BSI publishes climate change adaptation standard

The British Standards Institution (BSI) has published its first standard on climate change adaptation to help organisations design and implement effective policies and strategies.

The BS EH ISO 14090 Adaptation to climate change – Principles, requirements and guidelines framework is relevant to all organisations with products, activities or services threatened by climate change.

It outlines how to demonstrate credible risk management, and the best ways to establish effective, efficient, specific and deliverable adaptations that increase resilience to a changing climate.

Sustainability body IEMA helped develop the standard, along with the Met Office, Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Environment Agency.

“There has never been such pressure on organisations to demonstrate they are acting responsibly to mitigate their impact on the environment, while also showing foresight adapting to climate change,“ said BSI head of sustainability sector, David Fatscher.

“BS EN ISO 14090 helps organisations to proactively address this challenge by guiding them in developing appropriate measures and reporting on adaptation activity in a verifiable way.“

Businesses face a number of physical, financial, regulatory and reputational climate change risks, and are increasingly scrutinised by investors, consumers and the media.

The BSI said that its latest standard is for those who implement climate actions, and for decision makers that want to understand climate risks and how they are managed.

It is also relevant for use across the value chain, and for those involved in purchasing, investment and insurance that wish to understand climate adaptation actions.

The standard can demonstrate that an organisation's approach to climate adaptation is credible, and helps directly contribute to the UN's thirteenth Sustainable Development Goal.

John Dora, co-convenor of the working group that developed the standard, said: “Climate change impacts, such as unexpected weather, can have a significant effect on an organisation's bottom line if they are not prepared for it.

Organisational decisions are made on the basis of risks and opportunities, so understanding resilience is useful across the value chain such as in purchasing, investment and insurance.“

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