National foreword

This British Standard is the UK implementation of EN ISO 37101:2022+A1:2024. It is identical to ISO 37101:2016, incorporating amendment 1:2024. It supersedes BS EN ISO 37101:2022, which is withdrawn.

The start and finish of text introduced or altered by amendment is indicated in the text by tags. Tags indicating changes to ISO text carry the number of the ISO amendment. For example, text altered by ISO amendment 1 is indicated by .

The UK participation in its preparation was entrusted to Technical Committee SDS/2, Smart and sustainable cities and communities.

A list of organizations represented on this committee can be obtained on request to its committee manager.

Contractual and legal considerations

This publication has been prepared in good faith, however no representation, warranty, assurance or undertaking (express or implied) is or will be made, and no responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by BSI in relation to the adequacy, accuracy, completeness or reasonableness of this publication. All and any such responsibility and liability is expressly disclaimed to the full extent permitted by the law.

This publication is provided as is, and is to be used at the recipient’s own risk.

The recipient is advised to consider seeking professional guidance with respect to its use of this publication.

This publication is not intended to constitute a contract. Users are responsible for its correct application.

Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from legal obligations.

This British Standard was published under the authority of the Standards Policy and Strategy Committee on 31 July 2016.

This European Standard was approved by CEN on 21 November 2022.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN member.

This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and United Kingdom.

European foreword

The text of ISO 37101:2016 has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 268 "Sustainable cities and communities” of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and has been taken over as EN ISO 37101:2022 by Technical Committee CEN/TC 465 “Sustainable Cities and Communities” the secretariat of which is held by AFNOR.

This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by May 2023, and conflicting national standards shall be withdrawn at the latest by May 2023.

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.

Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards body. A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN website.

According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and the United Kingdom.

Endorsement notice

The text of ISO 37101:2016 has been approved by CEN as EN ISO 37101:2022 without any modification.

European foreword to Amendment 1

The text of ISO 37101:2016/Amd 1:2024 has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 268 "Sustainable cities and communities” of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and has been taken over as EN ISO 37101:2022/A1:2024 by Technical Committee CEN/TC 465 “Sustainable Cities and Communities” the secretariat of which is held by AFNOR.

This Amendment to the European Standard EN ISO 37101:2022 shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by March 2025, and conflicting national standards shall be withdrawn at the latest by March 2025.

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.

Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards body. A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN website.

According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and the United Kingdom.

Endorsement notice

The text of ISO 37101:2016/Amd 1:2024 has been approved by CEN as EN ISO 37101:2022/A1:2024 without any modification.

Foreword

ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.

The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).

Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not constitute an endorsement.

For an explanation on the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see the following URL: www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.

The committee responsible for this document is Technical Committee ISO/TC 268, Sustainable development in communities.

Introduction

This International Standard adopts a holistic approach to the establishment of the requirements of a management system for sustainable development in communities, including cities, and provides guidance aimed at:

improving the contribution of communities to sustainable development;
fostering smartness and resilience in communities, while taking into account the territorial boundaries to which it applies;
assessing the performance of communities in progressing towards sustainable development.

It sets out to establish a coherent framework to enable the community to develop its purposes and vision.

This International Standard sets out requirements and guidance to help communities achieve a framework that will allow them to become more sustainable. It does not set benchmarks or expected levels of performance.

While the challenge of sustainable development is global, the strategies for achieving it at community level are local, to a large extent, and can therefore differ in context and content from country to country and region to region. Community strategies need to reflect the context, preconditions, priorities and needs, particularly in the social environment, e.g. social equity, cultural identity and traditions, heritage, human health, safety and comfort, and social infrastructure.

In order to become more sustainable, communities also face the challenge of respecting planetary boundaries and taking into account the limitations these boundaries impose.

NOTE 1 The concept of “planetary boundaries” describes a framework within which humanity needs to live in order to continue to develop and thrive for generations to come. Climate change, freshwater consumption, land-use change and loss of biodiversity are examples of planetary boundaries. Crossing these boundaries could generate abrupt or irreversible environmental changes, while respecting them significantly reduces risks. Planetary boundaries can be broken down in order to select measures that can be addressed at community level, while taking into account the specific situation.

The management of sustainable development in communities encompasses a wide range of issues, e.g. issues related to the economic, social and natural environment of communities and their interactions. Those issues can have strategic, operational and competitive implications.

NOTE 2 The capacity to foster cross-discipline harmony and common purpose is fundamental to achieving a community’s objectives effectively and efficiently.

This International Standard is designed to empower communities and to build on local initiatives. It targets environmental, social and economic issues, including improved community services and socio-economic benefits, as well as supporting clear purposes for sustainable development in communities and encouraging sound planning systems to achieve them.

This International Standard focuses on communities as stepping stones towards sustainability of society as a whole. Although each community has values and interests of its own, all communities can derive mutual benefits from agreeing upon ownership of shared values and objectives without exonerating individual actors from their respective responsibilities. This can be achieved only if the community applies a long-term view on planning, while respecting the Earth's overall capacity and the needs of current and future generations, including the capability and resources to provide resilience.

This International Standard fosters the establishment of a multi-actor process in communities, through a holistic approach that facilitates the cooperation of all interested parties and avoids a silo approach. It is intended to provide guidance for organizations that implement other management systems that are compatible with this International Standard, such as ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001, ISO 20121, ISO 14046 and ISO 26000, whether involved directly or indirectly in sustainable development in communities at different stages in their life cycles. This International Standard is also applicable to several organizations involved in managing and running community operations together.

