1. The Example of ISO/TC 268 Sustainable cities and communities
Cities & Standards.
The Example of ISO/TC Sustainable cities and communities
Breakfast-Meeting SETTING THE STANDARD: ENERGY MANAGEMENT for SUSTAINABLE ACTION PLANS
Holger Robrecht, Deputy Regional Director, ICLEI Europe

2. Overview Starting points
A European Reference Framework for Sustainable Cities …
About standards.
ISO Technical Committee (TC) 268 – an overview
Questions & answers
In brief …

3. A motivation to engage in standardisation

4. Motivation to engage in standards
Growing awareness of the interconnectedness of urban development issues;
Increasing number (and confusion) of sustainabiity related commitments;
Obvious pressure to foster and mainstream sustainable development globally and through local action;
Political and factual emphasis on urban areas as part of the problem and part of the solution;
Relatively slow up-take of integrated sustainable development programmes in cities and towns in Europe and globally;
Lack of local capacities to implement sustainable urban development programmes;
Lack of clear mandates based on legal requirements;
Lack of commonly agreed (quality) criteria for sustainability management processes and support services
Growing number of initiatives to benchmarking and rating of cities based on indicators - including by the private sector – merely uncomparable and of diverting quality

5. dynamic technology development
Urge to act
New, dynamic needs and action areas (adaptation; resilience; ‚smart‘, integrated Infrastructures);
inconsistent labels (smart city, resilient city, green city, blue city, healthy city) and instruments (metrics, indicators, management, planning) for local sustainability
Ongoing standardisation at international and European level (incl. already published standards)
Innovation pressure
dynamic technology development
Increasing orientation towards ethics and impact of investments
Insecure procedures
Overarching sustainability objectives on all levels (UN, EU, national)
Missing reference framework for sustainability management and indicators
Incoherent reporting between governmental levels

6. Objectives Urban Transformation needs Local Sustainability needs
Structural and procedural support
Leveraging by thematic and programmatic integration
Inclusiveness – in procedures and results
Local Sustainability needs
Local values and objectives
Coherence (multi-level governance)
Responsibility, reliability, binding character
Participation in implementation - Identification

7. A European Reference Framework for Sustainable Cities

8. European Sustainability Framework is growing (Main up-date)
Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (2017)
UN Urban Agenda (2016)
The Aalborg Commitments
(2004)
UN SDG (2015)
The EU Urban Agenda
(Amsterdam Pact, forthcoming
The EU Urban Thematic Strategy (2005)
EU Energy Union (2015)
The EU Sustainable
Development Strategy
(2006)
EU Green Infrastructure Strategy (2014)
Smart Cities Initiative (2014)
The Covenant of Mayors
(2008)
Mayors Adapt Initiative
(2014)
The EU Urban Reference Framework (2008)
EU Urban Mobility Package (2013)
The 7th Environmental Action Plan (2013)
Bristol, Leipzig, Marseille, Toledo
(2005, 2007, 2008, 2010)
EU Adaptation Strategy (2012)
The Territorial Agenda
(2008)
EU Biodiversity Strategy (2011)
The EU 2020 Strategy (2010)

9. Complementary processes – or confusion?
Analysis of selected environmental and sustainability programmes/processes/projects; selected award applications EMAS, award, Green Capital Award, European Energy Award

10. About standards

11. A life without standard would be rather difficult …
Source: Kim Christiansen, Denmark

12. Sustainability in ISO standards – some examples
ISO and CEN facilitate standardization
Horizontal
All technical committees and working groups (shall) contribute to sustainable development
ISO Social responsibility
ISO Guide 82 Guide for addressing sustainability in standards
ISO/TC 268 Sustainable development and resilience of communities
Management system
Indicators
Metrics
And specific :
Anti-bribery
Biofuels
Business districts (IWA 2011)
Ceramic tiles systems
Cocoa
Construction and construction products
Cork
Earth-moving machinery
Events
Information safety
Nanotechnology
Procurement
Soil remediation
Tourism
Tractors
Source: Kim Christiansen, Denmark

