The ISO International Standards Can Help Companies Realize the UN Global Goals
Sometimes, global problems require international collaboration to solve. This has been demonstrated in the past when dealing with health epidemics, protecting areas of land and having them designated as world heritage sites or national parks, and taking action to stop the depletion of the ozone layer by banning ozone depleting substances from the market. These global collaborative actions had positive effects that improved all of our lives as well as the health of the planet.
The United Nations plays a key role in facilitating international collaboration. In 2015, the UN set global sustainable development goals with a 15-year plan to address the most pressing problems facing our world today. The goals were created to secure the future of our planet by implementing measures to eradicate poverty, improve health outcomes, and provide clean water to all. These goals are intended to be implemented at a local level to initiate change for the greater good of society. Governments, companies and individuals can set targets around the goals and accomplish them through innovation, technology and creativity.
The international organization for standardization (ISO) has at least 3000 standards which support the UN goals.
You have probably heard of the ISO 9001 standard for quality management, the most popular standard amongst organizations around the world. Many companies use the ISO certification in their branding because it demonstrates that the company is adhering to an internationally recognized set of standards that meet safety, quality and environmental requirements. Many larger companies these days require the companies they do business with to be ISO certified. Protecting people’s health and safety, preserving the environment, and promoting social responsibility are the fundamental objectives of the ISO standards and UN goals. In the following months, me and my friends over at Epic Engage are going to be coming up with creative ways that we can all contribute to the global goals in our own communities. We hope you will join us!
