].checked) no_error = true; } } if (!no_error) { tooltip = create_tooltip(elem, "Please select an option."); } } else if (elem.type =='checkbox') { var elems = form_to_submit.elements[elem.name], found = false, err = []; no_error = true; for (var i = 0; i < elems.length; i++) { if (elems[i].getAttribute('required') === null) continue; if (!found && elems[i] !== elem) return true; found = true; elems[i].className = elems[i].className.replace(/ ?_has_error ?/g, ''); if (!elems[i].checked) { no_error = false; elems[i].className = elems[i].className + ' _has_error'; err.push("Checking %s is required".replace("%s", elems[i].value)); } } if (!no_error) { tooltip = create_tooltip(elem, err.join('<br/>')); } } else if (elem.tagName == 'SELECT') { var selected = true; if (elem.multiple) { selected = false; for (var i = 0; i < elem.options.length; i++) { if (elem.options[i].selected) { selected = true; break; } } } else { for (var i = 0; i < elem.options.length; i++) { if (elem.options[i].selected && (!elem.options[i].value || (elem.options[i].value.match(/\n/g)))) { selected = false; } } } if (!selected) { elem.className = elem.className + ' _has_error'; no_error = false; tooltip = create_tooltip(elem, "Please select an option."); } } else if (value === undefined || value === null || value === '') { elem.className = elem.className + ' _has_error'; no_error = false; tooltip = create_tooltip(elem, "This field is required"); } } if (no_error && (elem.id == 'field[]' || elem.id == 'ca[11][v]')) { if (elem.className.includes('phone-input-error')) { elem.className = elem.className + ' _has_error'; no_error = false; } } if (no_error && elem.name == 'email') { if (!value.match(/^[\+_a-z0-9-'&=]+(\.[\+_a-z0-9-']+)*@[a-z0-9-]+(\.[a-z0-9-]+)*(\.[a-z]{2,})$/i)) { elem.className = elem.className + ' _has_error'; no_error = false; tooltip = create_tooltip(elem, 'Please enter a valid email address'); } } if (no_error && /date_field/.test(elem.className)) { if (!value.match(/^\d\d\d\d-\d\d-\d\d$/)) { elem.className = elem.className + ' _has_error'; no_error = false; tooltip = create_tooltip(elem, "Enter a valid date."); } } tooltip ? resize_tooltip(tooltip) : false; return no_error; }; var needs_validate = function(el) { if(el.getAttribute('required') !== null){ return true } if(el.name === 'email' && el.value !== ""){ return true } if((el.id == 'field[]' || el.id == 'ca[11][v]') && el.className.includes('phone-input-error')){ return true } return false }; var validate_form = function(e) { var err = form_to_submit.querySelector('._form_error'), no_error = true; if (!submitted) { submitted = true; for (var i = 0, len = allInputs.length; i < len; i++) { var input = allInputs[i]; if (needs_validate(input)) { if (input.type == 'tel') { addEvent(input, 'blur', function() { this.value = this.value.trim(); validate_field(this, true); }); } if (input.type == 'text' || input.type == 'number' || input.type == 'time') { addEvent(input, 'blur', function() { this.value = this.value.trim(); validate_field(this, true); }); addEvent(input, 'input', function() { validate_field(this, true); }); } else if (input.type == 'radio' || input.type == 'checkbox') { (function(el) { var radios = form_to_submit.elements[el.name]; for (var i = 0; i < radios.length; i++) { addEvent(radios[i], 'click', function() { validate_field(el, true); }); } })(input); } else if (input.tagName == 'SELECT') { addEvent(input, 'change', function() { validate_field(this, true); }); } else if (input.type == 'textarea'){ addEvent(input, 'input', function() { validate_field(this, true); }); } } } } remove_tooltips(); for (var i = 0, len = allInputs.length; i < len; i++) { var elem = allInputs[i]; if (needs_validate(elem)) { if (elem.tagName.toLowerCase() !== "select") { elem.value = elem.value.trim(); } validate_field(elem) ? true : no_error = false; } } if (!no_error && e) { e.preventDefault(); } resize_tooltips(); return no_error; }; addEvent(window, 'resize', resize_tooltips); addEvent(window, 'scroll', resize_tooltips); var hidePhoneInputError = function(inputId) { var errorMessage = document.getElementById("error-msg-" + inputId); var input = document.getElementById(inputId); errorMessage.classList.remove("phone-error"); errorMessage.classList.add("phone-error-hidden"); input.classList.remove("phone-input-error"); }; var initializePhoneInput = function(input, defaultCountry) { return window.intlTelInput(input, { utilsScript: "https://unpkg.com/intl-tel-input@17.0.18/build/js/utils.js", autoHideDialCode: false, separateDialCode: true, initialCountry: defaultCountry, preferredCountries: [] }); } var setPhoneInputEventListeners = function(inputId, input, iti) { input.addEventListener('blur', function() { var errorMessage = document.getElementById("error-msg-" + inputId); if (input.value.trim()) { if (iti.isValidNumber()) { iti.setNumber(iti.getNumber()); if (errorMessage.classList.contains("phone-error")){ hidePhoneInputError(inputId); } } else { showPhoneInputError(inputId) } } else { if (errorMessage.classList.contains("phone-error")){ hidePhoneInputError(inputId); } } }); input.addEventListener("countrychange", function() { iti.setNumber(''); }); input.addEventListener("keydown", function(e) { var charCode = (e.which) ? e.which : e.keyCode; if (charCode > 31 && (charCode < 48 || charCode > 57) && charCode !