European standards are crucial to support the transition to a more sustainable future for all. Through a new dedicated online tool, CEN and CENELEC have mapped standards with a direct contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the environment. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which serve as an urgent call to action to address social imbalances, develop a sustainable economy and combat climate change. However, to achieve this, SDGs require the cooperation of all stakeholders, private and public.
In this context, voluntary and consensual standards can play an important role. Standards facilitate the translation of ambitions into concrete actions: they offer common and clear rules and specifications, which therefore promote the dissemination of best practice.
CEN and CENELEC, the official European standardisation bodies, develop European standards that contribute to the three pillars of economic, environmental and social sustainability. In the context of the dual digital and green transition for Europe, CEN and CENELEC are fully committed to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. This commitment is confirmed by its inclusion in the priorities of CEN and CENELEC's 2030 strategy and by the signing of the London Declaration on the commitment of international standards to climate action.
Mapping the contribution of CEN and CENELEC to the SDGs
To provide a thorough overview of how standards contribute to the SDGs, CEN and CENELEC have developed a new dedicated website https:/www.cencenelec.eu/european-standardization/sustainable-development-goals-sdgs/ . After months of work, involving experts, the two organisations have produced a comprehensive mapping of standards that make a significant contribution to the SDGs in the European context.
Thanks to the website, users will be able to explore each SDG individually to see which standards contribute to it. Through the filter functionality, it will be possible to quickly search for individual standards developed by the CEN and CENELEC Technical Committees, as well as a detailed description of their work.
Currently, the website represents 4783 standards deliverables. The portfolio of standards is expected to be continuously updated in the coming months and years to contribute to the ever-increasing inclusion of sustainability issues in standardization in all sectors.
Elena Santiago Cid, Director General of CEN and CENELEC, commented: "CEN and CENELEC are committed to harnessing the power of European standards to address global challenges. We look forward to working with all economic and social stakeholders and bringing together their expertise and skills to make sustainable development a reality for all!"
This mapping process aspires to be a tool to raise awareness in the European standardisation community about the SDGs and the importance of using European standards. In the long term, this interactive mapping exercise aims to develop with the development of future standards, making more evident the strong links between CSA and standards.
The Cyprus Organization for Standardization (CYS) is the national standardization body of Cyprus and actively participates in the European standardization arena, as a full member of the European standardization bodies CEN & CENELEC. As its contractual obligation is the adoption of European standards as Cypriot standards.
Stakeholders in Cyprus have the opportunity to study or obtain standards from the CYS Information and Service Centre.
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