13. What can Standards support?
Description – State of Technology (How)
Tecniques & Technologies
Procedures & Methods
Formal & informal Standards
Comparability
Support to dissemination („Mainstreaming‘)
Quality assuarance (e.g. for reference in procurement of consultancy services or trainings)
‚Peer to peer‘-approach for confidence
Orientation
Bridging insecurities in implementation in case of lacking legal requirements
Learning administration: reference, description, support to ‚follow the example‘
Support in acting in uncertainty (new areas of work and knowledge)

14. ISO 371xx. A standard family for sustainable cities

15. ISO/TC 268 Sustainable Cities and Communities
(France)
ISO/TC 268/SC 1 Smart Community Infrastructures (Japan)
WG 1 Management System Standards (France) ISO (veröff.) Sustainable development in communities - Management system for sustainable development - Requirements with guidance for use
ISO/WD Sustainable development in communities - Guidance for practical implementation in cities
WG 2 City Indicators (Canada) ISO Sustainable development of communities - Indicators for city services and quality of life (in Revision)
ISO/NP XXX - Indicators for Smart Cities
ISO/NP XXX - Indicators for Resilient Cities
ISO/DTR XXX - Inventory and review of existing indicators on sustainable development and resilience in cities
WG 3 Vocabulary (UK) ISO/DIS Sustainable development in communities – Vocabulary
ISO/NP Sustainable development in communities - Descriptive framework for cities and communities
WG 4 Strategies for smart cities and communities (UK) ISO/CD Sustainable development in communities - Guide to establishing strategies for smart cities and communities

16. ISO 37101 – Managementsystem- Standard – Sustainable Development in Communities
Aims
Support of cities to become resilient, smart and sustainable;
Cities and communities of any size, structure and type in developed and developing countries;
Use in total or parts to improve sustainability performance;
But: communities that wish to get certified will need to comply with all requirements without exception in a coherent sustainability management system;
Capacitizing cities and communities to establish local sustainability initiatives;
Support sustainability purposes of a city or community and appropriate planning and management procedures for attainment.