== 8) { e.preventDefault(); } }); }; var showPhoneInputError = function(inputId) { var errorMessage = document.getElementById("error-msg-" + inputId); var input = document.getElementById(inputId); errorMessage.classList.add("phone-error"); errorMessage.classList.remove("phone-error-hidden"); input.classList.add("phone-input-error"); }; var form_submit = function(e) { e.preventDefault(); if (validate_form()) { // use this trick to get the submit button & disable it using plain javascript document.querySelector('#_form_6_submit').disabled = true; var _form_serialize_6 = function(form){if(!form||form.nodeName!=="FORM"){return }var i,j,q=[];for(i=0;i<form.elements.length;i++){if(form.elements[i].name===""){continue}switch(form.elements[i].nodeName){case"INPUT":switch(form.elements[i].type){case"tel":q.push(form.elements[i].name+"="+encodeURIComponent(form.elements[i].previousSibling.querySelector('div.iti__selected-dial-code').innerText)+encodeURIComponent(" ")+encodeURIComponent(form.elements[i].value));break;case"text":case"number":case"date":case"time":case"hidden":case"password":case"button":case"reset":case"submit":q.push(form.elements[i].name+"="+encodeURIComponent(form.elements[i].value));break;case"checkbox":case"radio":if(form.elements[i].checked){q.push(form.elements[i].name+"="+encodeURIComponent(form.elements[i].value))}break;case"file":break}break;case"TEXTAREA":q.push(form.elements[i].name+"="+encodeURIComponent(form.elements[i].value));break;case"SELECT":switch(form.elements[i].type){case"select-one":q.push(form.elements[i].name+"="+encodeURIComponent(form.elements[i].value));break;case"select-multiple":for(j=0;j<form.elements[i].options.length;j++){if(form.elements[i].options[j].selected){q.push(form.elements[i].name+"="+encodeURIComponent(form.elements[i].options[j].value))}}break}break;case"BUTTON":switch(form.elements[i].type){case"reset":case"submit":case"button":q.push(form.elements[i].name+"="+encodeURIComponent(form.elements[i].value));break}break}}return q.join("&")}; let serialized_6 = _form_serialize_6(document.getElementById('_form_6_')).replace(/%0A/g, '\\n'); var err = form_to_submit.querySelector('._form_error'); err ? err.parentNode.removeChild(err) : false; // We don't check the Google reCaptcha if projectId is null // Site properties: ProjectId is defined => we check the captcha before sending the form _check_reCaptcha_6(); } return false; }; addEvent(form_to_submit, 'submit', form_submit); })(); </script> <details class="text-xs"><summary style="color:inherit">How your data will be used</summary> <p class="pt-2">Please see <a href="/privacy.html" title="privacy-and-copyright">ISO privacy notice</a>. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google <a href="https://policies.google.com/privacy">Privacy Policy</a> and <a href="https://policies.google.com/terms">Terms of Service</a> apply.</p> </details></div></div><h2>What are the Sustainable Development Goals?</h2> <p>Sustainable development is a balancing act – it’s about finding ways for people to live happy, healthy and prosperous lives without harming the planet. Think of it as a journey we’re all on together, where every one of us has a role to play in making sure we keep our <strong>world healthy and thriving for years to come</strong>. Essentially, it emphasizes that growth and development should not compromise the health of our environment, and that it should be a continuous and inclusive process.</p> <p>To help achieve this, the United Nations has outlined 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of a global agenda to <strong>end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all </strong>by 2030. Climate action has been recognized as the most significant opportunity to advance the UN Goals and guide the global, regional and national development efforts of countries worldwide. Despite the challenges, many local governments have set more ambitious targets than their national counterparts, and an increasing number of cities are upping their commitment to delivering the SDGs by making positive, sustainable changes to combat the climate crisis at the local level.