ISO and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) have unveiled the world’s first international guidelines to help businesses and organizations expedite their contributions to the U.N.’s sustainable development goals (SDGs).

New guidelines for urgent action

The ISO/UNDP guidelines for contributing to the U.N. SDGs were officially released at an ISO meeting in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. This first publicly available document will guide organizations of all types and sizes in speeding up their response to the SDGs.

With only six years remaining to achieve the U.N.’s SDG goals, calls to intensify efforts and rapidly accelerate progress are increasing. According to the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024, only 17% of the SDG targets are on track to being achieved globally by 2030.

A common framework for businesses

The new guidelines aim to take organizations from SDG alignment to SDG action. ISO Secretary-General Sergio Mujica highlighted the importance of these guidelines in providing a common approach for both public and private-sector entities to align their strategies with the SDGs and document their progress.

“These guidelines allow all types of organizations—large or small, new or well-established—to place SDGs at the core of their operations,” Mujica says.

Partnership for the goals

This initiative marks a significant milestone in the strategic partnership between ISO and UNDP. In September 2023, both organizations signed a landmark statement of intent to enhance standards initiatives that will strengthen sustainability efforts globally. The new guidelines are the first major outcome of this collaboration.

Marcos Neto, U.N. Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP assistant administrator and director of the Bureau for Policy and Program Support, says that achieving the SDG targets by 2030 necessitates collective action from all sectors, including governments, civil society, the private sector, and communities. He highlights the critical role of the new ISO/UNDP guidelines in helping organizations understand their contributions to the SDGs and how they can be most effective.

“These guidelines will unlock greater contributions to the SDG targets by aligning business purpose, strategy, and results with societal needs,” says Neto.

A future-ready approach

The guidelines, developed by an international group of experts brought together by ISO member for Denmark, Danish Standards, also offer a broader perspective on sustainable development.

“The guidelines showcase different business models and new ways of working, both internally and externally, that will accelerate innovation and allocate resources more effectively,” says Tina Helsted Vengsgaard, director of standardization at Danish Standards.

Looking ahead, these guidelines are set to evolve into the first international standard for the U.N. SDGs, building on the foundation laid by UNDP’s SDG Impact Standards and relevant ISO standards.

As the global community races to meet the SDG targets by 2030, these new guidelines offer a practical tool for businesses and organizations to make meaningful contributions. Download the ISO/UNDP guidelines for the SDGs today to start aligning your strategies and operations with the SDGs and drive meaningful change.

For more information or interviews, contact:
• Katie Clift, +351–913–976–202, ext-clift@iso.org/press@iso.org
• Vanessa Von der Mühll, +41–79–842–97–34, vondermuhll@iso.org

Published Sept. 12, 2024, in ISO News.