Overview
ISO 10987:2012 - Earth-moving machinery - Sustainability - Terminology, sustainability factors and reporting - establishes a common framework for communicating sustainability information about earth-moving machinery (as defined in ISO 6165). The standard:
- Defines sustainability terminology (e.g., sustainability, useful life, remanufacturing, recyclability, CO2 equivalent).
- Identifies significant sustainability factors across development, manufacturing, useful life and end-of-life.
- Provides an example reporting format and practical annexes for presenting sustainability data.
ISO 10987:2012 is intended as a starting point for machine manufacturers, fleet managers and project owners who need consistent sustainability information for procurement, project planning and life-cycle decision making.
Key topics and requirements
The standard sets out measurable and reportable sustainability factors, including:
- Work-site energy efficiency - energy or fuel used per unit of work (e.g., m3 or tonnes moved per kWh); guidance on measuring energy use and productivity (Annex B gives an example method).
- Work-site greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions - accounting for GHGs from fuels and energy used on-site, reported in CO2 equivalent (CO2e) using global warming potential metrics.
- Product support for improving machine efficiency and use - manufacturer information and training to optimize operation relative to machine capability.
- Machine air quality emissions - engine emission ratings (tiers/stages) and related emission data.
- Material re‑use, recyclability and recoverability - remanufacturable content and recyclable/recoverable percentages (aligned with ISO 16714).
- Safety; sound and vibration - compliance with relevant safety and acoustic/vibration standards; operator exposure metrics.
- Total useful life cost parameters - data to help estimate owning and operating costs versus productivity over the machine life cycle.
- Reporting format - an example template (Annex A) for presenting sustainability factor information.
The standard emphasizes assessing energy efficiency and GHG at the work‑site/project level due to operational variability, and adheres to ISO 14040/14044 life cycle principles.
Applications and users
ISO 10987:2012 is useful for:
- OEMs and product development teams preparing sustainability declarations and design strategies.
- Fleet managers and contractors comparing project-level energy use and GHGs and optimizing machine selection.
- Procurement officers and project owners specifying sustainability requirements in tenders.
- LCA practitioners and sustainability officers needing standardized terminology and reporting templates.
- Regulators and standards bodies referencing consistent metrics for policy and compliance.
Related standards
Relevant referenced documents include: ISO 6165, ISO 14040, ISO 14044, ISO 16714, ISO 20474 (safety), ISO 6393/6394/6395/6396 (noise), ISO/TR 25398, and ISO 5349-2. These provide complementary methods for testing, safety, noise/vibration, and life-cycle assessment.
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