</p> <p>Ready to dive deeper? Find out why <a href="/climate-change/sustainable-development" title="climate-sustainable-development">climate action in cities is vital to sustainable development</a>.</p><h2>What is ESG reporting and why does it matter?</h2> <p>A concrete way to progress towards sustainability, and responsible business practices, is through ESG reporting. It is the process by which companies disclose information about their operations in relation to <strong>environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations</strong>. These reports typically detail a company’s initiatives related to reducing carbon emissions, promoting diversity and inclusion, ensuring ethical business practices, and addressing other sustainability concerns.</p> <p>ESG reporting is <strong>a way for businesses to measure and communicate</strong> how their ESG initiatives stack up against industry benchmarks and targets. This type of reporting provides stakeholders, like investors and customers, with valuable insights that can influence decision-making and highlight potential opportunities and risks that might affect a company’s value.</p> <p>Still curious? Read more to find out <a href="/climate-change/esg-reporting" title="a-sustainable-path-to-esg">why ESG reporting really matters</a>.</p><h2>Basics of an environmental management system</h2> <p>In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, sustainability is a strategic imperative. Enter the environmental management system (EMS), a powerful tool that revolutionizes how organizations navigate environmental challenges. An EMS is essentially a <strong>set of rules and tools</strong> that help a company keep track of and reduce the negative effects its activities might have on the environment – such as emissions, waste, resource consumption and biodiversity impacts.</p> <p>But an EMS is more than just paperwork. It’s about fostering a culture of environmental stewardship within an organization. By establishing clear roles and responsibilities, promoting employee engagement and providing training on environmental best practice, an EMS empowers employees at all levels to <strong>contribute to sustainability efforts</strong>. It also helps companies stay compliant with environmental regulations and standards, reducing the risk of fines or legal issues while enhancing their reputation as responsible corporate citizens.</p> <p><a href="/standard/60857.html" title="Environmental management systems – Requirements with guidance for use">ISO 14001</a> is the gold standard for environmental management, helping organizations to be more environmentally responsible and fulfil their legal obligations. With benefits ranging from cost savings to enhanced public perception and reduced liabilities, this International Standard can help reshape the sustainability playbook for businesses worldwide.</p> <p>Keen to learn more? Brush up on the <a href="/climate-change/environmental-management-system-ems" title="environment-management-systems">basics of an environmental management system</a>.</p><h2>ISO standards and climate change</h2> <p>Addressing climate change is a multifaceted challenge, and ISO standards can play a pivotal role in shaping the global response. Offering a comprehensive framework, they empower organizations to <strong>effectively measure, manage and report</strong> their environmental impacts, facilitating the transition to a more sustainable future.</p><ul class="list-callout"><li><div class="clearfix inline-standard" id="inline-standard_85089"> <span class="fw-semibold me-1"> <a href="/contents/data/standard/08/50/85089.html" title="" ><span class="entry-name">IWA 42:2022</span></a></span><span class="entry-description">Net Zero Guidelines</span></div></li><li><div class="clearfix inline-standard" id="inline-standard_66453"> <span class="fw-semibold me-1"> <a href="/standard/66453.html" title="" ><span class="entry-name">ISO 14064-1:2018</span></a></span><span class="entry-description">Greenhouse gases</span></div></li><li><div class="clearfix inline-standard" id="inline-standard_68507"> <span class="fw-semibold me-1"> <a href="/standard/68507.html" title="" ><span class="entry-name">ISO 14090:2019</span></a></span><span class="entry-description">Adaptation to climate change</span></div></li></ul><p>From <a href="/standard/60857.html" title="Environmental management systems – Requirements with guidance for use">ISO 14001</a> for environmental management to <a href="/standard/69426.html" title="Energy management systems – Requirements with guidance for use">ISO 50001</a> for energy management, International Standards offer practical guidelines and best practices to tackle climate-related risks and promote sustainable development. By adhering to ISO standards, organizations can enhance their environmental performance, reduce carbon emissions and contribute to the global effort to combat climate change.