ISO 37101

WHAT IS THAT

ISO 37101 is an international standard that defines the requirements for a management system for sustainable development in communities.

The vision of sustainable development is based on the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and economic .

This standard therefore takes a holistic approach in defining management system requirements and provides guidance for:

• a greater contribution of communities to sustainable development;
• promote the resilience and adaptability of communities, in relation to the environmental and social context on which they exist;
• evaluate the performance of the communities, with a view to continuous improvement.

The standard does not focus on the achievement of certain sustainability performances as it allows each community to choose its own sustainable development path, guiding it in the choice of indicators according to the territory, the social context and the targets to be achieved.

CSQA carries out checks and certifies against the ISO 37101 standard.

KEY POINTS

The standard that follows the High Level Structure provides, as a management system, the following main requirements:

• Analysis of the reference context : understanding of the relevant issues, knowledge of the needs and expectations of the interested parties, purpose of the system
• Management commitment and leadership
• Politics
• Planning according to risks, opportunities and objectives
• Resources , skills, communication, documentation
• Operational control
• Performance evaluation (including internal audits)
• Continuous improvement

In defining the context, the Organization must identify all the "purposes" and "issues" that contribute to the implementation of the standard itself. Among the former we find, for example, the conservation and improvement of the environment, the responsible use of resources, the resilience and cohesion of the community; the latter include governance, innovation, community health and safety, cultural identity, etc.

ADVANTAGES

The standard favors:

• the dialogue between the interested parties in order to define more sustainable and shared strategies
• confrontation within the community and its growth with respect to sustainable development
• a holistic and long-term vision, on the basis of which to define objectives and goals related to sustainability
• performance monitoring aimed at continuous improvement of the system