Involvement of interested parties through a multi-actor process can take different forms, such as:

participatory partnerships;
public participation;
community based collaboration.

They all aim at involving interested parties in a cooperative dialogue for more sustainable solutions.

The successful implementation of this International Standard can help communities elaborate holistic and integrated strategies for sustainable development that depart from usual business approaches. It can also help communities show interested parties that an appropriate management system is in place and encourage them to become proactive.

Successful implementation of this International Standard can:

help to build consensus on sustainable development within communities;
improve the sustainability, smartness and resilience of strategies, programmes, projects, plans and services conducted under the direct responsibility of communities, or on the territory they relate to;
evolve cross-sector, multidisciplinary, life cycle value and total costing approaches;
foster synergies between several actors through a holistic approach;
increase the efficiency and attractiveness of communities.

The successful implementation of this International Standard is intended to establish a coherent framework to enable communities to develop their purpose and vision. Using relevant indicators and metrics, the outcome of strategies, programmes, projects, plans and services can be measured throughout communities. Metrics and indicators are connected, but often developed for different reasons. Metrics have a more technical focus, e.g. a parameter of the performance of a product, a process or an infrastructure element.

The International Standards developed by ISO/TC 268 aim to make use of indicators and metrics for structured and consistent support of sustainable, smart and resilient management of communities. Indicators such as those used in ISO 37120 are quantitative, qualitative or descriptive measures defined for actual use in monitoring and evaluating the overall performance of a community or a city, for example. In contrast, metrics such as those used in ISO/TS 37151 are the measurement method and measurement scale defined for use in evaluating the technical performance of infrastructure elements (hardware and software), e.g. in energy, transport or waste management services.

Annex B provides a mapping of issues, indicators and metrics between this International Standard, ISO 37120:2014 and ISO/TS 37151:2015

This International Standard is based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) model, which can be briefly described as follows:

Plan: establish objectives and processes necessary to deliver results in accordance with community purposes;
Do: implement processes and achieve objectives;
Check: monitor and measure processes against community policy, objectives and commitments, and report the results;
Act: take necessary actions to improve performance.

Figure 1 illustrates how this International Standard follows a PDCA approach to the management of sustainable development in communities.

In this International Standard, the following verbal forms are used:

“shall” indicates a requirement;
“should” indicates a recommendation;
“may” indicates a permission;
“can” indicates a possibility or a capability.

Information marked as “NOTE” is intended to assist the understanding or use of the document. “Notes to entry” used in Clause 3 provide additional information that supplements the terminological data and can contain provisions relating to the use of a term.

1 Scope

This International Standard establishes requirements for a management system for sustainable development in communities, including cities, using a holistic approach, with a view to ensuring consistency with the sustainable development policy of communities.

NOTE 1 Cities have become essential actors for sustainable development at local, national and international levels over the last century, due to the pressure of unprecedented urbanization.

The intended outcomes of a management system for sustainable development in communities include:

managing sustainability and fostering smartness and resilience in communities, while taking into account the territorial boundaries to which it applies;
improving the contribution of communities to sustainable development outcomes;
assessing the performance of communities in progressing towards sustainable development outcomes and the level of smartness and of resilience that they have achieved;
fulfilling compliance obligations.

NOTE 2 Smartness and resilience are embedded in the process of sustainable development: sustainable development is the overarching process, while smartness and resilience are characteristics.

This International Standard is intended to help communities become more resilient, smart and sustainable, through the implementation of strategies, programmes, projects, plans and services, and demonstrate and communicate their achievements.

This International Standard is intended to be implemented by an organization designated by a community to establish the organizational framework and to provide the resources necessary to support the management of environmental, economic and social performance outcomes. A community that chooses to establish the organizational framework by itself is considered to constitute an organization as defined in this International Standard.

This International Standard is applicable to communities of all sizes, structures and types, in developed or developing countries, at local, regional or national levels, and in defined urban or rural areas, at their respective level of responsibility.

This International Standard can be used in whole or in part to improve the management of sustainable development in communities. Claims of conformity to this International Standard, however, are not acceptable unless all its requirements are incorporated into an organization’s management system for sustainable development in communities and fulfilled without exclusion.

2 Normative references

3 Terms and definitions

4 Context of the organization

4.1 Understanding the organization and its context

4.2 Understanding the needs and expectations of interested parties

4.3 Determining the scope of the management system for sustainable development in communities

4.4 Management system for sustainable development in communities

4.5 Purposes of sustainability

4.6 Sustainability issues

5 Leadership

5.1 Leadership and commitment

5.2 Policy

5.3 Organizational roles, responsibilities and authorities

5.4 Responsibility for identification of community sustainability issues

6 Planning

6.1 Actions to address risks and opportunities

6.2 Objectives of sustainable development in communities and planning to achieve them

7 Support

7.1 Resources

7.2 Competence

7.3 Awareness

7.4 Communication

7.5 Documented information

8 Operation

8.1 Operational planning and control

8.2 Ensuring coherence of community strategies, programmes, projects, plans and services

9 Performance evaluation

9.1 Monitoring, measurement, analysis and evaluation

9.2 Internal audit

9.3 Management review

10 Improvement

10.1 Nonconformity and corrective action

10.2 Continual improvement

Bibliography

BS EN ISO 37101:2022+A1:2024

Sustainable development in communities. Management system for sustainable development. Requirements with guidance for use

Current

Published:

30 Sep 2024