17. ISO 37101 – Purposes and Issues
Cities and communities shall identify, weight and document relevant purposes and issues for achieving their sustainability targets
6 purposes:
Attractiveness
Preservation and improvement of environment
Resilience
Responsible resource use
Social Cohesion
Well-being
12 issues
Governance, empowerment and engagement;
Education and capacity building;
Innovation, creativity and research;
Health and care in the community;
Culture and community identity;
Living together, interdependence and mutuality;
Economy and sustainable production and consumption;
Living and working environment;
Safety and security;
Community infrastructures;
Mobility;
Biodiversity and ecosystem services
When reviewing all strategies, programs, projects, plans and services carried out in the city and the community or for inclusion in the organisation strategic plan, the organisation shall appraise their contribution to achieve the six sustainability purposes and how they take the sustainability issues into account. In order to do so, the organization shall undertake an iterative cross-analysis of purposes and issues.
Purposes
Attractiveness : appeal to citizens and other interested parties, e.g. investors; belonging; culture; place; sense of identity.
Preservation and improvement of environment: Improved environmental performance, including reducing GHG emission; protection, restoration and enhancement of biological diversity and ecosystem services, including protection of ecosystems, plant and animal diversity and migration as well as genetic diversity; reduced health hazard.
Resilience: anticipation; climate change mitigation and/or adaptation; economic shocks and stresses preparedness, social evolution.
Responsible resource use: consumption; distribution; improved land management; reducing, reusing and recycling of materials; respect for scarcity of all types of resources (natural, human, financial); sustainable production, storage and transport.
Social cohesion: accessibility; culture; dialogue with external parties not limited by boundaries, diversity; equity; heritage; inclusiveness; inequalities reduction; rootedness; sense of belonging and social mobility.
Well-being: access to opportunities; creativity, education; happiness; healthy environment; human capital improvement; liveable city; prosperity; quality of life; security; self-confidence ; welfare.
Issues:
Governance, empowerment and engagement: In order to achieve a more sustainable development, governance models need to foster systemic approaches to engaging all interested parties.
Education and capacity building: Education and capacity building at the individual, organizational and city and community level raise awareness, knowledge and skills that, contribute to sustainable development, smartness and resilience.
Innovation, creativity and research: Innovation, creativity and research foster the development of new forms of cooperation and the elaboration of cutting-edge designs, while contributing to excessive risk aversion and giving due consideration to ethical implications and outcomes.
Health and care in the community: Health and care both play a crucial role in maintaining and improving physical and mental health in the community and in contributing to its well-being and resilience.
Culture & city and community identity: Culture and city and community identity are essential to preserve lifestyles, including intangibles such as practices, know-how, languages, spirituality and customs, while allowing or even encouraging the evolution of heritage and traditions.
Living together, interdependence and mutuality: Living together, interdependence and mutuality entail the development of collective and collaborative lifestyles that produce mutual economic and social benefits in terms of inter and intra-generational equity and social mobility.
Economy and sustainable production and consumption: Economy and sustainable production and consumption encompass the support to local production, consumption and exchange, economic diversity, employment and employability, bearing in mind that resource efficiency, life cycle approaches and transparency are key factors of sustainability.
Living and working environment: Addressing living and working environment entails facilitating and supporting the establishment and fair and equitable access to a quality of life and working conditions that match the needs and expectations of interested parties.
Safety and security: Dealing with safety and security aims at enforcing the right to privacy and the protection of public security as well as the prevention and management of risk in cities and communities.
City and community infrastructures: City and community infrastructures, particularly smart infrastructure, can contribute to sustainability and resilience.
Mobility: Cities and communities are expected to provide safe, comfortable, comprehensive, dependable, efficient, accessible, affordable and appropriate services for different age and special needs groups, in particular for persons with disabilities. Moreover, they have to maintain a reliable transport system, to improve connectivity, encourage non-motorized traffic (e.g. walking and bicycling) and facilitate transport of goods.
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services: The preservation and improvement of the local, regional and global environment, especially the protection, restoration and enhancement of biological diversity and ecosystem services, including fauna, flora and genetic diversity, is crucial to ensure safe and pleasant living conditions. It will enhance the attractiveness of cities and communities and bolster their economic development.
All strategies, programs, projects, plans and services carried out in the city and the community shall contribute to achieve the six purposes and take the issues into account.
If a city and a community feel the need to consider additional or alternative issues, it should answer the following questions, in order to identify those that are relevant and suitable:
 Is the issue of concern/importance to interested parties?
 Is the issue likely to make a major contribution to the sustainability of the community?
 Does the issue fall under the jurisdiction or in the sphere of influence of the community?
 Does the community have means to address the issue, e.g. through its strategies, programs, projects, plans and services?
 Is it technically possible?
 Is it environmentally, socially and financially feasible?
 Is the human, financial and natural capital available?
 Is it measurable?

18. @wccitydata ISO 37120 Overview
ISO includes 100 indicators (46 core and 54 supporting), which are structured around the following 17 themes
Economy
Education
Energy
Environment
Finance
Fire & Emergency Response
Governance
Health
Recreation
Safety
Shelter
Solid Waste
Telecommunications
Transportation
Urban Planning
Wastewater
Water & Sanitation
@wccitydata