</p> <p>The adoption of ISO standards is a significant step towards sustainable business practices – in particular since all management system standards now incorporate climate change considerations. This <strong>reflects a collective commitment</strong> to a more sustainable and resilient world, where economic growth is balanced with environmental stewardship. Climate change is a challenge unprecedented in human history, and only by working together can we collectively ensure that the necessary action is taken for a sustainable future.</p></div> </div> </div> </section> </article><div class="nav-breadcrumb print-footer bg-black"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-10 small">  <ol class="breadcrumb"> <li class="breadcrumb-item"><a href="/home.html" title="Home page"><i class="bi-house" aria-hidden="true"></i></a></li> <li class="breadcrumb-item"> Insights & news</li> <li class="breadcrumb-item"> Insights</li> <li class="breadcrumb-item"> <a href="/insights">All insights</a> </li> <li class="breadcrumb-item"> Climate change: What it is, how it works and why …</li></ol></div> <div class="col-sm-2 hidden-print text-end small mt-3 mt-sm-0"> <a role="button" class="dropdown-toggle text-white collapsed" data-bs-toggle="collapse" href="#collapseSitemap" target="_self" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapseSitemap">Sitemap</a> </div> </div> <div class="collapse border-top" id="collapseSitemap"> <div class="row">  <nav role="navigation" aria-label="Sitemap" class="sitemap-footer clearfix text-xs" id="nav-sitemap"><ul role='menubar' class='list-inline-6 clearfix nav-level1' ><li role='menuitem' class=' hasChildren firstInLevel' ><a class='nav-link ' title="Covering almost every product, process or service imaginable, ISO makes standards used everywhere." href='/standards.html'>Standards</a><ul role='menubar' class='list-unstyled nav-level2' ><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren firstInLevel' ><a class='nav-link ' title="Whether you run a business, work for a company or government, or you are a consumer looking for goods and services that meet customer expectations: Find out what standards can do for you." href='/benefits-of-standards.html'>Benefits</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' title="Here you can discover some of the best-known and most widely-used standards, as well as those that address recently emerged challenges affecting us all. " href='/popular-standards.html'>Popular standards</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' title="A set of processes that show your product, service or system meets the requirements of a standard." href='/conformity-assessment.html'>Conformity assessment</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren lastInLevel' ><a class='nav-link ' title="Organizations and companies looking to contribute to the SDGs will find that International Standards provide effective tools to help them rise to the challenge." href='/sdg'>SDGs</a></li></ul></li><li role='menuitem' class=' hasChildren' ><a class='nav-link disabled' data-bs-toggle="dropdown" aria-expanded="true" href=''>Sectors</a><ul role='menubar' class='list-unstyled nav-level2' ><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren firstInLevel' ><a class='nav-link ' title="(including medicine and laboratory equipment)" href='/sectors/health'>Health</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' title="(including communication technology, graphics and photography)" href='/sectors/it-technologies'>IT & related technologies</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' title="(Business management, financial and professional services)" href='/sectors/management-services'>Management & services</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' href='/sectors/security-safety-risk'>Security, safety & risk</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' title="(including vehicles, parts and infrastructure, freight, packaging and distribution)" href='/sectors/transport'>Transport</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' title="(including power generation and transport, fuels)" href='/sectors/energy'>Energy</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' title="Explore our Environmental sustainability sector." href='/sectors/environment'>Environmental sustainability</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' title="(Ores and metals, non-metallic