ISO and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have published ISO/UNDP PAS 53002:2024 | Guidelines for contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to contribute to the United Nations SDGs.
This first freely available document will guide organizations of all types and sizes in accelerating their response to the SDGs.
With just six years to go, calls are growing to step up efforts and rapidly accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
According to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024 , only 17% of the SDG targets are on track to be achieved globally by 2030.
A common framework for businesses
The new guidelines aim to move organizations from SDG alignment to SDG action .
ISO Secretary General Sergio Mujica stressed the importance of these guidelines in providing a common approach for public and private sector entities to align their strategies with the SDGs and document their progress.
“These guidelines enable all types of organizations – large or small, new or established – to put the SDGs at the heart of their operations,” Mujica said. “They provide practical advice for fully integrating sustainable development into all functions and investment decision-making processes.”
Signing of ISO-UNDP agreement at ISO General Assembly 2024
A future-proof approach
The guidelines, developed by an international group of experts brought together by Danish Standards, the ISO member for Denmark, also offer a broader perspective on sustainable development.
"The guidelines show different business models and new ways of working , both internally and externally, that will accelerate innovation and allocate resources more effectively," said Tina Helsted Vengsgaard, Director of Standardisation at Danish Standards. "By implementing the recommendations, organisations can anticipate sustainable development risks and opportunities earlier and manage them better."
Looking ahead, these guidelines are set to evolve into the first international standard for the United Nations SDGs , building on the foundation laid by the UNDP SDG Impact Standards and relevant ISO standards. (Source: https://www.iso.org /)