19. ISO/TC 268/SC 1 Smart Community Infrastructures (Japan)
WG 1 Infrastructure metrics (Japan) ISO/NP Smart community infrastructures – Maturity model for assessment and improvement of performance and Impact
WG 2 Integration and interaction framework for smart community infrastructures (Japan) ISO/TR (veröff.) Smart community infrastructures -- Common framework for development and operation ISO/PWI Framework for integration and operation of smart community infrastructures – Part 1: Guidelines for managing the opportunities and challenges from interactions in smart community infrastructures from all aspects through the life-cycle
WG 3 Smart transportation (Japan) ISO/DIS Smart community infrastructures -- Best practice guidelines for transportation ISO/WD Smart community infrastructures Smart transportation for compact cities ISO/WD Smart community infrastructures Battery-powered bus transportation systems to solve environmental and safety issues in cities
AHG 2 Best practice guidelines for transportation (Japan) ISO/AWI Sustainable development in communities - Guide to establishing strategies for smart cities and communities
AHG 3 Data exchange and sharing for smart community infrastructures (Japan) ISO/PWI Guidelines on Data Exchange and Sharing for Smart Community Infrastructures

20. Questions & Answers Who is addressed by standards?
All that would engage in local sustainability planning and management, local governments in particular (for management procedures, procurement).
Companies, investors, auditors
What is the state of process?
Some standards are published (ISO 37101, ISO 37120). Some pilots to inform revision.
Who can engage?
All. Also cities and their associations are invited to participate in standardisation either directly or through public consultations.
Who produces and publishes standards?
Working groups based on work item proposals.
Procedure involves several steps of commenting at national and international level.
Publication is done by ISO following balloting procedure.

21. Questions & Answers Do cities need to follow ISO 371xx?
No. Cities may use standards, if wished (Motto: ‚Learn from others ‘; ‚from pilot to mainstream‘).
Are standards mandatory? Or could they be?
Standards are voluntary.
They could get mandatory through self-commitment or certification. Also, once introduced, procedures tend to be durable.
References in legal text could generate obligation. A legal reference, however, would be legally and technically assessed. Then, obligation is generated by legislation, not by the standard itself. It can be assumed that, then, the government would like to see the obligation established, anyways
Is a benchmarking intended or established?
Not implicit. It is intended that performance is measured against ambition. However, third parties might offer benchmarking – as long as cities would like to voluntary participate therein (eg. World Council on City Data).

22. Questions & Answers Are cities obliged to use certain indicators?
No. Application is voluntary, unless participation in programme of a third party is envisaged (eg. WCCD)
The management system according to ISO supports prioritization based on matrix with six ‚purposes‘ and 12 ‚issues‘. Monitoring of performance along these priorities may use ISO indicators.
Is ISO applicable in EU?
To a limited extend: certain data might not be able delineate to the given administrative borders of cities.
The revised standard might be able to support implementation of UN SDG and RFSC.
Is ISO 371xx ‚economy friendly‘?
Yes, but also not ‚hostile‘ to public sector. Core aspects include ‚foresight‘, ‚reliability‘, ‚monitoring and verification.
The 371xx familiy can be used as reference document for education, consultation, audits as well as it support a common terminology.

23. Questions & Answers
Will standards replace or influence local policy processes?
Local debates will be supported, not replaced, through:
ISO aims at capacitizing cities and communities to better coordinate the participatory development and implementation of a local sustainability programme within a reliable procedure. The standard supports ‚good governance‘ by describing a coherent, community-based management approach including guidance to ‚smartness‘ and ‚resilience‘. A practical guidance for cities on the ‚how‘ is under development (ISO 37104). The ‚what‘ is left to local decision-making.
ISO recommends a selection of indicators for local reporting on life-quality. The selection is voluntary and based on local priorities.
ISO provides a reference framework for ‚smart urban infrastructures‘ based on use cases.

24. In brief
Cities increasingly are considered ‘global players’ for sustainable development..
Global policy processes for sustainable development consider cities as integrated part of policy development and implementation..
Local governments consider themselves more and more as ‘global player’, when it comes to sustainable development. Sustainability standards are an increasingly important instrument that sustainability oriented local governments use to influence trade chains around the world in favour of a tangible improvement of global sustainability.
Reliable procedures and supporting instruments can help cities to implement cities’ commitments effectively and efficiently and prove performance.
Standards can serve cities as reference and quality assurance in their sustainability processes dienen.

25. Thank you!