materials, chemicals)" href='/sectors/materials'>Materials</a></li></ul></li><li role='menuitem' class=' hasChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' title="ISO brings together global experts to develop International Standards that help solve problems and drive innovation." href='/about'>About ISO</a><ul role='menubar' class='list-unstyled nav-level2' ><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren firstInLevel' ><a class='nav-link ' title="Find out how we develop and publish international standards by bringing together more than 160 members and more than 45,000 experts" href='/what-we-do.html'>What we do</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' href='/structure.html'>Structure</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' title="The members of the International Organization for Standardization are 173 national standards bodies, each representing ISO in their country." href='/about/members'>Members</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' title="Find out what's coming up and what you might have missed." href='/events.html'>Events</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren lastInLevel' ><a class='nav-link ' title="Making lives easier, safer and better. Our Strategy outlines our vision and our mission for the next 10 years and a set of goals and priorities to help us get there." href='/strategy2030.html'>Strategy</a></li></ul></li><li role='menuitem' class=' hasChildren inPath ' ><a class='nav-link disabled' data-bs-toggle="dropdown" aria-expanded="true" href=''>Insights & news</a><ul role='menubar' class='list-unstyled nav-level2' ><li role='menuitem' class=' hasChildren inPath firstInLevel' ><a class='nav-link disabled' href=''>Insights</a><ul role='menubar' class='list-unstyled nav-level3' ><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren inPath active firstInLevel' ><a class='nav-link ' href='/insights'>All insights</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' href='/insights/filtered-list-healthcare'>Healthcare</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' href='/insights/filtered-list-artificial-intelligence'>Artificial intelligence</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren lastInLevel' ><a class='nav-link ' href='/insights/filtered-list-climate-change'>Climate change</a></li></ul></li><li role='menuitem' class=' hasChildren lastInLevel' ><a class='nav-link disabled' href=''>News</a><ul role='menubar' class='list-unstyled nav-level3' ><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren firstInLevel' ><a class='nav-link ' href='/insights/thought-leadership'>Expert talk</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' href='/insights/standards-world'>Standards world</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' href='/home/insights-news/news/dossier-medias.html'>Media kit</a></li></ul></li></ul></li><li role='menuitem' class=' hasChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' title="Find out how the ISO process bring together global experts to create standards that are chosen the world over." href='/developing-standards.html'>Taking part</a><ul role='menubar' class='list-unstyled nav-level2' ><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren firstInLevel' ><a class='nav-link ' title="ISO has put together groups of experts that represent every sector imaginable from soaps to spacecraft, MP3 to coffee. In fact there are more than 250 technical committees. You can find out what they do here." href='/who-develops-standards.html'>Who develops standards</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' title="The different types of ISO publications." href='/deliverables-all.html'>Deliverables</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' href='/get-involved.html'>Get involved</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' title="The ISO Climate Action Kit is a collection of case studies from around the world on how standards can be effectively used as a tool for sustainability." href='/ClimateAction.html'>Collaborating to accelerate effective climate action</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren lastInLevel' ><a class='nav-link ' title="Resources to support the work of individuals involved in standards development. " href='/resources.html'>Resources</a></li></ul></li><li role='menuitem' class=' hasChildren lastInLevel' ><a class='nav-link ' title="Are you looking to buy International Standards, guidelines, collections and checklists? They're all right here, in the ISO Store." href='/store.html'>Store</a><ul role='menubar' class='list-unstyled nav-level2' ><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren firstInLevel' ><a class='nav-link ' href='/standards-catalogue/browse-by-ics.html'>Standards catalogue</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' title="ISO publications give insights and guidance into specific applications and show how standards add value." href='/publication-list.html'>Publications and products</a></li></ul></li></ul></nav></div> </div> </div> </div> </main> <footer id="footer" class=" bg-darkergray"> <div class="container"> <div class="row text-center pt-3 " > <div class="col-md-12"><nav role="navigation" aria-label="Inline Navigation" class="" id=""><ul role='menubar' class='list-inline clearfix text-sm nav-level1' ><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren firstInLevel' ><a class='nav-link ' href='/iso-name-and-logo.html'>ISO name and logo</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' href='/privacy.html'>Privacy Notice</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' href='/copyright.html'>Copyright</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' href='/cookies.html'>Cookie policy</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' href='/media-kit.html'>Media kit</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' href='/working-with-iso.html'>Jobs</a></li><li role='menuitem' class=' noChildren' ><a class='nav-link ' href='/contact-iso.html'>Help and support</a></li></ul></nav></div></div><div class="row text-center row-middle-sm " > <div class="col-md-12"><p class="lead opacity-100">Making lives <strong><em>easier</em></strong>, <strong><em>safer</em></strong> and <strong><em>better</em></strong>.</p></div></div><div id="newsletter" class="text-center sign-up d-flex gap-1 align-items-center justify-content-center text-sm opacity-75 mb-2 ">  <a role="button" href="/insights/subscribe" class="btn btn-outline-light btn-sm ">Sign up</a> <div>for email updates</div></div><div itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/Organization"> </div> <link href="https://www.iso.org/" itemprop="url" /> <ul class="list-inline social-links text-center"> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/isostandards" itemprop="sameAs" rel="noopener" target="_blank" title="Linkedin"><i class="bi-linkedin"></i></a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/isostandards" itemprop="sameAs" rel="noopener" target="_blank" title="Twitter"><i class="bi-twitter"></i></a></li> <li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/isostandards" itemprop="sameAs" rel="noopener" target="_blank" title="Facebook"><i class="bi-facebook"></i></a></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/isostandards" itemprop="sameAs" rel="noopener" target="_blank" title="Instagram"><i class="bi-instagram"></i></a></li> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/ISO" itemprop="sameAs" rel="noopener" target="_blank" title="YouTube"><i class="bi-youtube"></i></a></li> <li><a href="https://www.vimeo.com/isostandards" itemprop="sameAs" rel="noopener" target="_blank" title="YouTube"><i class="bi-vimeo"></i></a></li> <li><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/isostandards" itemprop="sameAs" rel="noopener" target="_blank" title="Flickr"><i class="bi-flickr"></i></a></li> </ul><div id="copyright-notice" class="row pb-3 row-bottom-sm " > <div class="col-md-12"><details class="text-xs text-muted"><summary class="text-muted">© All Rights Reserved</summary> <p class="pt-2">All ISO publications and materials are protected by copyright and are subject to the user’s acceptance of ISO’s conditions of copyright. Any use, including reproduction requires our written permission. All copyright requests should be addressed to <a href="mailto:copyright@iso.org">copyright@iso.org</a>.</p> <p>We are committed to ensuring that our website is accessible to everyone. If you have any questions or suggestions regarding the accessibility of this site, please <a href="mailto:webmaster@iso.org?subject=Accessibility" style="white-space: nowrap">contact us</a>.</p> </details></div></div></div> </footer> <div class="modal fade" tabindex="-1" role="dialog" id="iso-optout" aria-hidden="true" aria-labelledby="modalLabel"> <div class="modal-dialog modal-dialog-centered"> <div class="modal-content"> <div class="modal-header"> <h4 class="modal-title" id="modalLabel"> Add to cart</h4> <button type="button" class="btn-close" data-bs-dismiss="modal" aria-label="Close"></button> </div> <div class="modal-body"> <div class="modal-body clearfix"> <div id="modalOptOut"></div> <div id="modalNoOptOut"></div> <span id="proceedToCheckout" class="visually-hidden" data-label="Checkout"></span> <span id="continueShopping" class="visually-hidden" data-label="Continue shopping"></span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>  </body> </html>